Strong Start Lifts Wings to Win Over Yankees
By: Wendy Halik
Updated: July 2, 2012
Twins right-hander P. J. Walters made a rehab start with Rochester, and Walters yielded a two-run homer by Ronnie Mustelier with one out in the first for an early Yankees lead.
Empire State starter Chris Schwinden made his Yankees debut Sunday, after pitching for four other clubs over three different organizations this season. In the bottom of the first, the Wings parlayed a Yankees error, a wild pitch, and a two-out single from Danny Valencia to cut the lead in half at 2-1.
Empire State added a run in the second, and the Wings matched that with a run of their own. Matt Carson helped celebrate his birthday with a base hit off Schwinden to open the inning; one out later Michael Hollimon singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. A pair of RBI hits from J. R. Towles and Tsuyoshi Nishioka quickly tied the score at 3-3. Pedro Florimon's RBI hit made it four straight Rochester batters with a hit, and put the Wings on top 4-3.
The Red Wings put two runners on in the third inning and another runner on in the fourth, but both times the Yankees held off the scoring threats.
Walters worked four innings and finished strong, getting out of a jam in the third inning and retiring the side in the fourth. Walters allowed a total of five hits and three earned runs, with two walks and two strikeouts. He threw a total of 70 pitches, 40 for strikes.
Caleb Thielbar relieved Walters in the fifth and made quick work of the Yankees going three up three down. The Yankees also made pitching adjustments sending Chase Whitley to the mound, who responded with his own one two three inning.
Thielbar kept the momentum going in the sixth when he struck out the first two batters he faced. He then walked Francisco Cervelli but recovered after sending Brandon Laird back to the dugout after a running catch at the wall by Clete Thomas.
Luis Perdomo came on for the Wings in the seventh and kept Rochester's lead 4-3 by retiring three batters in a row, striking out two. In the bottom of the seventh, Wilkin Ramirez jacked a homer into the Yankees' bullpen to extend the lead 5-3. Perdomo repeated his seventh inning dominance of the Yankees in the eighth going three up three down inning while striking out two.
