IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Red Wings Game Notes

Published on April 11, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Rochester Red Wings (2-4) @ Pawtucket Red Sox (5-1)

McCoy Stadium - 7:05 p.m.

RHP Kyle Gibson (0-0. 1.80) vs. LHP Chris Hernandez (0-0, 2.25)

TODAY'S GAME: After the first postponement of the 2013 season on Wednesday at PNC Field in Moosic, PA, the Red Wings open their first 4-game set of the year tonight at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI against the reigning Governors' Cup champions. The Wings enter the series having split a rain-shortened 2-game set against SWB. Meanwhile, the Paw Sox are also coming off a 2-game split with Lehigh Valley as the third game was suspended in the 3rd inning last night in Allentown, PA. Pawtucket, sitting atop the IL North standings, opened the year with a 4-game sweep of the RailRiders at SWB and will be hosting their home opener tonight.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: Tonight's Red Wings starter RHP Kyle Gibson got off to a nice start in Buffalo last Friday allowing just one run on 4 hits in 5 innings. It was the first time the former Twins first round pick had thrown five innings in a regular season game since July 22, 2011 - his last start before undergoing Tommy John surgery that September... Gibson carries a 4-inning scoreless streak with him into tonight's start - his longest such stretch since tossing 11 scoreless frames in a two-start span from May 23-29 in 2011... Gibson has made just one start against Pawtucket in his career allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in 5 innings at McCoy Stadium on 6/30/11... The Paw Sox will throw southpaw Chris Hernandez on Thursday making his second start of the season and first career start against the Wings. Hernandez, who was teammates with Mark Sobolewski ('08) and Chris Herrmann ('09) at the University of Miami, went 1-4, 3.59 ERA 8 G with the Paw Sox last season after being named a mid-season All-Star with Portland (AA).

BIG PAPI WITH THE PAW SOX: David Ortiz, recovering from right Achilles' tendinopathy that originally happened last July 16 while running the bases, will begin his minor league rehab assignment tonight with Pawtucket. The 8-time All Star is expected to get 25-30 at bats with Pawtucket before rejoining the Red Sox next week. Big Papi last rehabbed with Pawtucket back in July, 2008 when he homered in all 3 games against Toledo -- the only 3 games he has ever played in the IL... In 1999, with the Twins Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake, Ortiz hit 30 home runs and knocked in 110 runs while hitting .315 in his last full season in the minor leagues.

VS. THE PAW SOX: The Red Wings lost the 2012 season series to the Paw Sox, 7-9, including going 3-5 at McCoy Stadium. The series was hotly contested, though, as 13 of the 16 games were decided by 3 runs or less. RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka tossed 7 shutout innings in the last game between the two clubs in 2012 (8/21 @ PAW) as Rochester was one-hit in the 3-0 loss. Eduardo Escobar singled to lead off the game for the only Wings hit of the night.

-The last time the Red Wings won a season series vs. PAW was back in 2008 (10-6)

-The last time the Red Wings won a series @ PAW was 8/18-8/21/09 when they took 4 of 5 from the Paw Sox

DYNAMIC DUO: The combination of OF Oswaldo Arcia and 1B Chris Colabello have combined to form a dangerous 3-4 punch for opposing IL pitchers. Both Arcia and Colabello rank in the top five of the league in batting average (Colabello, .455; Arcia, .450), on-base percentage (Arcia, .542; Colabello, .538) and slugging percentage (Colabello, .864; Arcia, .850)... With Arcia and Colabello in the 3- and 4-holes of the Red Wings lineup, opposing pitchers have been able to keep both off the bases just 5 times in 22 trips through the heart of the Red Wings order. In 9 of those trips, both Arcia and Colabello have reached base.

RAINED OUT: The Wings were denied a chance to earn their first series win of the season and first at PNC Field since August, 2008 due to Mother Nature Wednesday... Last season, Rochester wasn't postponed until game number 17 on April 21 vs. Lehigh Valley -- it was the longest such stretch to start a season since 2002 (17).

MORE ABOUT TUESDAY'S WIN..:

-Close Calls : The Wings picked up their first one-run victory of the season Tuesday... Last year the Wings went 17-17 in one-run games and 56-42 in games decided by 3 runs or less.

-Comeback Wings: Rochester won in comeback fashion Tuesday for the first time this season erasing a 1-0 deficit after 5 innings... The Red Wings recorded 32 come-from-behind wins a season ago, 12 when trailing after the 5th.

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