Rochester Red Wings Notebook Archives - May

By Shawn Krest

Win some, lose some

June 15, 2003

Often in that order:  After losing three of four to the Toledo Mud Hens, the Red Wings’ record stands at 30-37.  Take away a seven-game losing streak in late May and the Red Wings have played .500 baseball.  In fact, other than that one-week hiccup, Rochester fans have looked like they were watching tennis as the team fills the loss column, then the win column. 

The Wings displayed their split personality from the very start of the season.  After losing their first two games, the team won its next two to even its record.  They followed that with a loss and a win.  The season-opening road trip had an odd number of games, so it was impossible for the Wings to stand at .500 for the home opener.  Instead, they were one above, at 4-3.  They responded, of course, with a 3-4 homestand to reach the break-even point at 7-7. 

Back on the road, the Wings lost a pair to Ottawa and swept two from Syracuse to reach 9-9.  After two home games against Syracuse, they were at 10-10.  Two against Ottawa brought them to 11-11.  Two against Buffalo closed out the homestand and the month of April at 12-12. 

The team led off May with eight games on the road.  They won three of four from Charlotte, and things seemed to be looking up.  They then lost three of four in Durham to come back to the middle of the road—16-16.

A 2-4 homestand broke the pattern, but Rochester won the first two games on the road trip to reach 20-20.  That was the last time the team’s record has been even, as the seven-game skid ate up much of the rest of the road trip. 

The homestand that kicked off June showed that the Wings were back to their old selves.  Eight games against Norfolk and Charlotte resulted in this pattern for Rochester:  L W L W L W L W.  On the road for four in Buffalo they changed things up a bit:  W L W L.

Sunday’s loss against Toledo broke an eleven game LW streak for the Wings, as they kicked off the homestand with an L W L. 

Even including the seven losses in a row, the Red Wings have a .556 winning percentage in games following a loss.  If we throw out the losing streak, the team’s percentage in the games following their other 30 losses is .667 (a 10-20 record).  Believe it or not, the record is exactly the opposite (20-10, a .333 percentage) in games following a win.

Despite the recent bullpen struggles, the biggest culprit in preventing long winning streaks has been the starting pitching.  Before his release, four of Everett Stull’s six losses came after Rochester wins in the previous game.  Six of Adam Johnson’s eight losses have stopped winning streaks.  Overall, 17 of the 20 losses after Rochester wins (85%) were charged to starting pitchers. 

On the other hand, the only true “stopper” in the rotation is Carlos Pulido.  Five of Pulido’s six wins have snapped Red Wing losing streaks.  The rest of the Rochester starters have only produced a total of seven streak-busting wins.  The bullpen has earned the victory in eight of the team’s wins following a loss. 

If starting pitching is preventing the team from running off a string of Ws, the good news is that improvement may be on the horizon.  If Minnesota can resist the temptation of Grant Balfour a little longer, he is a potential ace.  An initial rusty start shouldn’t confuse anyone:  James Baldwin is no Everett Stull.  And Adam Johnson should continue to shake off his tough start to the season. 

Nearly perfect not nearly enough for Wings

June 13, 2003

Last week, the Red Wings lost a game because they threw home.  This time, they lost one because they didn’t.  An ill-advised throw to the plate allowed a final inning rally to continue last week, and the extra innings loss wiped out what would have been a dramatic Justin Morneau game winning homerun.  This time a failed double play on a slow roller allowed Toledo to score the game-tieing run in the ninth inning.  Mud Hen Danny Klassen’s twelfth inning homer sent the Wings to a heart breaking loss and wiped away a dominant pitching performance from starter Grant Balfour.

Toledo shuffled it’s lineup shortly before game time.  The changes didn’t help against Balfour, who struck out seven batters in the first three innings and eight overall.  He lost his perfect game in the fifth on a AJ Hinch double.  He allowed only one more baserunner, a sixth inning single that was wiped away by a double play, in his seven innings. 

Juan Padilla pitched a scoreless eighth, and Rochester fans breathed a sigh of relief.  Padilla was on the mound for Buffalo’s five run ninth inning rally in a game the Wings held on to win earlier in the week. 

