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IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Wings Can't Dig Out of Early Hole

August 31, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


WINGS CAN'T DIG OUT OF EARLY HOLE The Red Wings fell behind early and dropped a 10-7 decision to the Buffalo Bisons Friday night at Frontier Field. Glenn Williams homered and doubled for Rochester, who was out-hit 15-9 while making two errors and using five pitchers; Shin-Soo Choo had four hits, three RBI and three runs scored for Buffalo.

The loss made a serious impact on the Wings' wild card chances, as Richmond beat Norfolk 6-2 Friday to move a game and a half ahead of the Wings with three games to play. The Bisons pulled into a tie with the Wings with the win, also a game and half behind Richmond.

Starter Kevin Slowey, possibly making his final start as a Red Wing this season with an impending callup to the Twins, had to work though a tiring first inning. After inducing a routine groundball to second that Matt Tolbert fielded and threw offline, allowing the leadoff man to reach, three consecutive hits scored two runs and put two more in scoring position. A ground ball to third baseman Gil Velazquez held the two runners and gave Slowey his first out of the inning. Slowey finished strong, however, striking out the next two batters swinging to keep the Bisons from extending their lead.

In the second, Slowey allowed a leadoff hit to Keith Ginter. After a sacrifice bunt, a hit by Joe Inglett pushed the Buffalo lead to 3-0. With a runner on second, a two out RBI by Ben Francisco, second in the international league in batting average entering the game, added on another run.

In the bottom of the third, a leadoff hit by Velazquez and a walk by Luis Rodriguez off Buffalo starter Jason Stanford set the stage. Denard Span swung and missed a Stanford pitch and the catcher missed it entirely as it rolled to the backstop advancing the two runners. With first base open, Span took a 3-2 pitch high to load the bases. Tolbert smashed a ground ball to third which would turn into a double play, putting a run and two outs on the scoreboard. Darnell McDonald grounded to second baseman Luis Rivas and was thrown out on a terrific play with Rivas throwing across his body from behind the second base bag to get McDonald at first by less than half a step.

In the fifth, Span led off with his third walk of the game. A triple by Tolbert promptly scored Span. On a ground ball to the left side of the infield, Tolbert dashed home and was caught in a rundown but managed to crash through Stanford and score on the play. On a foul pop-up by Matthew LeCroy, Buffalo catcher Yamid Haad made a great diving catch then alertly threw out McDonald, trying to advance on the pop-up.

A rough start by Slowey was compounded by a rough debut in the fifth for new Red Wing Tim Lahey, who faced nine batters in his first inning of work. Lahey allowing three runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Jay Sawatski pitched the sixth inning for Rochester and surrendered a home run.

However, the Red Wings battled back with back to back doubles to lead off the sixth, making the score 8-4. Extra-base hits were the story again in the seventh, as McDonald tripled off the wall in center and LeCroy hit a double over the center fielder's head to make the score 8-5. The Bisons added another pair of runs in the eighth off Jason Miller, and Williams got one run back with a homer to center in the bottom of the eighth.

Morales picked up his third hit of the night and drove in the final Rochester run in the ninth

NOTES: Starter Michael McCardell struck out seven in six shutout innings, leading the Rookie level Elizabethton Twins to a 5- win over Danville and the Appalachian League Championship Friday night.....The Twins are expected to call up three players from Rochester when big league rosters expand on Saturday, with the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting that Slowey will start for the Twins on Tuesday... Here's a look at potential candidates from Double-A New Britain who could be promoted to the Wings for the regular season's final weekend:

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International League Stories from August 31, 2007


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