Article: Rochester Red Wings: Opening Week Review

[Christopher Fee]

Download attachment: Caleb Thielbar.JPG Opening week has come and gone, and after playing a four game home and home series against the Buffalo Bisons it’s safe to say that at 1-3, the Rochester Red Wings, the Minnesota Twins AAA affiliate, are not where they had hoped to be.

 

The First Three Games

In the two games in Buffalo and the home opener in Rochester, offense was the biggest problem. As previously stated in Red Wings Season Preview, scoring runs was going to be tough for Rochester. Being outscored 24-11 in 3 games, that appears a little deceiving. In the first game the Wings scored 7 runs, and scored just 4 runs in the next two. The most alarming stat was the .125 batting average (3 for 20) with runners in scoring position.

 

It’s unfair to put all the blame on the offense. The starters (PJ Walters, Kyle Gibson, and Shairon Martis) had a 6.35 combined ERA. Even that is misleading, because Gibson pitched five innings, gave up four hits, one run and struck out four. The bullpen was worse, with a staggering 13.25. Even if this team had the greatest offense to ever come through the International League, trying to score 8 runs a game is impossible.

 

Offensively the three players that did not disappoint on offense were Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Colabello and Mark Sobolewski. In three games they combined to hit .364 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI’s.

 

The New Week Begins

Sunday’s version of the Rochester Red Wings was something that people have been waiting to see from the start. In the first two innings they scored 10 runs on eight hits, and gave starting pitcher Virgil Vasquez a lot of run support to work with early on.

 

Vasquez went 6 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits; all four of the runs allowed were solo home runs.

 

Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Colabello and Clete Thomas combined to go 10-13 with two home runs and nine RBI’s, Thomas accounted for five of those RBI’s.

 

What’s Ahead?

The Red Wings head to Scranton to play three against the Yankees. In 2012, Rochester was 6-10 against the Yankees, losing five of their last six games against SWB (Scranton Wilkes-Barre). After their three game series against the Yankees, they head to Pawtucket to play four games against the Red Sox, in which they went 7-9 last year and 3-5 at McCoy Stadium.

 

Click here to view the article