Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - Friday, August 31 at Buffalo (Mets)
Published on August 31, 2012 under International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012 w FRONTIER FIELD
GAME #141- HOME GAME #71 - 7:05 P.M.
BUFFALO BISONS (65-75) vs. ROCHESTER RED WINGS (70-70)
RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN (7-6, 2.59) vs. RHP KYLE GIBSON (0-1, 12.00)
FOCUS NOW TO WINNING RECORD: The Rochester Red Wings tonight conclude their 2-game homestand and series against Buffalo (Mets) after being eliminated from all post-season contention yesterday with Pawtucket's (Red Sox) 1-0 win in the first game of its doubleheader at Gwinnett (Braves). Pawtucket needs just one win in its next 4 games to clinch the International League Wild Card spot.
a Following tonight's series finale, Rochester will play its last 2 road games at Syracuse (Nationals) tomorrow-Sunday and then return home for their final regular-season game Monday against Syracuse.
a The Wings are 13 games into a stretch of playing their final 17 contests against IL North opponents and they are 5-8. Rochester is 30-46 against its division rivals overall. The Wings went 40-24 outside the IL North.
ROSTER NEWS: The Minnesota Twins today recalled outfielder Matt Carson from Triple-A Rochester. Carson departs the Red Wings leading the team with 119 hits, 44 extra-base hits, 28 doubles, 53 RBI, 193 total bases, 64 runs scored and 115 games played. He batted .282 with 37 walks and a .347 on-base- percentage (OBP) overall with the Wings. In his previous stint with the Twins, Carson hit .381 with a double and an RBI in 5 games.
a Carson will be added to the Twins roster to fill the spot of outfielder Denard Span, who was placed on the 15-day Disabled List following yesterday's game vs. Seattle with an injured collarbone. The move is retroactive to Tuesday.
TWINNING: With 70 wins, the Red Wings have already won 17 more games than last year (53-91) and 21 more than in 2010 (49-95). Rochester needs only one more win in its final 4 games to surpass their 2009 win total of 70.
a Rochester is looking for its first winning season since the 2008 club went 74-70. At 70-70, Rochester needs to go 3-1 the rest of the way to finish above .500.
LET'S GET BACK TO TWINNING: The Red Wings' 3-game winning streak came to an end last night and they are just 5-9 since sitting a season-best 4 games above .500 at 65-61 on August 16. That was the first time the Wings had been 4 games over .500 since May 14, 2009, when they were 18-14.
a The Wings have lost 6 of their last 7 games at Frontier Field.
CELLAR DWELLERS NO MORE: With a 5-game lead over Buffalo and just 4 games remaining, the Red Wings will not finish last in the IL North Division standings for the first time in 3 years. Rochester can finish no worse than 5th place in the 6-team IL North Division.
a Rochester is 11-14 since their season-best 7-game winning streak July 29-August 5. Despite the recent downturn, the Red Wings are still 50-40 since sitting a season-worst 10 games below .500 at 20-30 on May 28. Going back further, Rochester is 56-47 beginning May 15.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Red Wings have just 2 games remaining at Frontier Field, where they are 42-36. The 42 wins along Morrie Silver Way are the club's most since going 46-26 in 2008. More than 1,500 prizes will be given out as part of Fan Appreciation Days during the last 2 home games tonight and Monday.
RUN AWAY: With Lehigh Valley (Phillies) losing 5-0 against Empire State (Yankees) last night, the Red Wings are no longer the lowest-scoring team in the league. The Red Wings have scored 542 runs to Lehigh's 540. Rochester now has its sights set on Louisville (Reds), which has 543.
WILKIN DOES A BODY GOOD: Outfielder Wilkin Ramirez is batting .340 (34-for-100) with 6 doubles, 3 home runs, and 20 RBI in 26 games in August. He ranks tied for 4th in the IL in hitting in that time, as well as tied for 3rd in RBI. Ramirez's August average includes a .397 mark (25-for-63) and 17 RBI in his last 17 games.
SLAMA THE DOOR SHUT: Righthander Anthony Slama enters tonight with 99 saves in his professional career, including 35 at the Triple-A level with the Red Wings. He logged 2 saves in the recently-completed 5-game series at Buffalo.
CUP RUNNETH OVER: The Red Wings on Sunday were eliminated from the chase for the historic and prestigious Thruway Series Cup presented by Hillside Family of Agencies, the 3-team race for the best record in western New York among Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse. Here are the current standings with 5 games to go for the Red Wings:
Rank Team Record Winning %
1. 0 18-13 .581
2. A0 16-13 .552
3. 10-18 .357
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: Tickets for Game 3 of the Empire State Yankees first-round playoff series on Friday, September 7 at Frontier Field are now on sale. The Empire State Yankees yesterday clinched the International League North Division Championship with a 5-0 win against Lehigh Valley. The Yankees will play the first two games of the series on the road.
a Prior to Game 3, Rochester native and Yankees farmhand Cito Culver will sign autographs from 6:00 - 6:50 p.m. in the Red Wings Hall of Fame. He is a 2010 graduate of Irondequoit High School and a first-round draft pick of the Yankees. The 20-year-old has spent the 2012 season with Charleston of the Single-A South Atlantic League. There will also be a fireworks show following Game 3.
THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY: The Indians crush the Yankees=82 22-0=82 at Yankee Stadium to tie a record for the most lopsided shutout in history.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
0 Opponent Time Probable A0 TV/Radio
Saturday, September 1 at Syracuse 7:00 p.m. RHP Esmerling Vasquez (9-6, 2.78) vs. RHP Tanner Roark (6-17, A0 WHTK 1280 AM
Sunday, September 2 at Syracuse 2:00 p.m. RHP Nick Blackburn (3-1, 2.12) vs. RHP Yunesky Maya (11-9, 3.72) TWCS 26/WHTK 1280 AM
Monday, September 3 vs. Syracuse 1:05 p.m. LHP Zach Duke (15-5, 3.51) vs. RHP Shairon Martis (3-3, A0 TWCS 26/WHTK 1280 AM
International League Stories from August 31, 2012
- Mesa Homers Twice as Yankees Down Pawtucket 4-3 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
- Tribe Trounces Toledo 6-1 - Indianapolis Indians
- Despite Loss, PawSox Magic Number Is 1 - Pawtucket Red Sox
- Knights Lance Bulls 7-2 - Durham Bulls
- Tides beat Braves - Norfolk Tides
- Mets to Recall Bisons INF Zach Lutz, C Mike Nickeas on Saturday - Buffalo Bisons
- Tides Wash Away Gwinnett, 4-0 - Gwinnett Stripers
- Chiefs Beat IronPigs for Fourth Straight Win - Syracuse Mets
- Pittsford's Jake Holland Serves as Zweigle's Honorary Coach of the Game August 31 - Rochester Red Wings
- Pittsfords's Katelyn Wilmarth Served as "Play Ball" Kid August 31 - Rochester Red Wings
- Knights Return Home Sunday for Final Two Regular Season Games - Charlotte Knights
- VandenHurk Named Indians 2012 Most Valuable Player - Indianapolis Indians
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - Friday, August 31 at Buffalo (Mets) - Rochester Red Wings
- IronPigs Game Notes - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Bisons Notes - Buffalo at Rochester (7:05 P.M.) - Buffalo Bisons
- Tickets for Game 3 of Empire State Yankees First-Round Playoff Series Now on Sale - Rochester Red Wings
- Final Weekend of 2012 Regular Season Arrives - IL1
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