On the offensive side, the Wings did all their scoring with two outs in the sixth inning.  A bases-clearing three run double by Luis Rodriguez was the deciding blow in a five-run outburst.

Closer Todd Erdos came in to pitch the ninth.  It wasn’t a save situation, but things got tense quickly.  Three of the first four batters singled, loading the bases.  Erdos lost the shutout when he hit Hiram Bocachica, forcing in a run.  Singles by Wendell Magee and Hinch made the game 5-4 with one out. 

The next batter was former Phillie Kevin Jordan, making his first appearance in a Toledo uniform.  Jordan hit a slow roller to Erdos.  Rather than throwing home to cut down the tying run, Erdos tried to turn a game ending double play.  Turning two was unlikely, and—much like Alex Prieto in last week’s meltdown—Erdos compounded his mental mistake with a physical one.  He threw high and wide to second base.  David Lamb recorded the out, but his throw to first was too late to end the game.

That sent the game to extra innings and set the stage for Klassen’s big hit.  The Wings sent the heart of their order up in the bottom of the twelfth but all three struck out to end a frustrating loss—the second in a week.  Rochester was able to bounce back from the first, but team morale can’t take too many kill shots before it affects the play on the field.

Notes:

At least they have their health:  First baseman Todd Sears left the game after the ninth inning.  The last play in which he was involved was the attempted double play on Jordan’s grounder.  His stretch to corral the Lamb throw may have led to an injury.  He was replaced in the order by Kevin Connacher.  A few days ago, the Wings had two major league caliber first basemen.  Now, with Morneau in Minnesota and Sears possibly out, the team is faced with a hole at the position.

Tale of two pitchers:  Grant Balfour was Nolan Ryan for the first half of his start and Greg Maddux for the second.  Balfour struck out the side in the first inning and fanned two batters each in the second and third.  He was consistently in the low nineties on the radar gun and dominated batters with fastballs and hard sliders.  Balfour, making the transition from short relief to starting, seemed to become aware of his mounting pitch count.  On his second trip through the order, he allowed his infield to do the work, switching to breaking pitches in the mid to high 80s.  He retired the side on eight pitches in the fourth and nine in the fifth and went as low as 81 mph on the gun for two pitches in the seventh.  Balfour and catcher Brandon Marsters vehemently denied that the pitcher tired in his last start.  Balfour also denied doing anything different strategy-wise as the game went on.  One of the two was less than true in this start, and Balfour certainly didn’t look tired. 

Home mound advantage:  Toledo pitchers seemed to struggle with the Frontier Field pitchers mound.  Starter Tyler Walker appeared to slip on a third-to-first pickoff move in the sixth inning.  The miscue was called a balk, which allowed a run to score. Toledo pitching coach Jeff Jones was ejected on the resulting argument.  During the melee, Walker pointed repeatedly to a spot on the mound apparently responsible for the slip up.  In the bottom of the ninth, Mud Hens reliever Eric Eckenstahler fell to the ground with a leg injury after one pitch.  He limped off on his own after being examined by the Toledo trainer.

Split in Buffalo, roster moves for Red Wings

 June 11, 2003

The Red Wings and Bisons split a four-game series in Buffalo.  The team returns home for an eight game stand against Toledo and Richmond starting Thursday.  Wings batters recovered their home run stroke during the series with Michael Restovich, Michael Ryan, Shane Andrews and Chad Green contributing blasts.   The new power sources were a timely development, since home run leader Justin Morneau was called up to Minnesota during the series.  He replaces the injured Chris Gomez, expected to be out a few weeks, on the big club.  Morneau’s Rochester spot will be filled by the injured Michael Cuddyer, expected to be game ready by early next week.  The team will play a man short until then. 

Morneau in the Show:  Justin Morneau wasted no time adjusting to the big leagues.  In his major league debut, he started at designated hitter and went two for four.  Micheal Nakamura had a successful start as well, notching his first big league save in one of his first appearances.  Meanwhile, Wings alum Lew Ford has not seen much playing time since recording his first homerun more than a week ago. 

