Long Ball Proves Costly in PawSox Loss to Knights

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Behind three home runs and excellent relief work, the Charlotte Knights (53-46) took the second game of this three-game set with the Pawtucket Red Sox (40-58) on a steamy Saturday night at McCoy Stadium by a 7-5 final. 
Following Friday's 4-3 victory, the PawSox bats got started in a hurry, with leadoff man Gorkys Hernández turning a 7-pitch battle against Charlotte starter Kyle Kubat (4 IP, 3H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) into a sinking line drive that was deposited into the visiting bullpen. Hernandez's shot, his first home run since July 3rd, gave Pawtucket an early 1-0 advantage.
Lengthy at-bats defined Kubat's 4 innings of work, as Pawtucket took advantage of three 2nd inning walks, seeing 30 pitches, as catcher Juan Centeno cashed in with a hard hit double that was ripped down the left field line, scoring both Tzu-Wei Lin and Jantzen Witte for a 3-0 PawSox lead.
The three run advantage was short lived as the Knights finally got to Pawtucket lefty Kyle Hart (5 IP, 5H, 6ER, 3 BB, 2K) in the top of the 3rd, with Daniel Palka launching the first pitch he saw into the left center field picnic area for his 17th home run of the season, a 380 foot 2-Run blast (Exit Velocity 97 Mph) that cut the PawSox lead to 3-2.
Charlotte then struck for 4 more runs in the 5th, an inning that featured an RBI single off the bat of Charlie Tilson scoring Danny Mendick and then a 2-run shot from Matt Skole, his 21st of the season. The Knights then extended their lead with the team's 3rd home run of the game, just an inning later, on Seby Zavala's 460-foot blast that put Charlotte up by a score of 7-3.
That score remained until the bottom of the 8th inning, when Chris Owings came to the plate following a 5-pitch walk to Juan Centeno. Owings proceeded to get all of a Connor Walsh offering, delivering a 409-foot blast to right field, cutting the PawSox deficit to just 2 runs.
However, that's where the score would stay, as Walsh (1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB) closed out the 8th inning and Thago Vieira would record the save, retiring Brentz (fly out to center), Witte (ground out to shortstop), and Centeno (strikeout looking) in order to close out Charlotte's 53rd victory on the season, 7-5.

Charlotte won the season series vs. the PawSox 4-3 last year, and the two teams will take a 1-1 tie into tomorrow's series finale set for 1:05pm, as Donny Roach (2-5, 8.48 ERA) goes for the Knights, and Erasmo Ramírez (2-6, 4.76 ERA) goes for Pawtucket. The teams will square up once more this season from July 26th through the 28th, when the PawSox travel to BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. 
The game will be televised live on myRITV. Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 12:35 p.m.
Tomorrow's game, is another Family Funday, which will include pre-game catch on the field from 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., and post-game run the bases. The game will also mark the annual Touch a Truck event presented by Advance Auto Parts.
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.