Wings Close Season With Defeat
By: Thad Brown
Updated: September 5, 2011
There was no milestone loss mark to avoid, no home fans to please and really, no good reason for the Wings to fight for a win.
And they didn't put up much of a fight.
A pair of early homeruns by two players with 15 combined games of Triple-A experience this season provided Pawtucket with all the offense they needed in a 7-3 season ending win. Will Middlebrooks started the scoring for Pawtucket with his second-inning homer that was his second home run in three games. He has now collected six RBI in his last three games after collecting just one in his first 12 games with Pawtucket.
24-year old catcher Dan Butler replaced Ryan Lavarnway on the roster when Lavarnway was recalled to Boston, and he cracked a three-run homerun four batters after Middlebrooks to put Pawtucket ahead 4-0. Butler struck out swinging in his last two at-bats of the ballgame, but his homerun was the big blast that keyed Pawtucket's victory.
Greg Smith started for Pawtucket and allowed just three hits in six innings for the win. The three hits, and the only two runs he allowed, came to the first three batters of the third inning. Toby Gardenhire followed Dustin Martin's leadoff single with a homerun to cut Pawtucket's lead in half.
Aaron Bates added a solo homer in the 7th, but it would be the final run scored by the Red Wings this year.
Rochester ends the season 53-91. It was the second consecutive 90-loss season for the Wings--the first time they've done that since 1904.
And they didn't put up much of a fight.
A pair of early homeruns by two players with 15 combined games of Triple-A experience this season provided Pawtucket with all the offense they needed in a 7-3 season ending win. Will Middlebrooks started the scoring for Pawtucket with his second-inning homer that was his second home run in three games. He has now collected six RBI in his last three games after collecting just one in his first 12 games with Pawtucket.
24-year old catcher Dan Butler replaced Ryan Lavarnway on the roster when Lavarnway was recalled to Boston, and he cracked a three-run homerun four batters after Middlebrooks to put Pawtucket ahead 4-0. Butler struck out swinging in his last two at-bats of the ballgame, but his homerun was the big blast that keyed Pawtucket's victory.
Greg Smith started for Pawtucket and allowed just three hits in six innings for the win. The three hits, and the only two runs he allowed, came to the first three batters of the third inning. Toby Gardenhire followed Dustin Martin's leadoff single with a homerun to cut Pawtucket's lead in half.
Aaron Bates added a solo homer in the 7th, but it would be the final run scored by the Red Wings this year.
Rochester ends the season 53-91. It was the second consecutive 90-loss season for the Wings--the first time they've done that since 1904.