Patience rewarded:  Rochester had to go almost a week before Nakamura’s spot in the bullpen was filled.  The wait may have been worth it, though, as former Major League All Star James Baldwin was signed and should join the team in Rochester today.  Baldwin will take a spot in the Wings’ rotation.  It’s not clear yet which current starter will be bumped to the bullpen.  Grant Balfour’s conversion to a starter seems to be an early success, and the team may not want to shuttle him between the roles.  Adam Johnson pitched well in his one long-relief stint, but the organization probably doesn’t want a former first-round draft pick in that role.  Carlos Pulido has been a solid innings eater for the team, which leaves Matt Carnes and Brent Hoard as the possible candidates.  Carnes has served time in the bullpen throughout his career and is the pick here as the odd man out. 

Pack everything:  The recent moves keep alive an odd streak for the Red Wings.  The team has made a change to their roster on every road trip this season.  The team has released two players and signed two free agents this season—all while on the road.  Four of the six call-ups to Minnesota have taken place on trips as well. 

Bottoms up as Wings win homestand finale’

June 6, 2003

It was Greek night at Frontier Field, but upside down might have been a better theme.  The lower half of the Red Wings batting order supplied all the offense that Rochester needed in a 6-3 victory, behind a solid five innings from a native of the Land Down Under.

Shane Andrews, David Lamb and Brandon Marsters—numbers six, seven and nine respectively in the Red Wings order—have four of the team’s seven hits and drove in four of the six runs.  For the second game in a row, Andrews’ bases clearing double was the deciding blow in a big inning as the Wings plated four in the fourth inning. 

The outburst came on the heels of a five run frame the previous day, indicating that the team, and Andrews, may be coming out of a prolonged slump.  “He hasn’t been getting a lot of hits (lately), but he’s getting them at key times,”  said manager Phil Roof.

Marsters drove in two runs in the fourth with a single, capping a day that included a double and walk in three plate appearances.  Lamb added a single, walk, and two runs to the attack.  Right fielder Michael Restovich also shook off the offensive doldrums with a 2-4 night, including an opposite-field double that added an insurance run in the eighth. 

The slump busting threatened to overshadow a solid start from former reliever Grant Balfour. The native Australian recorded the win with five strikeouts in five innings.   Balfour was not seriously threatened until two outs in the fifth, when Charlotte touched him up for two runs. 

Balfour and catcher Brandon Marsters denied that the pitcher tired on his longest outing of the season.  “He was still hitting 94, 95 (mph) in the fifth,” said Marsters. 

Balfour and manager Phil Roof pointed out that all of the fifth inning damage came after a pitch that could have been called a strike for the third out.  Instead, Tim Hummel recorded an RBI double.  Ross Gload followed with a single that was “just a fine piece of hitting,” said Balfour. 

The win left Rochester at 4-4 on the homestand.  The team now travels to Buffalo for four games before returning to Frontier for another eight-game stand next week. 

Notes: 

Sit and think:  A day after blowing a 2-0 lead in the final inning, two of the players responsible for the loss were given some time off.  Alex Prieto, whose ill-advised throw home led to a run-scoring error was benched—his first off-day since coming off the disabled list earlier in the homestand.  Manager Phil Roof gave Juan Padilla the ball in the ninth, rather than normal closer Todd Erdos, who allowed all four Charlotte runs in his two innings of work Thursday.  Padilla earned his first save of the season with a one-hit ninth.

Should have tied them down:  Rochester’s opening day roster featured three Australian pitchers—a starter and two relievers.  Two months later only one remains, and he’s switched roles.  Balfour started the season in the bullpen, and, after spending a month on the disabled list, is now in the process of being converted to a starter.  Reliever Micheal Nakamura got called up to Minnesota earlier this week, and starter Brad Thomas has been on the disabled list since mid-April.

