Syracuse Sky Chiefs at Rochester Red Wings
April 10th, 2004
| Syracuse |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
1 |
0 |
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2 |
0 |
1 |
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4 |
7 |
2 |
| Rochester |
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3 |
2 |
0 |
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0 |
1 |
0 |
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0 |
1 |
X |
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7 |
6 |
2 |
E-Gross, Guiel, Bartlett 2, LOB SYR-7, ROC-9, 2B-Hermansen, Guiel, Bartlett, Marsters, HR-Clark (Palki/6th/2 run), Tiffee (Arnold/1st/3 run), HBP-Hall, Sequea, SACF-Restovich, SB-Marsters, Prieto
BB-Sequea, Morneau, SO-Hall
U-Ben Clanton, Chad Fairchild, Damien Beal
T-2:53, A-8,212
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
by Jim Mandelaro
Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver had a simple formula for winning: strong pitching and a three run homer.
Weaver would love the 2004 Rochester Red Wings
Terry Tiffee drilled a three run home run for the second time in three days and pitcher Pete Munro continued the Wings' string of superb starting pitching performances as Rochester beat the Syracuse Sky Chiefs 7-4 in the Frontier Field home opener on Saturday afternoon.
A crowd of 8,212 watched the Wings improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1995.
"It feels great," manager Phil Roof said. "We've got a lot of confidence in this clubhouse."
It was deju vu for Tiffee, the Triple A rookie who leads the International League with seven RBI. He ripped a three run homer in the first inning of Thursday's season opener at Syracuse and took Jason Arnold deep to right for another first inning blast Saturday.
"I was just trying to hve a good at bat," said Tiffee, who has been relegated to DH duties because of back spasms (he'll likely start at third today), "I battled with him and foulded off a few pitches and hit a fastball down and in."
Rochester added two runs in the second when a tentative Gabe Gross dropped Luis Rodriguez's shallow fly in left.
"Getting the early lead is big," Munro said, "It enables us to throw more strikes and not have to work the corners."
Munro had a tough act to follow after Matt Guerrier and Dave Gassner stifled the SkyChiefs the previous two days, but he was equal to the task. The former major leaguer allowed just one unearned run and two hits in five innings.
That's the only run Wings starters have allowed in 15 innings of work.
"Starting pitching is the key to winning a lot of ballgames." Roof said.
Munro sailed through the first four innings but allowed a leadoff walk to Jorge Sequea in the fifth.
It marked the first walk by a Wings starter this season.
Former Wing Howie Clark followed with a routine double play grounder to Bartlett, but the shortstop hurriedly tried to touch second base before snaring the ball and muffed it.
One out later, Gross lined a run scoring single to left to put Syracuse on the board. Michael Restovich got the run back with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, but Clark's two run homer to right made it 6-3 in the seventh.
Those who stayed around saw one of the longest balls hit in Frontier's eight year history. First baseman Justin Morneau turned on a Jason Frasor fastball with the bases loaded and sent it over the picnic pavillon and into the evergreen trees in front of the railroad tracks in right field.
The ball was just foul.
"It broke a limb on that tree out there," Roof said, laughing.
Morneau then walked to force in a run., the fourth walk of the inning, and give Rochester a 7-3 lead. Syracuse added a run in the ninth off Kevin Hodge, but Hodge struck out Noah Hall looking to record his first Triple A save.
"It's a good feeling," Tiffee said of the Wings' quick start, "Coming in, I knew we had a good team. This is what I expected".