Wings Top 'Riders 4-1 in Home Opener
April 10, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
Buck Britton's two-run single was the key hit as the Rochester Red Wings beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 4-1 Sunday afternoon at Frontier Field, in the 2016 home opener.
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Jose Berrios, the Twins' top pitching prospect, got the home opener assignment and threw a first pitch strike to Ben Gamel at 1:35 p.m., with the game time temperature 38°. Berrios got a pair of flyouts and a strikeout in a seven-pitch top of the first inning.
Former Wing Anthony Swarzak was Berrios' mound opponent Sunday. Swarzak worked around a walk to set down the side and strand a runner.
The RailRiders took and early lead in the second inning, when Slade Heathcott led off with a single and came all the way around to score on a double into the left field corner by Gary Sanchez. Berrios issued two walks around a flyout to load the bases, then struck out Pete Kozma for the second out. A flyout ended the RailRiders threat.
Scranton put two on again in the third inning, and Berrios struck out former Wing Chris Parmelee to get out of trouble.
James Beresford led off the bottom of the third with an opposite field single, the first Red Wings home hit of the season. Wilfredo Tovar followed with a single, Darin Mastroianni drew a walk, and the Wings had a bases loaded scoring threat with none out. Britton followed with a single that brought in two runners for a 2-1 Wings lead. Mastroianni scored on a close play at the plate after Jorge Polanco snuck a single past second baseman Donovan Solano, boosting the Wings' lead to 3-1.
In the top of the fourth inning, Berrios recovered from his shaky second and third frames and came back to strike out the side.
Swarzak worked three innings, allowing three hits and four runs (three earned) with two walks and a strikeout. Swarzak (0-1) threw 60 pitches, 41 for strikes.
Adam Brett Walker started the bottom of the fourth off against reliever Nick Rumbelow with a single for the Red Wings. John Hicks continued the momentum with a single of his own. After a wild pitch during Tovar's at-bat, both runners were able to advance a base for a second and third with one out situation. Tovar popped out and Mastroianni ended the inning with a fly-ball to right field, stranding both Walker and Hicks.
Berrios struggled in the top of the fifth, giving up two walks in the first three at-bats. However, he settled back into his groove, striking out Sanchez and Parmelee for a total of nine strikeouts in five innings. Berrios (1-0) allowed three hits, four walks and hit two batters while striking out nine. He threw 90 pitches, 53 for strikes.
Tyler Webb took over for Rumbelow in the fifth inning, and the Wings padded the lead. Tovar had an RBI single to bring home Walker, and the Wings led 4-1.
Alex Meyer came in relief of Berrios in the sixth inning, where he stranded one man on base. Meyer then worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, finishing the inning with a strikeout.
The RailRiders had runners at first and third with two outs in the ninth against Meyer, but Meyer struck out cleanup hitter Heathcott to end the game and record his first save.
Walker had three hits in his Frontier Field debut, and Tovar had two hits as the Wings out-hit the RailRiders 9-6.
Sunday Score Special: The April 10 combined score of 5 will be the price of an oil change ($5) this coming Wednesday or Sunday at participating Rochester area Monroe Muffler/Brake & Service and Mr. Tire locations. Click here for complete details.
NOTES: Students from Mendon Center Elementatry School performed the National Anthem before the game...The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Wings fan Ryan Farrell, winner of our social media contest. Ryan's father Mike and mother Kathy attended the first Wings game at Frontier on April 11, 1997 while Kathy was pregnant with Ryan...The Twins placed INF/OF Danny Santana on the DL (hamstring strain) and recalled OF/1B Max Kepler from the Red Wings...Paid attendance for the rescheduled home opener was 6,903.
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4/12 vs. LHV 6:35pm RHP David Martinez (1st appearance) vs. RHP Mark Appel
4/13 vs. LHV 1:35pm RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP David Buchanan
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