Rochester Red Wings' bats go cold in loss to Gwinnett

From an offensive standpoint, the day was bleak for the Red Wings. They collected just six hits (five singles and a double), struck out eight times and squandered quality scoring chances in the sixth and seventh innings.
In the four games against the Braves, the Wings as a team batted .198. They batted just .167 with runners in scoring position.
Put Rene Tosoni, Trevor Plouffe and Ben Revere back in the lineup and maybe the Wings are more dangerous at the plate. As it is, the parent Minnesota Twins still need them.
"We have to hang in there," Wings manager Tom Nieto said. "When the big-league club starts to get a little more healthy, that's going to help our lineup."
The big hits were lacking on Sunday, when the Wings wore special pink Mother's Day jerseys as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign.
Trailing 5-1 in the sixth, the Wings loaded the bases with walks to Steve Singleton, Jeff Bailey and Dustin Martin. But the slumping bats of Chase Lambin and Matt Brown stayed cold.
Lambin struck out — beginning the at-bat with a mighty swing at a pitch that dived low and away — and Brown popped to short.
Lambin, who represented the Syracuse Chiefs in the Triple-A All-Star Game last summer, is in an 0-for-10 hit drought and went 5-for-39 against the Braves. He is batting .211. Brown is in an 0-for-19 slump and batting .215.
"When you have the amount of guys struggling like we do, it's hard not to notice," Nieto said.
In the seventh, with runners on first and third and one out, Ray Chang struck out and Singleton fouled to third.
"When you have an opportunity to get runs by putting the ball in play, you have to put the ball in play," Nieto said, referring to the strikeouts by Lambin and Chang.
At least Nieto's daily report to the Twins will include a positive review of his bullpen. Four relievers combined to pitch 51/3 scoreless innings, including a strong outing by Jeff Manship.
Manship went 7-10 as a starter the past two seasons, but the plan this season is for him to be used exclusively in long relief. The Twins have decided to use him in that role when he is called up.
He retired six straight and faced seven batters during his two innings after starter Jeff Diamond allowed eight hits and five runs in 32/3 innings.

Lamar Odom says he will start

 
Lamar Odom said at the team's shootaround on Friday that he will start at small forward in place of Ron Artest, who is suspended for one game following his late hit to the face of Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea in Game 2.
"I'll try to fill another role," said Odom.
The news comes as a surprise considering the Lakers used the lineup of Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum on the court together for less than three total minutes during the regular season.
"I don't think it will be much of an adjustment," Odom said of the frontcourt that would run 6-foot-10, 7-foot, 7-foot with him, Gasol and Bynum. "We all know how to play basketball. We'll try to make the floor as small as possible. Make them beat us over the top [on defense].
"Usually that's not how we've played ... but we all know each other and we've played with each other and we know what to expect. We'll just go out and try to win a basketball game at this point."
Said Gasol: "It's not a lineup that is used regularly or often; only in need. I guess we are in need now."
The Lakers trail the Mavericks 2-0 in the second-round series.
While Odom would be listed at small forward, he would play more of a guard's role on offense when paired on the court with Kobe Bryant, allowing Bryant to attack from the wing.