Bogaerts Homers in Rehab Assignment for PawSox

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts starred in his first game action in over two weeks, homering and doubling in his rehab assignment Tuesday, a 9-2 loss for the Pawtucket Red Sox to the Toledo Mud Hens at McCoy Stadium.
Bogaerts, who suffered a small crack in the talus bone in his left ankle April 8 at Fenway Park, returned to game action, batted second and manned shortstop for Pawtucket. The 25-year old from Aruba, who was a 2016 American League All-Star and won consecutive Silver Slugger Awards in 2015 and 2016, went 2-for-3 with a solo home run the opposite way, a double into the right-field corner and a flyout to right field (finishing an eight-pitch at-bat). Defensively, Bogaerts jump-started a 6-4-3 double play in the first inning and spent six innings in the lineup.
In their second game playing as Los Osos Polares de Pawtucket in a partnership with Minor League Baseball to celebrate the team's surrounding Hispanic community at Tuesday night home games, the PawSox (9-8) fell to the Mud Hens (13-5), who cracked open a four-run lead in the third inning, added late insurance in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and never trailed in ensuring at least a split of the four-game series.
PawSox starter Justin Haley (L, 0-3) gave up five runs on seven hits in six innings, while hard-throwing righty reliever Ty Buttrey fanned five in two innings, allowing one earned run.
Toledo left-handed starter Chad Bell yielded just the home run to Bogaerts in his four frames, as reliever Victor Alcántara (W, 2-0) took over and added three stanzas of one-run work.
Toledo went to work in the top of the first inning, placing runners at the corners with nobody out. But Haley induced a ground ball to short, where Bogaerts initiated a 6-4-3 double play that netted the Mud Hens a run from third.
Toledo doubled its lead to 2-0 in the top of the third inning on a two-out RBI single from Dawel Lugo. Former first-round pick Christin Stewart then blooped a run-scoring single into shallow left field, making it 3-0. Jim Adduci proceeded to bounce an RBI single through the right side, widening the gap to 4-0.
Bogaerts connected on his solo jack in the bottom of the fourth, trimming the deficit to 4-1. Pawtucket cut within two an inning later on an RBI knock from Aneury Tavárez.
Stewart pulled a solo homer to right in the sixth, and Toledo extended its cushion to 7-2 in the seventh thanks to a Jason Krizan single and a Pawtucket error. In the ninth, Toledo capitalized on a wild pitch and used another Adduci RBI single to extend its margin to 9-2.
The PawSox conclude their four-game, three-day series with Toledo on Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. Rehabbing Red Sox righty Steven Wright (0-0, 6.75) and PawSox right-hander Marcus Walden, who was recently optioned from Boston, are both expected to throw opposite Mud Hens righty Artie Lewicki (2-1, 5.79). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 5:45 p.m.
The seven-game homestand ends Wednesday. Good seats are available, and fans can visit the McCoy Stadium box office, which is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., and during all home games. Fans can also call (401) 724-7300 or log on to PawSox.com for tickets.