IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Rochester Red Wings Game Notes

Published on May 18, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Rochester Red Wings (17-25) @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (17-24)

Coca-Cola Park - Allentown, PA - 6:35 p.m.

RHP P.J. Walters (4-2, 3.42) vs. LHP Raul Valdes (NR)

TODAY'S GAME: The Red Wings make their first trip to Allentown, PA this season as they open a 4-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies) on Saturday night (6:35 p.m.)... The Wings are coming off a series split with Durham after winning the finale 11-6 Friday night at Frontier Field. Despite winning 2 games in a row, the Wings are still just 3-6 in their last 9 games and sit in 5th place in the IL North -- 8.0 games back of BUF and PAW... Meanwhile, the IronPigs are just a half-game ahead of Rochester as they have lost 8 of their last 11 contests... After this 4-game set, the Wings will have an off day Wednesday before beginning an 8-game homestand on Thursday against the Charlotte Knights (White Sox) at Frontier Field.

WITH A WIN TONIGHT...:

-The Wings will win 3 games in a row for the first time since a season-high 4-game win streak, April 24-27.

-The Wings will win their first series opener since 5/2 @ COL and just their 4th of the season (3-9 in series openers this season)

MORE FROM LAST NIGHT...:

-LHP Andrew Albers picked up his 1st Triple-A win and extended his streak of not allowing an earned run to 20.1 IP

-The Wings reached double figures in runs scored (11) for just the 4th time this season and first since 4/25 @ SYR

-It was the 2nd time this season the Wings had two, 5-run innings in the same game (4/7 vs BUF)

P.J.'s DAY: Red Wings RHP P.J. Walters will be making his team-leading 9th start of the season today. After starting the season 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA (11 ER/15.1 IP) in his first 3 GS, Walters is 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA (7 ER/32.0 IP) over his last 5 outings -- all "quality starts" -- including his first career CG-SHO on 4/21 (2) vs PAW to start the string of good outings... Walters has been susceptible early in games as he has an ERA of 4.88 (13 ER/24.0 IP) in the first 3 innings but just a 1.93 ERA (5 ER/23.1 IP) from the 4th inning on.

-Walters went 1-2, 7.54 (12 ER/14.1 IP) in 3 GS vs LHV in '12 -- including allowing 3R on 7H in 6.0IP in only start at CCP (4/15/12)

-The last time Walters won 5 straight decisions was 5/15-6/21/11 w/ Memphis (AAA) when he won 6 straight.

ROSTER MOVES: LHP Rafael Perez was released by Minnesota prior to Friday's first pitch and fellow lefty reliever Mike O'Connor was released following the game... Perez, who missed the first 26 games of the season recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, was 1-0, 2.25 ERA (ER/4 IP) in 4 games with the Wings. O'Connor meanwhile was 0-1, 4.86 ERA in 13 relief outings for the Wings this season but had allowed 5 runs (4 ER) over his last 3 appearances... LHP Aaron Thompson was promoted to Rochester from New Britain (AA) where he leaves riding a 12.1-inning scoreless streak and had allowed just one run over his first 11 appearances of the season (0.61 ERA). The 26-year-old, former 1st round pick (22nd overall) of the Marlins in 2005, spent all of the 2012 season with New Britain (3-8, 5.23 ERA in 22 G, 13 GS) after serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy (recreational drugs).

COLABELLO CLIMBING THE CHARTS: After yet another multi-hit game on Friday, his 4th in a row and 6th in the last 7 games, 1B Chris Colabellocontinues to climb the ranks of the IL's elite players this season... He currently ranks 1st in the IL in hits (56), total bases (104) and extra-base hits (26), T-1st in HR (11) and doubles (15), 2nd in SLG (.650), 3rd in RBI (32) and batting average (.350) and 4th in OPS (1.059)... The Wings first baseman is currently riding a tied for season-high 9-game hit streak (16-33 (.488); 7 2B, 3 HR, 6 R, 10 RBI) and has at least one hit in 18 of his last 19 games overall (.403; 31-of-77, 11 2B, 5 HR, 14 R, 15 RBI)... He has feasted on RHP's batting .382 with all 11 HR's and 29 of his 32 RBI... Just .243-0-3 vs. LHP

-Colabello is on pace to hit 38 home runs and 109 RBI... It would be the first 30-HR, 100-RBI season by a Red Wing since Jim Fuller in 1973

FRYER'S FLYER AT FRONTIER: C Eric Fryer's first career grand slam in the 2nd inning on Friday was the first by a Red Wings player at Frontier Field since August 30, 2008 when Trevor Plouffe took Mark Melancon deep against Scranton/WB... The last grand slam by a Red Wings player came courtesy of Wilkin Ramirez on August 20, 2012 at Pawtucket... The grand slam was Fryer's 2nd home run in as many starts (4 AB's) after not hitting a long ball since June 7, 2011 prior to Wednesday's game -- a span of 306 AB's... The grand slam was the first of Fryer's career and the 4 RBI is the most he has recorded in a game since a 6-RBI game back on June 6, 2008 with West Virginia (A).

HITTIN' THE HOMER: After homering in a season-high 3 straight games (7 total), the Red Wings have now hit 39 homers in the first 42 games of the season... Last season, the Wings didn't hit their 39 home run until June 19 -- their 71st game of the season. The 39 home runs rank 3rd in the International League -- 10 behind Buffalo's league-leading 49 homers.

-The Wings are on pace for 133 home runs this season, which would be the most since the 2008 season (133).

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International League Stories from May 18, 2013


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