PawSox Bash Tides

The Pawtucket Red Sox enter the All-Star break winners of two in a row, following their 10-3 thrashing of the Norfolk Tides last night.

As has been the case for most of the season, the PawSox bats came through in a big way. In the fifth inning last night the PawSox sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight runs.

Jeff Bailey led off the inning with a double to center and advanced to third when Tides first baseman Mike Costanzo could not field Jeff Thurston's sacrifice bunt. Singles by Chris Carter and Dusty Brown delivered Bailey and Thurston. After Keith Ginter walked to load the bases and the the Tides changed pitchers, Bryan Pritz drove in a run on a failed double play attempt.

Consecutive singles by Sean Danielson and Gil Velazquez, followed by a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Van Every plated three more Pawtucket runs. Bailey followed with his second hit of the inning and scored with Velazquez on Thurston's double to right center.

The PawSox' other runs came on a Brown sacrifice fly in the third and Bailey's second double of the night in the seventh.

Bailey finished the night going 4 for 6 with a pair of doubles. Thurston chipped in with a 3 for 5 night. Carter and Velazquez each had two hits as part of Pawtucket's 15 hit attack. Eight PawSox players drove in at least one run.

The offensive onslaught was more than what was needed for All-Star pitcher Charlie Zink to pick up his 11th win of the season. Zink once again was impressive, throwing seven innings, giving up one run on six hits. He walked two and struck out five. With the win Zink has now won his last eight decisions.

Zink is now atop the International League in a number of pitching categories. He is tied with teammate David Pauley for wins with 11. He leads the league in innings pitched (125 2/3) and is second in ERA (2.22).

Pawtucket finished with a split in Norfolk and a 4-3 record on the eight game road trip (one rain out). They return after the All-Star break Thursday night (7:05 pm) back at McCoy with a four game series with the Toledo Mud Hens.