Buck Farmer Plows Through Rochester Red Wings Lineup in 8-0 Win
One has to hand it to these Toledo Mud Hens; they learn well. A night after watching Rochester Red Wings ace Pat Dean shut out the Mud Hens, Buck Farmer went to the mound and returned the favor in an 8-0 win over the home team Tuesday night. It was the Mud Hens starter and the big inning that were the keys to the game.
It was a pitcher’s duel for the first four innings, as both Farmer and Red Wings starter Taylor Rogers kept the game scoreless. Farmer had two perfect innings through the first four, striking out five through the first four frames.
Rogers was keeping Toledo from scoring, but he was living rather dangerously. The Mud Hens had runners on in each inning, including runners at second and third in the third inning, and a runner at third in the fourth, however, the Red Wings starter kept them from scoring.
His luck finally ran out in the fifth. Josh Wilson doubled to lead off the inning, and scored on a single by Daniel Fields. Walks to Dixon Machado and Mike Hessman loaded the bases, and Rogers looked like he may escape after allowing just one run when he struck out Tyler Collins, however, Jefry Marte blasted a Rogers’ offering over the center field wall for a grand slam to make it 5-0. It was Marte’s second home run of the season and moved his RBI total to 18.
The Red Wings escaped the fifth inning with no further damage, but the five-run lead was plenty enough for Farmer on this night. He allowed a single in the fifth and a walk in the sixth, but would allow no more. His evening was done after six innings. Farmer (4-1) would earn the win with six innings of three-hit ball. He walked two, while striking out seven, including two of the last three batters he faced. The Mud Hens starter finished with 99 pitches thrown, 65 of which were strikes.
Guido Knudson took over in the seventh for Toledo, and he was just as invincible. The right-hander allowed a double in the eighth, but that would be all the offense Rochester could muster against Knudson. He struck out two batters in each inning.
In the ninth inning, Toledo added to their lead. Ryan O’Rourke took over the pitching duties for Rochester. With one out he walked Xavier Avery, then gave up a single to Machado. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, and Daniel Fields brought both runners home with his ninth double of the season. Mike Hessman followed with a single, scoring Fields to make it 8-0. The inning could have gotten significantly worse, but O’Rourke remained poised, striking out two of the last three batters of the inning to end the threat.
In the ninth Melvin Mercedes relieved for Toledo. He issued a lead-off walk to International League RBI leader Danny Ortiz, then retired the next three batters to end the game. The combined shutout was the third time this season that the Toledo Mud Hens have kept a team scoreless.
The Mud Hens finished with 12-hits as a team. Avery, Fields, Marte and Josh Wilson each finished with two hits apiece. The Rochester Red Wings had four combined hits. Argenis Diaz had two of those hits.
These same two teams will go at it tomorrow in the rubber match of the series. Game time is 1:35 ET. Kyle Ryan (0-3, 4.67) will pitch for Toledo. The Rochester Red Wings will send Tommy Milone (1-0, 0.00) to the hill looking to win his second game since coming to Rochester.
By Robert Pannier
