PawSox Comeback, Beat 'Riders 8-5
(Moosic, PA) - Pawtucket shortstop Deven Marrero went 4-for-4 with three RBI and after allowing five early runs the pitching staff shutout Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the final seven innings as the PawSox increased their franchise-record winning streak to 11 games with an 8-5 win over the RailRiders Saturday night at PNC Field in the second of a four-game series.
With Syracuse losing against Gwinnett in 10-innings, the PawSox moved within 0.5 games of the North Division-leading Chiefs (61-47). Pawtucket trailed by 8.5 games before the winning streak began. The squad has outscored opponents 71-32 during the 11-game streak and is now 10-0 since the All-Star break.
Will Middlebrooks, playing in the eighth game of his most recent injury rehab stint, played the entire game at third base and went 0-for-5. Middlebrooks, on the Boston DL since May 16th, is now 9-for-33 (.273) with three homers over his last eight games played. Mookie Betts collected a home run and an RBI single for the PawSox.
The two teams combined for ten runs, five for each side, over the first three innings. The pitching staffs then settled down and Pawtucket's three-run sixth inning was the difference in a contest that lasted 3 hours and 51 minutes. Marrero began the rally with a one-out single against reliever Jeremy Bleich (0-4).
Corey Brown then with an RBI triple to left, a ball the just barely landed inside the chalk on the warning track scoring Marrero. Dan Butler drove home Brown with a sacrifice fly, which was followed by Betts' solo homer (3) that chased Bleich from the game and ended the scoring for the night.
PawSox starter Chris Hernandez allowed two runs in the first then three more in the second to put the RailRiders ahead 5-4. Hernandez then tossed scoreless ball in the third and the fourth, while relievers Dalier Hinojosa (two innings), Alex Wilson (two innings) and Tommy Layne (one inning) combined for five frames of scoreless relief.
Hinojosa (2-5) worked around three hits and a walk to keep Scranton off the scoreboard, striking out four in the process and earning his second win of the season. Layne pitched around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his 11th save in as many opportunities.
Pawtucket scored four runs in the second against RailRiders starter Bruce Billings, highlighted by Marrero's two-run double. Marrero came back in the third with an RBI single against Billings to tie the score at 5. Billings allowed six hits and five runs in his three innings of work, while Bleich was charge with three runs in 2.2 frames and took the loss.
Game three of the four-game series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon with first pitch at 1:05 pm, as Pawtucket looks for its 12th consecutive win. Right-hander Matt Barnes (5-7, 4.89) is slated to start for the PawSox against Scranton righty Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 4.15). Radio coverage on 920 AM (WHJJ) and also streaming online begins at 12:50 pm.
Following the eight-game road trip and a subsequent day off, the PawSox return to McCoy Stadium for a seven-game homestand that begins on Wednesday July 30. The stand features three games against Syracuse and four with Columbus. Good seats are still available at the McCoy Stadium box office, by calling (401) 724-7300 or by visiting pawsox.com.