(Red Wings Communications)-Rookie Steve Singleton's second homer of the night gave the Red Wings a 7-5 win over the Gwinnett Braves Friday night at Frontier Field. Top prospect Kyle Gibson starts for Rochester Saturday, in a 7:05 p.m. contest followed by fireworks.
Trailing 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Singleton drilled a three-run homer into the right field bullpen. It was Rochester's fourth win in their last at-bat this season.
Wings starter Eric Hacker had not allowed a hit through the first three innings of his 2011 starts, but Jose Constanza skipped a grounder up the middle to open Friday's contest. With two outs and a runner at second, Hacker struck out Mauro Gomez - who came into play with a .389 average - to get out of trouble, before coming back in the second with a 1-2-3 second inning.
After being hit with a Brian Dinkelman line drive in the first, Gwinnett starter Rodrigo Lopez struggled in the second, giving up a walk to Matt Brown to start things off for the Wings. He advanced to third on a Steve Singleton base hit which sparked the offense. With one out Chase Lambin hit a double, scoring Brown and advancing Singleton to third. Steve Holm hit a single scoring Singleton and Lambin, giving Rochester a 3-0 lead. The inning ended on a double play.
Hacker returned to the hill in the third throwing another 1-2-3 inning. He gave up his first walk of the the game in the fourth and after a failed pick off attempt, which advanced the runner, Hacker settled down, popping out one and striking out Gomez - who is in the top five in the league for hits - to end the inning.
In the fifth inning Hacker gave up two singles, a walk and allowed a run. Jeff Manship came in to relieve him with the tying runs on base and one out. Manship quickly worked out of trouble and erased the scoring threat, getting two force outs to end the inning.
The G-Braves powered their way into a tie score with a pair of solo home runs - by Gomez in the sixth inning, and by Stefan Gartrell leading off the seventh to make it a 3-3 game.
Phil Dumatrait took over for Manship with two out and the lead run at first base in the seventh, and Dumatrait got a ground ball out to strand the runner. The Wings got a runner to third in their half of the seventh, but also failed to score.
With the game tied at 3-3 in the eighth, Singleton connected on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Jaye Chapman for his first Triple-A homer to put Rochester ahead again.
Anthony Slama took over on the mound in the ninth, and Gwinnett put the tying run on base after Gartrell reached on Brown's error. Shawn Bowman bunted Gartrell to second, and Wilkin Castillo doubled to tie the score at 4-4. Another double by Jordan Schafer put Gwinnett in the lead for the first time all game at 5-4.
