Phillips Homers, PawSox Split in Rochester
Published on August 21, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Brandon Phillips cracked a key three-run homer to help the Pawtucket Red Sox split their pair of games against the Rochester Red Wings on a rainy Tuesday night at Frontier Field.
In the first game - the resumption of a July 5 meeting in Rochester that was suspended with no score before the bottom of the first inning - Rochester rode a four-run third inning to a 6-3 win. The Red Wings (57-69) won despite the best efforts of Pawtucket first baseman Josh Ockimey, who went 3-for-4 with a double and a homer.
An hour and forty-five minutes after the conclusion of that first game, the teams played a second game - a seven-inning matchup that eventually began after ominous weather passed through. Phillips homered in the third inning and propelled the PawSox (60-66) to a 5-3 victory.
Game One
Sunday's starter for Pawtucket, Justin Haley, had been throwing his warm-up tosses before the bottom of the first inning July 5, but right-hander Chandler Shepherd (L, 4-8) began the resumed ballgame Tuesday night. Shepherd ceded four runs on seven hits and two walks in five frames to go along with five punchouts.
Rochester rehabber Michael Pineda (W, 1-0) tossed four innings of one-run work, and hard-throwing reliever Nick Anderson (S, 4) earned a six-out save.
Pawtucket's first batter of the night, Ockimey, started the scoring by mashing a 445-foot solo homer to right-center field to lift the PawSox ahead 1-0. Ockimey was still in Double-A when the game officially began July 5, and the 22-year-old prospect went 3-for-5 that day for Portland. He was eventually promoted to Pawtucket on August 3 but is now credited with making his Triple-A debut - and hitting his first Triple-A homer - July 5.
Rochester, however, countered with a four-run bottom of the third inning thanks to a two-run single, sacrifice fly and RBI triple.
The Red Wings stretched their lead to 5-1 in the sixth inning on an RBI double from third baseman Taylor Motter.
Ockimey doubled to begin the seventh, moved to third on a single from catcher Oscar Hernández and scored on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 5-2. Moments later, second baseman Mike Miller delivered an RBI single to reel in Hernández and make it 5-3.
Rochester tacked another run onto its lead in the home half of the seventh on an RBI single that made it 6-3.
Game Two
Pawtucket starter Josh D. Smith (W, 9-5) fanned six in five innings of three-run work, and righty Marcus Walden (S, 1) finished the victory with two scoreless stanzas.
Rochester starter Lewis Thorpe (L, 0-2) allowed four runs on four hits and three walks in 2.2 innings.
In the top of the third inning, leadoff man Rusney Castillo dumped an RBI single into center to plate Miller and hand Pawtucket a 1-0 lead. Soon thereafter, Phillips blasted a three-run jack - his second with the PawSox - to make it 4-0.
A half-inning later, Rochester designated hitter Kennys Vargas teed off on a two-run homer (with a staggering exit velocity of 117 MPH) to cut Pawtucket's lead in half.
In the bottom of the fifth, Willians Astudillo's solo homer for Rochester made it 4-3 Pawtucket.
Pawtucket promptly plucked that run back in the top of the sixth when Miller pulled an RBI double into left to restore the two-run lead, 5-3.
The PawSox now continue their series with Rochester on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Pawtucket right-hander William Cuevas (8-7, 3.60) is scheduled to oppose Red Wings righty Fernando Romero (5-4, 3.19). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 6:35 p.m.
After the eight-game road trip, the PawSox are back home August 28-30 (Tuesday-Thursday) for the penultimate homestand of the season. Good tickets are available, and fans can visit the McCoy Stadium box office, which is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., and during all home games. Fans can also call (401) 724-7300 or log on to PawSox.com for tickets.
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