PawSox Win 5th Straight Game
(Pawtucket, RI) - Pawtucket starter Chris Hernandez carried a shutout into the seventh inning while catcher Dan Butler homered and drove home three as the PawSox earned a season-high fifth-consecutive win, 7-4 over the Durham Bulls Sunday afternoon in front of 8,127 fans at McCoy Stadium.
Butler, Corey Brown and Travis Shaw each homered against Durham starter Enny Romero (3-9) to help the PawSox build a 7-0 lead after five innings. Hernandez (4-6) gave up a pair of runs in the seventh but still allowed only three hits in seven full innings pitched with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Pawtucket (43-41) moved three games above .500 for the first time May 20th. The PawSox are now 9-4 since June 17th and with wins in the first two contests against Durham have clinched at least a series split for their seventh-straight series.
Butler's two-run blast to left opened the scoring in the second inning against Romero, who allowed six runs and six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Carlos Rivero collected a two-out RBI single in the third to increase the margin to 3-0, then Brown went deep to center in the fourth for his team-leading tenth longball of the season.
The PawSox scored three runs in the fifth to break the game open. Shaw's fourth homer of the season began the scoring, while Butler's infield RBI hit capped the rally against reliever Brandon Gomes. Drake Britton allowed a two-run home run to Mikie Mahtook in the ninth (7) to bring the Bulls within three runs.
Butler went 3-for-4 to pace Pawtucket's nine-hit attack. Mahtook drove home three of Durham's four runs on the afternoon.
Game three of the series is slated for a 7:05 pm first pitch on Monday night, as Pawtucket tries to extend its longest winning streak of the season to six. Righty Anthony Ranaudo (8-4, 2.54) will get the ball for manager Kevin Boles, while right-hander Nathan Karns (4-4, 5.50) is expected to start for the Bulls.
Good seats are still available at the McCoy Stadium box office, by calling (401) 724-7300 or by visiting pawsox.com. Radio coverage on 920 AM (WHJJ) and also streaming online begins at 6:50 pm.