ROCHESTER — Logan Schafer had three hits and an RBI, leading the Red Wings to a 6-3 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox Tuesday night at Frontier Field. The win moves the Wings to within 4.5 games of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the wild card playoff spot.
The teams meet again Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m.
Pawtucket got on the board first when Marco Hernandez hit a single off Jason Wheeler to drive in Rusney Castillo. It was the 22nd time in the last 33 games that Rochester has allowed the first run of the game.
Adam Brett Walker hit a two-run home run in the second inning off Sean O’Sullivan to give the Wings a 2-1 lead. It was Walker’s 21st homer of the season, the most in the International League. Wilfredo Tovar extended the lead to 3-1 with a double, scoring Schafer. John Ryan Murphy then singled, driving in Tovar and making it a 4-1 advantage.
O’Sullivan exited after Murphy’s single with an apparent injury, relieved by William Cuevas. O’Sullivan allowed six hits and four runs, all earned, along with two strikeouts in an inning plus five batters. He threw 35 pitches, 21 for strikes.
A Ryan LaMarre sacrifice fly to deep center in the third scored Mike Miller and cut the Rochester lead to 4-2.
Henry Ramos doubled in the fourth inning, scoring Jantzen Witte and making the score 4-3.
The Wings added two more runs in the fifth to go up 6-3. Byungho Park’s double to right scored Daniel Palka, who doubled after a popup landed between first baseman Chris Marrero and right fielder Henry Ramos. Schafer bunted in Park on a single for the second run of the frame.
Wheeler was relieved by D.J. Baxendale with one out in the sixth. Wheeler allowed three runs, all earned, on nine hits, recording two strikeouts and a walk. He threw 94 pitches, 61 for strikes.
Sean Burnett came in for Baxendale with two outs in the seventh. Baxendale did not allow a hit, striking out two and issuing a walk in 1.1 innings. J.T. Chargois pitched the ninth inning, allowing a hit and walking a batter but earning his ninth save of the season.
Winning Pitcher: Jason Wheeler (9-2)
Losing Pitcher: Sean O’Sullivan (6-4)
Save: J.T. Chargois (9)
NOTES:
The Red Wings out-hit the PawSox 11-10…Trevor Plouffe went 2-for-4 as the designated hitter in the first game of a major league rehab assignment.