Unlucky seventh confounds Wings again

June 5, 2003

The Red Wings played fourteen innings of baseball Thursday, and things couldn’t have gone better for the first twelve.  A five run outburst and a solid effort from Adam Johnson highlighted the first game, and solid pitching, defense, and another timely Justin Morneau homerun set the stage for a dramatic victory in the nightcap.  Instead, for the second time in three games, Charlotte’s Aaron Miles sent the Wings to a heartbreaking loss. 

This week was two seventh innings away from being the turning point to Rochester’s season.  Red Wings players and fans have weathered the team’s sub-.500 play, awaiting the hot streak everyone knew was coming.  A walk-off Justin Morneau homerun opened the week.  Tuesday’s pinch hit Michael Ryan homerun could have been the deciding blow in the series opener against Charlotte.  Instead, a three-run Aaron Miles homer in the seventh inning sunk Rochester to 1-1 on the week. 

Shane Andrews’ bases clearing double in the sixth was the big blow in a 6-1 Rochester win in today’s completion of a suspended game.  Adam Johnson got the win in his best effort of the season—one earned run allowed in six innings of relief. 

While Johnson’s first relief appearance was the story of Game One, the spot start by reliever Mike Duvall was a Game Two highlight.  Duvall allowed two hits in five shutout innings, and Juan Padilla threw an equally dominant sixth inning.  Rochester was also aided by some sparkling defensive plays by third baseman Alex Prieto and shortstop David Lamb.  The scoreless pitcher’s duel ended in the sixth, when Morneau hit a clutch two-run homerun off the right centerfield scoreboard. 

Then came the seventh.  Closer Todd Erdos allowed a single and a double with one out.  Aaron Rowand hit a routine grounder to Alex Prieto.  Rather than conceding a run to record the second out of the inning, Prieto threw to the plate.  The mental error was confounded by a physical one as the throw was in the dirt and everyone was safe.  A sacrifice fly that could have ended the game instead tied it. 

The game went to extra innings.  Then came Aaron Miles.  His two-run homerun into the Rochester bullpen to lead off the eighth was the difference in a 4-2 Charlotte victory.  Instead of a four game winning streak pulling the team to within two games of .500 with a weekend series in Buffalo looming, the team is 2-2 over the span, and six below the break-even point.  The week may still end up being the turning point in Rochester’s season, just not in the direction the Red Wings had hoped. 

Notes:

Beware of flying objects:  Charlotte’s only run of the first game came on a monstrous homerun by DH Scott Johnson.  The blast cleared the centerfield scoreboard and left the stadium.  Morgan was hit in his next plate appearance.  Not coincidentally, Red Wings’ cleanup hitter Todd Sears was plunked in Rochester’s half of the inning.  While balls were the weapon of choice in Game One, flying bats highlighted the second game.  Aaron Rowand lost grip of his bat in the top of the fifth inning, sending it flying into the third base stands.  A scuffle for custody of the expensive souvenir put fans at more risk than the bat itself, which landed harmlessly in an aisle.  The Red Wings retaliated in their half of the inning, with Alex Prieto pinwheeling a bat one section over from where Rowand’s landed.  A woman was hit, but did not appear to be seriously injured.  Manager Phil Roof sent the woman a baseball to help soothe her pain.

Fourteen the hard way:  Most AAA doubleheaders consist of two seven-inning games.  Charlotte and Rochester’s fourteen innings Thursday looked a little different.  The first game picked up the contest suspended the previous evening.  The two teams played the fourth through ninth innings—a total of six frames.  Game Two was tied after the regulation seven innings and went one extra inning to determine the winner. 

Make youself useful:  Michael Cuddyer is on the disabled list, but that doesn’t mean he’s not keeping busy. Cuddyer read the poem “Casey at the Bat” to fans prior to the first game.  He gave a flawless reading, even with the wind threatening to blow the words out of his hands, and finished with a dramatic “Mighty Casey has struck out.” 

