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IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Wings Offense Heats Up Frigid Friday

April 13, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Red Wings pounded out 14 hits off three Charlotte pitchers, taking a 8-2 decision in the opener of a four-game series Friday night Frontier Field. Garrett Jones knocked in four runs and Tommy Watkins had two hits, drove in two and scored four times for Rochester.

Matt Garza took the mound for Rochester, opposing Gavin Floyd in battle of former number one picks - Garza for Minnesota in 2005, and Floyd by the Phillies in 2001. With game time temperatures in the 30's, and a wind chill in the 20's, both pitchers struggled with their stuff early on. The Knights picked up a first inning run against Garza, on Ryan Sweeney's two-out RBI single - one of three hits by Charlotte against Garza in the frame.

Floyd, who walked just one and struck out five on Sunday in Charlotte, walked Denard Span, Watkins and Doug Deeds to open the Rochester first. After taking a pitch for a ball, Jones stroked a single to right to bring home Span and Watkins and push the Wings ahead 2-1.

Garza got out of a jam in the third. After Pedro Lopez led the inning off with a single, the Knights avoided two near double plays and were left with runners on the corners and two outs. With things seemingly going the Knights' way, Garza shut the door by striking out Ernie Young to end the inning.

Watkins made a spectacular play to start the fourth, sliding to grab Andy Gonzalez's grounder up the middle for the first out. Garza then hit two consecutive Knights with pitches, including Luis Terrero, who later scored to tie the game at 2-2 off Lopez's third single of the game.

Jeremy Cummings came in to relieve Garza with two on and two out in the fifth inning, and he sat down Kenny Kelly on a called strike to end the inning. The Wings scored two more in the bottom of the fifth, the first of which came off a passed ball that scored Watkins from third. With Deeds on second, Glenn Williams drilled a single to left and Deeds' run made it a 4-2 lead for Rochester.

Watkins reached on an error in the Rochester seventh; he stole second base, then went to third on catcher Wiki Gonzalez's throwing error on the play. Charlotte brought the infield in with one out and Watkins at third; Jones hit a grounder to second, and a hustling Watkins slid under the throw to score his third run of the night, and fifth of the game for Rochester.

Cummings was effective again in relief, retiring all six batters he faced - three with strikeouts. Mike Venafro allowed a hit and two walks in an inning, loading the bases with two out in the eighth. Julio DePaula came out of the bullpen and got a quick grounder back to the mound to get out of the jam.

Watkins' one-out single in the eighth brought in two runs, and Jones' double into the right field corner plated Watkins with the final run of the game for the Wings.

NOTES: Deeds singled in the third for his first Triple-A hit; he added another single in the fifth...Matt Tolbert had three hits, and Matt Moses and Jose Morales each had two hits for the Wings...LHP Carmen Cali, who was placed on the disabled list to start the season with a strained groin, was activated from the DL today. Cali spent last year in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, going 1-6 with one save and a 4.07 ERA between Triple-A Memphis and Double-A Springfield...Charlotte's Terrero leads the international league in home runs, with four homers in 8 games...Floyd started the playoff series against the Wings last Septe! mber while with Scranton, getting the loss against Mike Smith Sept. 6 at Frontier.

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