Hens Get Best of Pitcher's Duel

The Pawtucket Red Sox and Toledo Mud Hens gave fans at Fifth Third Field a clinic on great pitching. And it was the Hens who won he duel.

Toledo's Eddie Bonine was just a little better than Pawtucket's Michael Bowden as the Mud Hens nipped the PawSox 1-0.

Bonine (11-2) allowed only a single hit over seven innings of work to earn the win. That came in the form of a Dusty Brown single in the second inning. Over his 98-pitch performance Bonine walked one while striking out seven.

Toledo relievers Francisco Cruceta and Blaine Neal also shut down the PawSox, with the only other Pawtucket hit coming in the ninth on a bunt single by Joe Thurston. The PawSox never had a runner advance past second base all night. Blaine earned his 25th save of the season.

Bowden (0-2) deserved a better fate in his second start with the team. His only mistake came in the fourth inning when he gave up a solo homer to Timo Perez. Bowden pitched six innings, yielding six hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. PawSox relievers Lincoln Holdzkom and Hunter Jones pitched the remainder of the game giving up only one hit over two innings.

The PawSox loss, combined with another Scranton/Wilkes Barre win, leaves Pawtucket only 1/2 ahead of the Yankees in the IL North.

Game three of the series with Toledo takes place tonight (6:30 pm) Edgar Martinez (4-2) takes the mound for Pawtucket. He will face Virgil Vaaquez for the Hens.

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