IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Wings Split, Pick up Ground in Wild Card Race

August 30, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


The Red Wings split a Thursday night doubleheader with the Ottawa Lynx. Gary Knotts pitched a two-hitter to blank the Wings 1-0 in the first game, but Trent Oeltjen tripled and scored the winning run in the eighth to give Rochester a 3-2 second game win and a split of the twinbill. In the wild card race, the Wings picked up ground as both Richmond and Buffalo lost Thursday; Rochester is just a half-game behind Richmond for the wild card spot, with Buffalo one game behind the Wings.

The Lynx took advantage of several Rochester mistakes in taking a 1-0 lead early in the opener. Starter Nick Blackburn, who had only two wild pitches in 104 2/3 innings this season, moved Javon Moran to third base with a first inning wild pitch; Moran scored on a passed ball one batter later.

Ottawa starter Knotts mowed down the Wings in the first three innings, notching five strikeouts and getting some help when Doug Deeds was picked off second base with none out in the third. Knotts brought a no-hitter into the sixth, when Chris Basak singled to start the inning. Denard Span bunted Basak to second, but the Wings couldn't get home the tying run.

The Wings had their second hit and final chance of the game in the seventh, when Deeds hit a long single with two outs. Oeltjen came in to run for Deeds, and moved to second on a wild pitch but Knotts (1-1) retired Luis Rodriguez to end the game. Blackburn (7-3) settled down and finished the game with six innings, five hits, a walk and the unearned run whle fanning five.

Ottawa's bid for a sweep started with a pair of first inning runs against game two starter Dave Gassner. Gary Burnham and Dusty Wathan each had run-producing hits for a 2-0 Lynx lead. The Wings got on the board agains John Ennis in the third inning. Gil Velazquez drilled an RBI double, and Span's RBI single plated Velazquez with the tying run.

The Wings ran themselves out of a scoring chance in the sixth. Reliever Jason Anderson picked off Matt Tolbert after a leadoff single, then allowed a single to Darnell McDonald. After getting the second out, McDonald was thrown out by Dusty Wathan trying to seteal second, ending the threat.

Gassner worked six innings, dealing with an Ottawa scoring threat when Joe Thurston led off with a single and was moved to second by a sacrifice bunt. Gassner struck out Gary Burnham after a nine-pitch at-bat for the second out, setting up Brennan King for a crucial strikeout to send play to the sixth still tied at 2-2.

Gassner finished with a strong effort, tossing six innings and allowing just four hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Bobby Korecky came out of the bullpen for the bottom of the seventh and got three quick groundball outs, sending the game into extra innings.

Oeltjen started the eighth inning agsinst Jason Anderson with a stand-up triple, clubbing a 3-2 pitch to right-centerfield. When Velazquez's blooper to right was caught by Matt Padgett, Oeltjen tagged and slid home just ahead of the throw on the risky play, giving the Wings the lead for the first time all night. Korecky (5-5) got the side in order again in the eighth, with Tolbert making a great play behind second base to retire Moran for the final out.

NOTES: Thursday's doubleheader was the final meeting between the two clubs, with the Ottawa franchise moving to Allentown after this season. The Wings are scheduled to play the new Lehigh Valley IronPigs for the first time next April 23-25 at Frontier Field, followed by a two-game set in Allentown....The Rookie level Elizabethton Twins opened their best-of-three Appalachian League Championship Series Thursday with the Danville Braves. The teams were scoreless in the ninth inning after a lengthy rain delay...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 Kevin 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:

OF Garrett Guzman....post-season Eastern League All-Star...hitting .299-13 HR-76 RBI-6 SB in 119 games

3B Matt Moses...hitting .258-4-40-6 since being set down from Rochester

SS Trevor Plouffe...like Moses, a former first round pick....best offensive season of career, hitting .274-9-50-12...turned 21 in June

1B Brock Peterson... .281-14-54-1...hit 21 HR and batted .291 for Class A Ft. Myers in '06

OF Brandon Roberts... speedy left-handed hitter, .294-2-34-13..third-year pro had 82 career steals coming into '06

OF Rashad Eldridge...switch-hitting veteran batting .282-7-39-7, has played at Triple-A with Rangers and Mets systems

1B/3B David Winfree....265-12-43, drove in 101 runs in 2005 Twins Minor League Player of the Year season

RHP Anthony Swarzak...5-4, 2.99 ERA in 13 starts after 50-game suspension earlier this season

LHP Jose Mijares... 5-3, 3.75 ERA, 8 SV at Double-A after a brief appearance for the Wings earlier this season

RHP Jeff Manship...7-5, 3.41 ERA in 12 starts at Class A Ft. Myers afer promotion from Class A Beloit, where he was 7-1, 1.51 in 13 starts

The Minnesota Twins held a groundbreaking ceremony Thurday for their new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2010.

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