LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Nick Greenwood tossed 8.0 strong innings while allowing two runs and the Red Wings scored three runs in the first two innings as Rochester held on to beat the Gwinnett Braves 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field.
Greenwood (5-3) allowed both runs on solo home runs. He scattered five hits and did not issue a walk while striking out four as the Red Wings (71-58) forced a rubber match in the series with the Braves (57-71) on Monday. Greenwood lowered his season ERA to 3.17 and has thrown at least 7.0 innings in five straight starts while pitching to a 2.48 ERA (10 ER, 36.1 IP) during that stretch.
Rochester struck first against Gwinnett spot starter Stephen Janas (2-2) as Byron Buxton tripled on the first pitch of the game and scored on Wilfredo Tovar’s infield single a batter later to give the Wings a 1-0 advantage. Janas started after John Gant, the original probable starter, was activated from the disabled list by Atlanta before the game. It was Janas’ first Triple-A start after making his first 21 appearances out of the bullpen.
The Red Wings extended their lead in the second as Adam Brett Walker dropped a single into center, moved to third on a pickoff attempt error and scored on a single by Logan Schafer. Schafer then stole second and scored on a Leonardo Reginatto single to make it 3-0.
Sean Kazmar hit a solo homer in the bottom of the second off Greenwood to put the Braves on the board at 3-1. Gwinnett would not score again until Brandon Snyder hit another solo homer in the sixth.
Greenwood departed in favor of Alan Busenitz after the eighth and the newcomer allowed a two-out single but worked a scoreless ninth inning to secure the save in his first game as a Red Wing. Busenitz was acquired by Minnesota at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels.
Schafer was the lone Wing with two hits as he finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
From RochesterRedWings.com.
