STAFF REPORTS
Rochester first baseman Zander Wiel hit the first two home runs of his Triple-A career to lead the Red Wings over the Bisons, 4-1, Wednesday evening from Frontier Field.
While Buffalo had nearly twice as many hits in the game (9-5), none of the Herd’s knocks were as big as Wiel’s. After the two sides waited 90 minutes to play because of the weather, Wiel rudely greeted Bisons starter Shawn Morimando by launching a home run into the left field bullpen just two batters into the bottom of the first inning.
Then in the third, Wiel got the better of the Herd lefty again. This time the homer was a two-run shot to nearly the same spot beyond the left field wall.
Wiel had averaged just .129 with four singles since being promoted to the Red Wings from Double-A last week, but his break out performance helped Rochester even the season series with Buffalo at eight wins apiece.
Buffalo’s lone run in the game came in the top of the fourth inning. After Richard Urena tripled into the right field corner, Reese McGuire singled him home for his 36th RBI of the season.
The Bisons had two runs on base later in the fourth and again in the eighth inning, but couldn’t dent the scoreboard again. The team went just 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men on base.
Morimando suffered the loss for Buffalo, dropping his record to 2-5. He allowed all four Rochester runs, but only those that came around on Wiel’s homer runs were earned. The Red Wings scored an unearned run in the sixth inning on a dropped pop up and Bisons throwing error.
The Bisons and Red Wings will meet one more time on Thursday before the Herd wraps up the season with a four-game series in Syracuse against the Chiefs.
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