Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - Tuesday, August 28 at Buffalo (Mets)
August 28, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012 w COCA-COLA FIELD
GAME #139 - ROAD GAME #70 - 6:05 P.M.
ROCHESTER RED WINGS (69-69) vs. BUFFALO BISONS (64-74)
RHP SHAIRON MARTIS (2-3, 6.00) vs. RHP COLLIN MCHUGH (2-4, 3.39)
MATHEMATICALLY ALIVE: The Rochester Red Wings tonight conclude their 5-game series and roadtrip at Buffalo (Mets) with slim post-season hopes alive in the International League Wild Card race. The Red Wings trail IL Wild Card-leading Pawtucket (Red Sox) by 5.5 games with 6 to play. After tonight's finale and an offday tomorrow, the Red Wings return home Thursday for a 2-game set against the same Bisons.
a All but one of Rochester's final 6 games can be seen on Time Warner Cable Sports (TWCS) Channel 26. The lone exception is Saturday, when Syracuse University opens its football season against Northwestern University.
a The Wings are 11 games into a stretch of playing their final 17 contests against IL North opponents and they are 4-7 thus far. Rochester is just 29-45 against its division rivals overall. The Wings went 40-24 outside the IL North.
NO MORE MR. NICE GUY: The Red Wings' magic number to avoid a last-place finish for the 3rd year in a row is one. One Wings' win or one Buffalo loss and Rochester can finish no worse than 5th place in the 6-team IL North Division. Since the Red Wings and Bisons play one another 3 more times beginning tonight, the Wings need to win just one of these games to steer clear of a last-place finish.
a Rochester is looking for its first winning season since the 2008 club went 74-70. At 69-69, Rochester needs to go 4-2 the rest of the way to finish above .500.
a Rochester is 10-13 since their season-best 7-game winning streak July 29-August 5. Despite the recent downturn, the Red Wings are still 49-39 since sitting a season-worst 10 games below .500 at 20-30 on May 28. Going back further, Rochester is 55-46 beginning May 15.
IMPROVEMENT: With 69 wins, the Red Wings have already eclipsed their win total from both of the previous 2 seasons, besting their 49-95 record from 2010 and their 53-91 mark from 2011. Rochester needs 2 wins in its final 6 games to surpass their 2009 win total of 70. The Wings would need to win out to eclipse their 2008 victory total of 74.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?: The Red Wings have won 2 games in a row for the first time since a 3-game winning streak August 14-16, a week and a half ago. They are still just 4-8 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 Red Wings have scored 17 runs in their last 2 games after scoring 18 in their previous 8 contests.
a Nick Blackburn yesterday became the first starting pitcher other than Esmerling Vasquez to earn a win since Liam Hendriks won at Lehigh Valley (Phillies) August 12.
a Also yesterday, the Red Wings turned a season-best 4 double plays for the 2nd time (also April 16 against Empire State (Yankees) at Frontier Field) and hit a season-high 3 triples.
COMING HOME: The Red Wings have just 3 games remaining at Frontier Field, where they are 42-35. The 42 wins along Morrie Silver Way are the club's most since going 46-26 in 2008. The Wings host Syracuse (Nationals) on Labor Day, the final day of the regular season. More than 300 prizes will be given out as part of Fan Appreciation Days during the last 2 home games Friday and Monday.
WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE: The Red Wings have scored a league-low 529 runs and they are 6 runs behind Lehigh Valley with 6 games remaining to try to avoid finishing last in that offensive category. Rochester will finish with less than 600 runs scored for the 3rd season in a row. It had 592 in 2010 and 587 in 2011.
WILKIN DOES A BODY GOOD: Wilkin Ramirez is batting .352 (32-for-91) with 5 doubles, 3 home runs, and 20 RBI in 24 games in August. He ranks 5th in the IL in hitting in that time, as well as tied for 3rd in RBI. A look at the list of the Top-5 RBI leaders in August, which also includes teammate Chris Parmelee:
Rank Player RBI
1. Corban Joseph 26
2. Chris Gimenez 21
T3. Chris Parmelee 20
Wilkin Ramirez 20
5. Matt Den Dekker 19
a Ramirez has posted back-to-back 4-RBI games, the first Red Wing since at least 2004 to accomplish the feat (more research needed).
a Ramirez's August average includes a .426 mark (23-for-54) in his last 15 games.
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 6 games to go for the Red Wings:
Rank Team Record Winning %
1. Buffalo 17-12 .586
2. Syracuse 16-13 .552
3. Rochester 9-17 .346
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
0 Opponent Time Probable A0 TV/Radio
Wednesday, August A0 ***OFFDAY***
Thursday, August 30 vs. Buffalo 7:05 p.m. RHP Jeurys Familia (8-9, 4.78) vs. RHP P.J. Walters (3-2, 3.71) TWCS 26/WHTK 1280 AM
Friday, August 31 vs. Buffalo 7:05 p.m. RHP Chris Schwinden (8-9, 3.15) vs. RHP Kyle Gibson (0-1, 12.00) TWCS 26/WHTK 1280 AM
International League Stories from August 28, 2012
- Irwin, Indians Shutout Mud Hens 5-0 - Indianapolis Indians
- Knights and Chiefs Postponed on Tuesday - Charlotte Knights
- Chiefs, Knights Rained out on Tuesday Night - Syracuse Mets
- Tides, Bulls Rained out Tuesday - Norfolk Tides
- Bisons Announce Team Awards - Buffalo Bisons
- Gwinnett, Pawtucket Postponed by Rain - Gwinnett Stripers
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - Tuesday, August 28 at Buffalo (Mets) - Rochester Red Wings
- 2012 Indianapolis Indians Playoff Information - Indianapolis Indians
- Brown, Rivero Named to IL Post-Season All-Star Team - Syracuse Mets
- Tyler Cloyd Named IL's Most Valuable Pitcher - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Ernesto Mejia Named International League Rookie of the Year - Gwinnett Stripers
- Bisons Notes - Rochester at Buffalo (6:05 P.M.) - Buffalo Bisons
- Miley Named IL Manager of the Year - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
- International League 2012 Award Winners & All-Stars Announced - IL1
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