PawSox Sweep Doubleheader Over Buffalo
PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- The Pawtucket Red Sox walked off with a doubleheader sweep of the Buffalo Bisons on Friday, prevailing by scores of 1-0 and 8-7 before 6,591 at McCoy Stadium.
Jeremy Hazelbaker tied the second game with a two-out double to cap a five-run, seventh-inning rally, before winning the contest with a two-out single in the last of the ninth.
Trailing 7-2 and down to their final three outs in a scheduled seven-inning contest, the PawSox sent nine men to the plate against three Buffalo relievers. Their rally began with a hit batsman, walk and errant fielder's choice.
After an RBI groundout by Justin Henry, Bryce Brentz drilled his team-leading 13th homer with two on to draw the Sox to within 7-6. Mitch Maier then walked and Hazelbaker doubled him home to force extra innings.
Two innings later, Maier walked again with two away, advanced to second on a single by Xander Bogaerts and scored uncontested on Hazelbaker's hit.
Ryan Rowland-Smith (W, 4-0) picked up the victory, striking out two in an inning of work, while Joel Carreno (L, 0-1) suffered the defeat.
The PawSox benefited from a strong start by Terry Doyle, who set down the first 11 hitters, before overcoming a pair of singles in the fourth inning.
With ex-Pawtucket right-hander Justin Germano on the mound for Buffalo, Maier beat out a slow roller for an infield single, setting up Bogaerts. Off a 1-0 pitch, Bogaerts launched a towering fly ball to left field for his first Triple-A home run and a 2-0 PawSox lead.
Doyle completed a scoreless fifth, but could not record an out in the next inning. A leadoff walk and bloop double gave another former PawSox, Mauro Gomez, an opportunity to tie the game. Gomez, the 2012 International League MVP, line a two-run single to the wall in left field, tying the score at 2-2.
Chris Hernandez relieved Doyle, only to allow three hits and three walks, while retiring just two Bisons. In addition to allowing an inherited runner to score, Hernandez was charged with four earned runs.
Overall, Buffalo scored seven times in a 12-batter inning, including an RBI single by Jim Negrych that broke the 2-2 tie and a two-run single by Ryan Goins that gave Buffalo the 7-2 lead it was bound to relinquish.
In the opener, Pawtucket's Allen Webster engaged lefty Ricky Romero in a scoreless duel through six innings.
The 23-year-old Webster was making his first start since a June 6 loss to Charlotte, his lone blemish among six decisions. He retired the first seven batters and faced the minimum through five hitless innings.
Webster didn't allow a hit until Mike McCoy singled with two outs in the sixth. McCoy's blooper into shallow right-center also posed the lone threat against Webster, advancing Mike Nickeas, who was hit by a pitch, to third base. But Webster escaped the jam, thanks to a fine back-handed play by first baseman Brandon Snyder.
Meanwhile, Romero, a former All-Star with the Blue Jays, matched Webster, zero for zero on the scoreboard. But after the Bisons failed to score off Chris Martin (W, 1-1) in the top of the seventh inning, reliever Brad Lincoln was unable to continue the shutout stretch.
After Lincoln (L, 1-1) retired the first two batters, Bogaerts reached on an infield single and stole second base with Alex Hassan at the plate. Hassan was on the PawSox's original 2013 roster, but suffered a calf injury and was removed from the lineup before the April 4 season opener.
In his first game back with Pawtucket, Hassan had doubled off Romero his previous turn. Opposite Lincoln, he pulled a 3-2 pitch into left field to score Bogaerts and end the affair in a 1-0 final.
As a result of the sweep, the Sox increased their IL North lead over the Bisons to 5.0 games. They'll continue their four-game series at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, when youngster Brandon Workman (1-0, 4.76) makes his McCoy Stadium debut against Thad Weber (0-1, 3.52).
