PawSox Shut Down Iron Pigs 4-1

PAWTUCKET- The Pawtucket Red Sox got a strong pitching performance from fill-in starter Chris Smith and took advantage of some sloppy pitching in defeating the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, 4-1 this afternoon at McCoy Stadium.

Smith, brought up from Portland to start in place of the ailing Bartolo Colon, was impressive in his four innings of work, giving up only two hits while striking out seven and walking one. He threw 75 pitches, 49 for strikes. Because of weather delays in Portland and the Colon injury, this was Smith’s first start of the year.

“I got ahead with the fastball and then when they thought fastballs were coming I’d throw in the change-ups.” Smith said, “I kept them off balance.”

“I expected him to pitch well and he didn’t let me down” said PawSox Manager Ron Johnson of Smith, “He has a lot of ability.”

The PawSox were led at the plate once again by outfielder Chris Carter. He raised his batting average to .500, going two for two with two walks and one RBI. The left-handed hitter is also the only PawSox player to get at least one hit in each of the team’s first six games. His hits came off Iron Pigs’ lefty starter J.A. Happ.

“With lefties I focus on staying on top of the plate” Carter said, “I stay back. A lot of pitchers try to go sliders away and I try to drive it to left field. It’s a big part of my game”

The PawSox got on the board in the bottom of the second. Carter led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Brandon Moss and Bobby Kielty both walked to load the bases with no one out. After Jeff Bailey struck out swinging, Dusty Brown drove home Carter with a sacrifice fly to right. The relay to the plate was cut-off and Moss was caught off third, ending the inning and the rally.

The PawSox cashed in again in the third. With one out Joe Thurston singled to right. Following a Keith Ginter strikeout and a Thurston steal of second, Jed Lowrie walked. Carter then got his second hit of the game, an RBI single to center, scoring Thurston.

The PawSox tacked on their third run in the fifth as the Iron Pigs; pitching staff hand trouble finding the strike zone. Keith Ginter led off the inning with a single to left and was erased as Jed Lowrie reached on a fielder’s choice. Carter walked,. Moss struck out, and Kielty walked to load the bases. After Happ was relieved by Joe Bisenius, Bailey walked to force in a run. Brown struck out looking to end the inning.

The PawSox scratched home their final run in the seventh. Lowrie led off with a triple to right center. After another Carter walk and a Moss strikeout, Bobby Kielty drove home Lowrie with a sacrifice fly to left center.

The Iron Pigs scored their only run in the top of the fifth courtesy of a solo homer by 2B Casey Smith, his first of the season.

Happ took the loss the for Iron Pigs to drop his record to 0-2. PawSox lefty Abe Alvarez pitched a solid two and a third innings of relief to pick-up the win for the Pawtucket, his first of the season.

The PawSox and Iron Pigs resume their series tomorrow night at 6:15pm. The PawSox will send RHP Charlie Zink (0-1, 12.00 ERA) to the mound against the Iron Pigs’ RHP Ron Chiavacci (0-0, 1.50 ERA)

BOX SCORE