Dalbec Stars in Pawtucket's Series Opener in Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio - Bobby Dalbec slugged his first two Triple-A extra-base hits, including his first career home run at the new level, and helped steer a comeback effort for the Pawtucket Red Sox, who dropped the series opener to the Toledo Mud Hens, 7-6, on Friday night at Fifth Third Field.
Dalbec (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), playing in his sixth game since being promoted on Saturday from Double-A Portland, scorched a rocket single to left-center in the fourth, tagged another bullet for a double in the seventh, then homered to straightaway center over the 402-foot-marker in the eighth. The corner infielder has started three of his last four games at first base.
The PawSox (51-65), who trailed 7-1 after five innings, scored a run in the seventh and four more in the eighth but couldn't complete the comeback in the opener against the Tigers-affiliated Mud Hens (53-64). Each of the first four games of Pawtucket's road swing so far through Ohio has been decided by one run.
Tzu-Wei Lin (2-for-5, R) and Rusney Castillo (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2B, 2 RBI) added multi-hit games as well.
Pawtucket reliever Tanner Houck fanned five in 2.1 innings of long relief after he entered in the bottom of the second inning. Travis Lakins punched out three in two shutout frames. Kyle Hart (L, 8-5) allowed four runs in 1.2 innings.
Toledo starter Tim Adleman piled up 10 strikeouts over 6.2 innings of two-run work, and Daniel Stumpf (S, 1) earned the save with a scoreless ninth.
Toledo plated four runs in the bottom of the second before Castillo homered in the fourth to trim the gap to 4-1. The Mud Hens, though, answered back with a run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth. In the seventh, Cole Sturgeon supplied a sacrifice fly that scored Dalbec and made it 7-2.
Chris Owings reeled in Tzu-Wei Lin in the eighth with an RBI groundout before Castillo doubled and Dalbec homered to get Pawtucket within a run.
The PawSox now continue their three-game series in Toledo on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Mud Hens right-hander Kyle Funkhouser (2-5, 7.98). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 6:35 p.m.
Following the six-game road trip through Ohio, the PawSox will return home August 13-18 (Tuesday-Sunday) for a six-game homestand against the Orioles and Tigers Triple-A affiliates.
On August 13 (Tuesday), the PawSox will again play as the popular Osos Polares de Pawtucket. Then on August 14 (Wednesday), fans can participate in the Ross-Simons Dazzling Diamond Sweepstakes for a second straight year with a chance to win diamonds. August 15 (Thursday) marks Silver Seniors Day Bingo. The weekend starts with a bang on August 16 (Friday), as the PawSox will give away Red Sox World Series championship replica rings to the first 3,000 fans entering McCoy Stadium. On August 17 (Saturday), fans can enjoy post-game fireworks set to country music. The homestand concludes August 18 (Sunday) with a Sunday FunDay in which fans can play pre-game catch on the field and then run the bases post-game. The first 5,000 fans to that game will also receive a collector's edition 2019 PawSox Baseball Card Set.
Good tickets 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.