Game 88- Chiefs vs. PawSox, July 2, 2008

The PawSox return home to McCoy tonight (6:15pm) to begin the back end of the four-game home-and-home series with the Syracuse Chiefs. LHP Bill Murphy (5-5, 4.81 ERA) throws for Syracuse. He'll be opposed by RHP Edgar Martinez (3-1, 3.86 ERA) for the PawSox.

I am not able to be at the game tonight...Here is a brief preview...

Syracuse Chiefs (45-39)

The Chiefs come into the game having lost the first two games of the series at home to the PawSox. In last night's contest the Chiefs held a 1-0 and 2-1 lead and tied the game at 3-3 before the PawSox scored two runs in the top of the ninth to secure the win.

Murphy makes his 17th start of the season coming off a disappointing start last time out against Lehigh Valley. In that game Murphy pitched five innings giving up eight earned runs. He has lost three of his last four starts.

Pawtucket Red Sox (55-32)

The PawSox continue to ride high atop the IL North Division, coming home to McCoy after a successful 4-1 road trip through Rochester and Syracuse.

If you haven't heard the news, five members of the PawSox have been named to the International League All-Star Team, the most in PawSox history.

Martinez makes his sixth start of the season tonight. He was extremely impressive his last time out, earning a win last Friday at Rochester. He pitched five scoreless innings, yielding only two hits. He walked four and struck out five.

The PawSox are home for a short four-game home stand. After two games with the Chiefs, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs come to town for two games. All games this week have earlier than normal starting times as a fireworks display will follow each contest. Tonight, Thursday and Friday games begin at 6:15pm. Saturday's contest will begin at 6:05pm.

Five PawSox Named to International League All-Star Team

The International League today announced its roster for the Triple-A All-Star game and the PawSox are well represented.

Pawtucket, with the best record in the league, has the most representatives with five. It's the most the team has ever sent to the Triple-A Mid-Summer Classic.

Leading the PawSox squad to the game will be Joe Thurston, who leads the IL in batting with a .324 average. Joining Thurston are Jeff Bailey, Chris Carter, Jonathan Van Every, and pitcher Charlie Zink.

The Triple-A All-Star Game will be held July 16th in Louisville.

Game Wraps- July 1, 2008

It's a new month, but a full slate of games across the International League. Here is what happened on the field this first day of July...

The Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees kept pace with the PawSox in the IL North, as Justin Christian and JD Closser drove in all five Yankee runs in their 5-2 win over the Buffalo Bisons. BOX

Chris Richard went 4 for 5 and drove in two runs to lead the Durham Bulls to a 8-2 triumph over the Charlotte Knights. BOX

Josh Fogg pitched eight innings of shutout ball and Chris Dickerson belted a homer and drove in all five Louisville runs as the Bats shut-out the Indianapolis Indians, 5-0. BOX

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs had three players drive in three runs apiece as they dominated the Rochester Red Wings 12-5. BOX

The Columbus Clippers broke out to a big early lead and held on to edge the Toledo Mud Hens 9-7. BOX

Mike Costanzo broke-up a 3-3 tie by belting a solo homer in the sixth to pace the Norfolk Tides to a 4-3 win over the Richmond Braves. BOX

PawSox Come Back to Nip Chiefs 5-3

The PawSox gave up a lead in the eighth, but stormed back to get two runs in the ninth, good enough to edge the Syracuse Chiefs, 5-3 last night. The win earned Pawtucket a sweep of the Syracuse end of the four game home-and-home series. The PawSox also ended their five-game road trip with a 4-1 record.

The PawSox did all their damage in the ninth with two outs. Three consecutive singles by Dusty Brown, Sean Danielson, and Jonathan Van Every broke the 3-3 tie. After Jeff Bailey walked to load the bases, Joe Thurston was hit by a pitch from Chief's reliever Mike Gosling (3-4) giving Pawtucket an insurance run.

The PawSox found themselves in comeback mode all night, erasing deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to take a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth. The first three Pawtucket runs scored on a Chris Carter sacrifice fly in the fourth and a George Kottaras two-run homer in the seventh, his 16th of the season.

PawSox starter David Pauley was in line to earn his 11th win of the year, but reliever Lincoln Holdzkom could not hold the lead in the eighth. Wayne Lydon began the inning by grounding a single past short them stealing second. A Danny Sandoval sacrifice bunt put Lydon at third with one out. After Ben Coats walked, Matt Watson laced an RBI single to right, tying the game.

Jon Switzer came on in relief of Holdzkom and ended the Syracuse rally without any other runs crossing the plate.

Pauley pitched seven innings giving up two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out four in earning the no decision. Switzer (4-1) picked up the win. Hunter Jones came on to close the game, gathering his fifth save on 2008.

Keith Ginter and Danielson each had two hits for Pawtucket. Jed Lowrie's double in the fourth extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Lydon and Sandoval collected two hits each for the Chiefs.