No cork, but still a suspension

June 4, 2003

Wednesday’s game between Rochester and Charlotte was suspended after three innings due to rain.  The game will be resumed Thursday at 11:00 AM in the fourth inning with the Red Wings leading 1-0, and the full nine innings will be played.  Following the suspended game, the regularly scheduled game will be played, albeit reduced to a seven inning affair.  Rochester scored the only game’s only run in the third, just as the rain started intensifying, on a Chad Green triple and Alex Prieto sacrifice fly.   Rochester starter Carlos Pulido pitched three strong innings of one-hit ball.  Assuming he will not take the hill again for the resumption, this will go down as his shortest outing of the season. 

Three for all:  Rain is forecast for much of the day Thursday.  Since Rochester has already made their annual trip to Charlotte, and the Knights will not be returning this year, desperate measures may be required to keep the schedule intact.  Should tomorrow’s games be washed out, the teams may play twenty innings of baseball of Friday.  The six remaining innings of the suspended game would be played, followed by two seven inning games.   Details are sketchy, but veteran observers recall Rochester playing a similar near-triple header in old Silver Stadium. 

Du gooder:  Almost an hour into Wednesday’s rain delay, with a steady stream of water pouring into the Red Wings dugout, pitcher Mike Duvall came out to sign autographs for a small group of hearty fans.  Duvall stepped over pools of water collecting next to the stands to make sure that no one’s request was ignored. 

Nak-ing on the Majors’ door:  Relief pitcher Michael Nakamura was promoted to Minnesota Wednesday to replace injured Twins pitcher Rick Reed.  This comes as no surprise to regular readers of Sports & Leisure Magazine’s Web Exclusives, as it was reported Monday that the move was imminent.  At the time, Rochester manager Phil Roof worried about losing the team’s most dependable reliever.  “But that’s our job,” said Roof.  “He’s done a heck of a job here, and we can’t ask for more.”  Nakamura’s spot will not be immediately filled.  With Minnesota class A franchise Fort Myers in the hunt for a first half title, the Twins are hesitant to shuffle minor league personnel. 

Pinch me:  In Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to Charlotte, Rochester’s Michael Ryan hit a pinch hit home run, the first such blast for the Red Wings since 1995 and the first pinch hit of any kind for the Wings this season.

The countdown to four million begins:  The Red Wings welcomed their three millionth fan Tuesday night.  Roscoe Rubachuk was the lucky winner.  In addition to season tickets and a year’s supply of several food items, Rubachuk threw out the game’s first pitch. 

Wings walk off winners

June 2, 2003

In a night that seemed destined to be “close but not cigar” for the Red Wings, a little patience by Jason Morneau resulted in a dramatic walk-off home run in the tenth inning.  The 3-2 victory gave Rochester a split in the four game series with South Division leader Norfolk. 

The evening started out with a near miss at the gate.  The crowd of 3611 brought the cumulative Frontier Field attendance total to 2,999,882—one hundred eighteen fans shy of the long-awaited three millionth fan, and so the hot dogs, ice cream, grass seed, and cheese was put back into storage for another night. 

The frustration continued once the game started, as Rochester left four runners in scoring position in a tight game.  “We had a chance to win early,” said manager Phil Roof.  “The sixth inning, we had the bases loaded.  Just a clutch hit here or there could give us a little breathing room. 

With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth inning, the Red Wings began swinging for the fences.  The team recorded five consecutive fly ball outs in the ninth and tenth before DH Justin Morneau drove a curveball over the wall in right-center. 

“I told him he’s got to learn to be patient,” said Roof.  “The last three at bats, he absolutely was.” 

The patient approach allowed Morneau to hold off on an 0-2 curveball in the dirt.  The next curve was up and out—of the park.  Even after making contact, Morneau wasn’t sure that the near-miss evening was over.  “I still got fooled a little bit,” he said.  “I just flicked my hands out at it.  I saw the ball Mike Ryan hit earlier (a deep fly to right to lead off the tenth).  They ran it down, and I thought he hit that pretty good.  So I wasn’t sure if it was going to go over.”

Roof knew a little earlier.  “The catcher gave the target, and I thought ‘Uh oh, he’s gonna lay this one in there,’” he said.   “And sure enough, boom, we’re walking off and congratulating him. It’s a nice way to win a ballgame.”

