SkyChiefs edge Wings 3-1
May 31, 2006 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
The Red Wings lost 3-2 to the Syracuse SkyChiefs Wednesday night - the first of 17 games at Frontier Field over the next 21 days. Jason Tyner and Gil Velzaquez drove in the Rochester runs, and starter Mike Smith struck out five and allowed one run in seven innings.
Syracuse starter Dustin McGowan was able to escape two early inning scoring threats by the Wings. In both the first and second the Wings put runners on first and third but McGowan and the SkyChiefs were able to keep the Wings off the board. McGowan was Toronto's first pick in the 2000 draft.
The Wings got two scoreless innings from Smith, and then the Skychiefs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Wayne Lydon led off with a double and Sergio Santos singled Lydon in two batters later.
Smith would continue to pitch well after the third inning, but he was not alone. McGowan threw a one-hitter into the seventh. McGowan was relieved by Jordan DeJong (1-0) to start the seventh, and the Wings subsequently recorded their second hit and first run of the game. With one out, Glenn Williams hit a deep fly ball to center that looked routine, but SkyChiefs centerfielder Wayne Lydon seemed to lose track of the ball and it soared over his head. Two batters later, Tyner drove Williams in after a double that resulted from a brutal collision in left field between two SkyChiefs. Syracuse left fielder Rob Cosby left the game after the play.
Bobby Korecky (0-1) relieved Smith to start the eighth inning, and the SkyChiefs combined three hits and two Rochester errors to push across two unearned runs. Jason Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Rochester, striking out two.
The Red Wings put runners at second and third with one out in the ninth, prompting a pitching switch to Ryan Houston. Velazquez drilled the first pitch from Houston into left field to plate Williams and bring the Wings to within a run at 3-2. Houston nabbed Josh Rabe on a called third strike for the second out, and got a pop out from Garrett Jones to end the threat and the game.
NOTES: In the fifth inning, Smith speared a hard hit grounder up the middle, and started an unusual pitcher-shortstop-third baseman-second baseman double play...1B/DH Jason Hart, who was batting .225 with four home runs and eight RBI in 30 games for the Red Wings, was traded Wednesday to the Texas Rangers organization for a player to be named. Hart's roster spot will be filled by outfielder Kevin West, who was promoted to Rochester from Single-A Ft. Myers. West was batting .222 (4-for-18) with one home run and eight RBI in six games for the Miracle. West, who innjured his left knee out while playing winter ball in Venezuela, batted .271 with 20 home runs and 64 RBI in 125 games for Rochester last year....Tuesday night's win clinched a winning month of May for the Red Wings. The Red Wings now have a streak of seven consecutive months! (May, June, July, August, September 2005, April and May 2006) with a .500 or better record. It's the first time they've accomplished this since April, May, June, July, August, September 1980 and April, May 1981 when Rochester had eight consecutive months of a .500 or better record.
International League Stories from May 31, 2006
- SkyChiefs edge Wings 3-1 - Rochester Red Wings
- First-place Tribe returns to Victory Field Thursday - Indianapolis Indians
- Eight-Game Homestand Starts Thursday - Norfolk Tides
- TSN's Jennifer Hedger Headlines Lynx Upcoming Homestand - Ottawa Lynx
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
