PawSox, Colon Dominate Chiefs

PAWTUCKET- Solid pitching. Timely hitting. Those phrases may be over used but that’s exactly how the PawSox earned their 8-3 win tonight over the Syracuse Chiefs.

With the win, combined with Toledo’s loss, the PawSox are now one game away from clinching a playoff berth. Pawtucket still trails Scranton/Wilkes Barre by 1 1/2 games in the IL North Division

Bartolo Colon, making his fourth start on this current rehab stint with the PawSox, threw four innings of hitless ball. He walked two and struck out two. He again was on a pitch limit, throwing only 40 pitches, 23 for strikes. His fastball consistently was clocked at between 88 and 90 miles per hour. This is the fifth start this season for Pawtucket that Colon did not allow a run.

“I liked his command and movement” said PawSox Manager Ron Johnson, “He just looked crisp to me”.

“He had good life on his fastball” said PawSox catcher George Kottaras, “He was up on the mound ready to pitch. He went after the hitters.”

Johnson said Colon is scheduled to make another start next Tuesday in Lehigh Valley where his pitch count in expected to increase.

Colon was followed on the mound by Jose Vaquedano (3-1) who pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball to earn the win. Jon Switzer pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up only one hit. Eric Hull finished closed out the game in the ninth, yielding all three Syracuse runs.

Pawtucket scored three runs off Syracuse starter Ricky Romero (1-3) in the first. With one out Joe Thurston reached on an infield singe and Jason Lane followed with a double to right. After George Kottaras struck out, Dusty Brown walked to load the bases. Sandy Madera then blooped a double down the right field line scoring two. Keith Ginter followed with a single to left, plating Brown. On the play Madera was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Madera drove in another run in the third with an RBI single to right to plate Kottaras, who reached on a double. Jeff Corsaletti drove in the PawSox' fifth run with an RBI single in the sixth.

Pawtucket added three more in the seventh. Lane got his first home run in a Pawtucket uniform driving a two-run blast into the berm in left. The PawSox then loaded the bases and scored their eighth run on a wild pitch by Syracuse reliever Jordan De Jong.

Every member of the PawSox line-up had at least one hit. Thurston, Lane, Kottaras, Madera, Brown, and Ginter had two hits each. Buck Coats and Travis Snyder had two hits for the Chiefs. Snyder knocked in both Syracuse runs.

The PawSox embark on their last road trip of the season beginning tomorrow night (7:05pm) with the first of two games in Rochester against the Red Wings. Edgar Martinez (7-2, 3.79 ERA) throws for Pawtucket. Phillip Humber (8-8, 4.94 ERA) goes for the Red Wings.

NOTES: Reliever Chris Smith was promoted to Boston to fill the roster spot left by the demotion yesterday of Clay Buchholz to Portland. Smith is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 5 games this season with the Red Sox.

Johnson expects newly signed catcher David Ross will join the team tomorrow night in Rochester. Ross played 52 games with the Reds this season, batting .231 with three homers and 13 RBI’s.

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