Notes:

First base, first hit:  Todd Sears made his first start at first base since returning from Minnesota.  He played DH his first three games back, before switching places with Morneau.  Back home at his old position, Sears recorded his first hit in four games, knocking in the game’s first run with a single in the fourth.  Playing infrequently in Minnesota may have had a impact on his swing.  “He still needs to get his timing back a little bit,” said Roof.

How much more-a Nakamura:  Michael Nakamura struck out one in his inning and two thirds of relief.  He has now retired fourteen consecutive batters in his last three appearances.  He gave up only three runs in the month of May, and has allowed only one homerun all season.  Despite pitching middle relief, Nakamura leads the team with 55 strikeouts and is second on the team with four wins.  Roof said that Nakamura has been lights out, “but I don’t know how long (he’ll be) here.  That’s what scares me.” 

Granted another start:  Three shutout innings to lead off Sunday’s doubleheader was good enough to earn Grant Balfour a second chance.  With an 0.69 ERA primarily out of the bullpen, Balfour now appears to be the answer to Rochester’s shaky starting pitching.  He get the ball for another start, Friday night against

Split personality in doubleheader

 June 1, 2003

Jeckyll and Hyde were not the Red Wings starting pitchers in today’s doubleheader split.  It just seemed that way at times.  The Wings’ well-behaved Game One pitching turned ugly in the nightcap.  Meanwhile, the Rochester bats came out snarling, but turned tame far too soon.

Wings reliever Grant Balfour got the spot start in Game One and struck out five over three shutout innings.  Juan Padilla allowed one run in his two innings of work to get the win.  Michael Nakamura and Todd Erdos retired the last six Tides batters in a 3-1 Rochester win. 

The Red Wings changed out of the throwback uniforms honoring the 1971 champions, going with a more modern look for Game Two.  Rochester’s pitching also had less of a championship look. Starter Adam Johnson allowed seven runs while registering only five outs.  Norfolk tagged Johnson for four hits, four walks and two stolen bases in what became an 11-1 laugher.  Rochester pitchers walked a season-high nine batters after granting only one free pass in the first game. 

While Red Wing pitching lost control as the day went on, the offense got more and more docile.  In their first two plate appearances, the Game One lineup reached base ten times, highlighted by Shane Andrews’ second inning home run.  After Brandon Marsters’ single gave the Wings a 3-0 third inning lead, only seven Rochester hitters reached base for the day.  The Wings went down 1-2-3 in six of the remaining ten innings, and only the minimum batted in another frame, thanks to a double play. 

In a performance eerily similar to Friday’s series opening loss, second baseman Luis Rodriguez was the team’s entire offense in Game Two.  In both games, LuRod went 3 for 4, while the rest of the team managed only one hit.  Friday night, Rodriguez scored the team’s only run, and in Game Two, he knocked in the only Rochester run.   For the first three games of the series, Rodriguez is 6 for 11 (a .545 average) while the rest of the team is 8 for 66 (.121). 

Notes:

A chair, not a bench:  The Red Wings have been short two bench players for the Norfolk series.  Michael Cuddyer has not been replaced on the roster after being placed on the DL with a hamstring injury.  The team is waiting for disabled middle infielder Alex Prieto, expected to arrive Monday, rather than making another roster move.  Meanwhile, outfielder Chad Green is also injured, though he is only expected to miss a few games.  That means that the team’s bench consists of whichever catcher doesn’t get the start.

Cold corner:  The homestand began with an embarrassment of riches at first base for the Red Wings.  Three games later, the team is still waiting for Justin Morneau and Todd Sears to record a hit between them.  With Morneau hitting third and Sears fourth in the Red Wings order, the two have combined to go 0 for 14 on the homestand with eight strikeouts.  The two have combined for five walks, but with five-hole hitter Michael Restovich at 1 for 10 with four strikeouts, the runners have been stranded more often than not.

Let’s play two:  The split left the Red Wings with a 10-4 record in doubleheader games with three sweeps and four splits.  Last year’s Red Wings played only five twin bills the entire season and did not win a single game. 

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