PawSox Streak Snapped in 5-3 Loss
(Pawtucket, RI) - The Durham Bulls scored four runs in the top of the first inning against Pawtucket starter Rubby De La Rosa and held on despite two home runs from Corey Brown to snap the PawSox' six-game winning streak, 5-3, Tuesday night in front of 8,254 fans at McCoy Stadium to salvage a win in the four-game series.
Both Will Middleberooks (fractured index finger) and Mike Carp (broken bone in right foot) started for the PawSox as part of their respective Major League injury rehab assignments. Middlebrooks served as the DH for seven innings and batted 1-for-3 with a bloop triple while Carp played first base for six innings and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Carp is now 1-for-11 in four games during his rehab stint.
De La Rosa (2-4) allowed hits to four of the first five batters in the contest, including RBI knocks by Mike Fontenot (single) and Jeremy Moore (double). A run also scored on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Wilson Betemit that made the score 4-0 after one half inning.
The PawSox' bats were held at bay by Durham starter Matt Andriese (8-4) for 6.2 innings. Andriese allowed three runs on seven hits while not walking a batter and striking out six. Josh Lueke recorded the final five outs to notch his first save, including a deep fly out by Alex Hassan to end the game with the tying runners on base.
Pawtucket (44-42) scored immediately when the leadoff batter Brown homered in the bottom of the first. After Hak-Ju Lee went deep against De La Rosa in the fifth, Brown struck again against Andriese leading off the sixth inning to make the score 5-2. Travis Shaw's RBI groundout later in the inning scored Middlebrooks with the final run of the night.
De La Rosa, pitching for the first time with the PawSox since May 24th after making five starts with Boston, allowed five runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings pitched. Jeremy Kehrt (1.2 innings) and Alex Wilson (1.2 innings) followed with scoreless relief to keep Pawtucket within striking distance.
The PawSox ten-game homestand concludes with a pair of games against Rochester on Wednesday and Thursday nights, each scheduled to begin at 6:15 pm. Right-hander Matt Barnes (3-5, 4.52) will get the ball for manager Kevin Boles, while lefty Sean Gilmartin (0-1, 4.20) is expected to start for the Red Wings in the series opener.
Limited 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 6:00 pm.