The Rochester Red Wings topped the Columbus Clippers 6-2 Tuesday night at Frontier Field. With the win, the Wings moved to within one game of the wild card playoff spot. The series continues with a weekday matinee Wednesday at 1:35 p.m., another $1 Wednesday with dollar hot dogs, peanuts, chips, and Cracker Jack.
Columbus wasted no time against Rochester starter Nik Turley in the top of the first, as a pair of RBI singles gave the Clippers an early 2-0 lead.
With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the second, Matt Hague lined a double into left off of Jarrett Grube to give Rochester their first runner in scoring position. With the hit, Hague has now reached base safely in his last 22 games dating back to July 17. The Red Wings however, were unable to bring Hague home and still trailed by two runs.
The Red Wings scored in the bottom of the third. With one out in the inning, a Tommy Field double and a Zack Granite walk gave Rochester two runners on for Mitch Garver. Garver singled into center, but Field was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning. With two on and two outs, Daniel Palka lined a two-RBI double off the right field wall to bring home Granite and Garver and tie the game, 2-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, with Hague on first via a single and two outs, J.B. Shuck and Field hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Next to the plate was Granite, and on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, he delivered a grand slam into the Red Wings bullpen for his fifth home run of the year, giving Rochester a 6-2 lead.
Grube finished with four innings of work on the mound for the Clippers. In those four innings, he allowed nine hits and six runs (all earned), while walking one and striking out six on 89 pitches, 56 for strikes.
As for Turley, he gave the Red Wings five strong innings on the mound. In those five innings, he allowed six hits and two runs (both earned), while walking one and striking out seven on 84 pitches, 55 for strikes. He was relieved by Luke Bard, who took to the mound making his Triple-A debut in the top of the sixth.
Bard pitched the next two innings for the Red Wings, giving up two hits and striking out one. In the top of the eighth, Jake Reed came in to pitch for Rochester and added two scoreless relief innings.