Before facing Buffalo, the PawSox are scheduled to hold the second of four Citizens Bank Free Youth Clinics this season, starting at 2 p.m. Manager Gary DiSarcina, coaches and players will conduct the clinic.
Jeremy Hazelbaker tied the second game with a two-out double to cap a five-run, seventh-inning rally, before winning the contest with a two-out single in the last of the ninth.
Trailing 7-2 and down to their final three outs in a scheduled seven-inning contest, the PawSox sent nine men to the plate against three Buffalo relievers. Their rally began with a hit batsman, walk and errant fielder's choice.
After an RBI groundout by Justin Henry, Bryce Brentz drilled his team-leading 13th homer with two on to draw the Sox to within 7-6. Mitch Maier then walked and Hazelbaker doubled him home to force extra innings.
Two innings later, Maier walked again with two away, advanced to second on a single by Xander Bogaerts and scored uncontested on Hazelbaker's hit.
Ryan Rowland-Smith (W, 4-0) picked up the victory, striking out two in an inning of work, while Joel Carreno (L, 0-1) suffered the defeat.
The PawSox benefited from a strong start by Terry Doyle, who set down the first 11 hitters, before overcoming a pair of singles in the fourth inning.
With ex-Pawtucket right-hander Justin Germano on the mound for Buffalo, Maier beat out a slow roller for an infield single, setting up Bogaerts. Off a 1-0 pitch, Bogaerts launched a towering fly ball to left field for his first Triple-A home run and a 2-0 PawSox lead.
Doyle completed a scoreless fifth, but could not record an out in the next inning. A leadoff walk and bloop double gave another former PawSox, Mauro Gomez, an opportunity to tie the game. Gomez, the 2012 International League MVP, line a two-run single to the wall in left field, tying the score at 2-2.
Chris Hernandez relieved Doyle, only to allow three hits and three walks, while retiring just two Bisons. In addition to allowing an inherited runner to score, Hernandez was charged with four earned runs.
Overall, Buffalo scored seven times in a 12-batter inning, including an RBI single by Jim Negrych that broke the 2-2 tie and a two-run single by Ryan Goins that gave Buffalo the 7-2 lead it was bound to relinquish.
In the opener, Pawtucket's Allen Webster engaged lefty Ricky Romero in a scoreless duel through six innings.
The 23-year-old Webster was making his first start since a June 6 loss to Charlotte, his lone blemish among six decisions. He retired the first seven batters and faced the minimum through five hitless innings.
Webster didn't allow a hit until Mike McCoy singled with two outs in the sixth. McCoy's blooper into shallow right-center also posed the lone threat against Webster, advancing Mike Nickeas, who was hit by a pitch, to third base. But Webster escaped the jam, thanks to a fine back-handed play by first baseman Brandon Snyder.
Meanwhile, Romero, a former All-Star with the Blue Jays, matched Webster, zero for zero on the scoreboard. But after the Bisons failed to score off Chris Martin (W, 1-1) in the top of the seventh inning, reliever Brad Lincoln was unable to continue the shutout stretch.
After Lincoln (L, 1-1) retired the first two batters, Bogaerts reached on an infield single and stole second base with Alex Hassan at the plate. Hassan was on the PawSox's original 2013 roster, but suffered a calf injury and was removed from the lineup before the April 4 season opener.
In his first game back with Pawtucket, Hassan had doubled off Romero his previous turn. Opposite Lincoln, he pulled a 3-2 pitch into left field to score Bogaerts and end the affair in a 1-0 final.
As a result of the sweep, the Sox increased their IL North lead over the Bisons to 5.0 games. They'll continue their four-game series at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, when youngster Brandon Workman (1-0, 4.76) makes his McCoy Stadium debut against Thad Weber (0-1, 3.52).
Before facing Buffalo, the PawSox are scheduled to hold the second of four Citizens Bank Free Youth Clinics this season, starting at 2 p.m. Manager Gary DiSarcina, coaches and players will conduct the clinic.