Big Inning Propels PawSox to Victory

The PawSox scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead them past the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees last night, 7-3, at a sold out McCoy. The win increases the PawSox' lead in the IL North Division to 1 1/2 games over the Yankees.

It's the second straight game the PawSox put up six runs in the eighth, duplicating the comeback Friday night in the series finale with the Rochester Red Wings.

Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, Pawtucket sent 10 men to the plate against Yankees relievers Phil Coke and Scott Strickland. Chris Carter led off with a single. After George Kottaras struck out, Keith Ginter singled Carter over to second. Jeff Corsaletti drove in Carter with a ground ball single to right. After Strickland entered the game, Gil Velazquez laced a bases-clearing triple to right, giving the PawSox a 4-3 lead. Back-to-back walkes to Jonathan Van Every and Jeff Natale loaded the bases. Two batters later Jeff Bailey cleared the bags with a two-out double to center.

Carter finished the game going 3 for 4 and raising his batting average to .303. He also walked once and scored two runs.

One of the reasons the PawSox were able to mount their comeback was the solid performance from the pitching staff, which limited the Yankees to four hits. Starter Davern Hansack once again gave the team a quality start, going seven innings, giving up three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out seven. The Yankee runs came on a two run home run by Ben Broussard in the second and a solo shot by Juan Miranda in the sixth.

Eric Hull and Hunter Jones pitched the final two innings with Hull (2-3) picking-up the win.

The Yankees' pitching staff is a bit thin following last week's trade activity. Scheduled starter Alan Horne was also scratched having been sent down to Tampa before the game.

The staff still held its own until the six-run eighth. Bill Traber made a spot start and held the PawSox scoreless through two innings. Ditto for reliever Steven Jackson. Pawtucket did get a run off Yankee's righty Mark Melancon in the sixth on a Ginter sacrifice fly.

With the win the PawSox now hold a 6-3 edge on Scranton in the season series.

The finale of the McCoy portion of this six-game stretch with the Yankees is this afternoon (1:05 pm) as Ian Kennedy (3-2, 2.06 ERA) goes to the mound for Scranton, opposed by knuckleballer Charlie Zink (13-3, 2.76 ERA) for Pawtucket.

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