The McCoy portion of the home-and-home series with the Chiefs begins tonight at McCoy as LHP Bill Murphy (5-5) takes the mound for Syracuse against RHP Edgar Martinez (3-1) for the PawSox.

Keep in mind that there will be earlier starting times for this week's four-game home stand at McCoy. Games Wednesday through Friday begin at 6:15pm while Saturday's finale will begin at 6:05pm. A fireworks display will follow each game of the home stand.

BOX SCORE

Game 87- PawSox vs. Chiefs, July 1, 2008

The PawSox are looking for July to be just as kind to them as June was. Pawtucket begins the new month by wrapping up their five game road trip tonight (7:00 pm) at Alliance Bank Park against the Syracuse Chiefs. David Pauley (10-2, 3.47 ERA) starts for the PawSox. He'll be opposed by David Purcey (6-6, 2.88 ERA) for the Chiefs.

Here is a preview of tonight's contest...

Pawtucket Red Sox (54-32)

The PawSox enter the game with a 3-1 record so far on this road trip and winners of 9 of their last 10 away from McCoy Stadium. They had a June to remember, finishing the month with a 20-9 record. Pawtucket remains five games on top of the IL's North Division.

Pauley enters the game tied for the league lead in victories with 10. He has won his last two starts, yielding a total of 2 runs on 9 hits in 14 innings of work. Over his last 10 starts Pauley is 8-0 with a 3.38 ERA.

Jed Lowrie enters the game with a 10 game hitting streak. Over that span he is batting .341 with two doubles, three homers, and 12 RBI's.

Syracuse Chiefs (45-38)

After last night's 5-2 loss to the PawSox the Chiefs are now 7 1/2 games out of first place in the IL North. They are 2 1/2 games behind second place Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Purcey comes into the game losing two of his last three starts. In those games he gave up nine runs in 16 innings pitched. Purcey faced the PawSox back on May 4th in Syracuse. He took the loss, surrendering two runs on five hits over six innings.

Game Wraps- June 30, 2008

Here is the action from around the International League from games played yesterday...

The Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to over take the Buffalo Bisons, 5-4. JD Closser belted a three-run homer and Chris Basak drove in the game-winner on a sacrifice fly. BOX

Every batter in the Charlotte Knight's line-up collected one hit, as their effort led to a 10-8 win over the Norfolk Tides. Norfolk also committed five errors to help the Charlotte cause. BOX

Jon Weber went 3 for 5 with a homer to pace the Durham Bulls past the Richmond Braves, 5-2. BOX

Aaron Herr and Alvin Colina drove in three runs apiece to lead the Louisville Bats to a 12-8 slugfest win over the Indianapolis Indians. BOX

The Rochester Red Wings collected only three hits, but it was enough as Francisco Liriano pitched seven innings of scoreless ball in the Red Wings' 2-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. BOX

Erick Almonte went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs as the Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Columbus Clippers, 6-4. BOX

Buchholz Paces PawSox Win

PawSox starter Clay Buchholz put together another strong pitching performance, leading Pwtucket to a 5-2 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs last night at Alliance Bank Stadium. The win is the PawSox' third in four tries on this current road trip, and nine out of their last ten away from McCoy Stadium.

Buchholz (4-1, 1.63 ERA) threw five innings of scoreless ball, limiting the Chiefs to four hits. He walked one and struck out three three. Over his last 22 2/3 innings Buchholz has only surrendered one earned run.

Pawtucket scored a run in the first off Chiefs starter Davis Romero (3-6) on a Joe Thurston RBI double, driving in Jeff Bailey who led the game off with a single.

The PawSox would get all the rest of the runs in top of the fifth, touching Romero for four runs and sending nine players to the plate. With two out and Sean Danielson on second base (courtesy a fielder's choice and stolen base) Bailey singled to left, scoring Danielson. Thurston then followed with a single to center. Bailey scored and Thurston advanced to third as the throw to the plate was mishandled by Chiefs catcher Curtis Thigpen. A Jed Lowrie walk and Chris Carter single plated Thurston with the fourth PawSox run. Following a Syracuse pitching change, Lowrie scored on a Keith Ginter RBI single to center.

Thurston finished the day 3 for 5 to raise his International League leading batting average to .324. Bailey and Danielson had two hits each.

PawSox reliever Michael Tejera gave up both Syracuse runs in the bottom of the seventh on a Chip Cannon RBI single and a Thigpen sacrifice fly.

The rest of the Pawtucket bullpen was solid. Mike Timlin threw another scoreless rehab inning. Eric Hull and Hunter Jones finished the game for the PawSox, with Jones securing his fourth save of the season.

Romero worked only 4 2/3 innings in taking the loss.

The two clubs wrap-up the Syracuse portion of their four game home-and-home series tonight (7:00 pm). David Pauley (10-2) takes the mound for the PawSox, opposed by David Purcey (6-6) for Syracuse.

BOX SCORE