Derailed at Home Yet Again

Photo courtesy of Pawtucket Red Sox (c)

PawSox SP Allen Webster (#22) pitched a strong game but it wasn't enough as team lost in extra innings to the RailRiders

Ryan Fox (@Scoop_Fox87)

It was another glorious spring evening here at McCoy as the Pawtucket Red Sox squared off against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Yesterday the PawSox dropped a heartbreak 3-2 game to the RailRiders in a midday showdown between the two teams. So now the PawSox were looking for some payback as the two teams took to McCoy in tonight’s game.

Taking the mound for the PawSox was none other than RHP Allen Webster (2-2, 2.54), one of the PawSox more reliable starters. In his last time out, Webster took the loss in 3-1 loss in a May 14 match up against the Indianapolis Indians in Indianapolis. In that game, Webster went 5.2 innings, giving up 2 hits and 4 runs while walking 2 Indian Batters. However Webster got a season-high 9 strikeouts during that same game all on 103 pitches (66 for strikes). He was opposed by RailRiders RHP Joel De La Cruz

There was a small scare of rain prior to the game, but those clouds were just passing on through. So the national anthem was sung, the first pitch was thrown, the children shouting with glee ‘Play ball!’, and we were underway for the ball game.

The PawSox came close in the very beginning of the game to make a dent. PawSox 2B Ryan Roberts got on base with a one out double and then advanced to third on a groundout to first by PawSox RF Daniel Nava. A walk to PawSox 1B Ryan Lavarnway put runners at the corners but then C Christian Vazquez got called out on a very questionable called third strike.

But it was the RailRiders who were able to get on the scoreboard first. In the 2nd inning, RailRiders 1B Kyle Roller got on with a leadoff double and was able to advance to third on a wild pitch by Webster. Then RailRiders SS Dean Anna grounded out on a 6-3 (shortstop to first baseman) but was still able to score Roller to give the visiting team a 1-0 advantage.

From then on, it just seemed like both offenses took a long nap. Both Webster and De La Cruz entered a mini pitching duel that lasted all the way into the 6th inning. The only reason why it ended was because Webster was pulled by PawSox Skipper Kevin Boles after throwing close to 100 pitches. LHP Tommy Layne came in for relief and continued on the strong PawSox pitching, getting the RailRiders to go down 1-2-3.

After knocking on the door in the 1st inning, the PawSox were able to break the seal in the bottom of the 6th. First PawSox SS Mike McCoy was able to get on base via walk. Then Roberts was able to get his second hit of the night with a single that McCoy took advantage of, going all the way to third. Then Nava hit a long sac fly to left field that scored McCoy, making the score 1-1. PawSox were able to get another runner on base with a Lavarnway single but that was all they got in that inning. RailRiders RHP Mark Montgomery was able to come in relief and get Vazquez to ground out, squashing the PawSox surge before it got out of hand.

But it seemed like the offensive magic in the bottom of the 6th continued on for the PawSox into the bottom of the 7th. First PawSox 3B Garin Cecchini reached base on a single before stealing 2nd while teammate CF Corey Brown was at-bat. Brown then ended up hitting a single that advanced Cecchini to third. With runners at the corner, DH Dan Butler came to the plate. As he was at the plate, Montgomery threw a costly wild pitch that Cecchini scored to make it 2-1. Ironically enough, Butler was able to get on base on a walk.

After back-to-back strikeouts, there were runners on the corner as Roberts came to the plate. He then proceeded to smack the ball into left field for a single that scored Brown to make it 3-1. A walk to Nava afterwards then loaded the bases for Lavarnway to make some noise. However he ended up flying out to right field, thus ending the rally. But just when things were turning for the home team, the RailRiders struck back in a devastating way in the following 8th inning.

With PawSox LHP Drake Britton coming in for relief, he game a leadoff single to RailRiders 2B Jose Pirela. Then RailRiders CF Adonis Garcia came to the plate and with one swing, erased the PawSox 7th inning magic with a 2-run homerun to the 375 ft. mark in left field to tie things up 3-3. Things then got worse as Britton proceeded to walk the next two RailRiders. But when things looked like they were going to get worst, a miracle happened.

RailRiders 3B Zelous Wheeler smacked a pitch right at Cecchini. Cecchini stepped on the third base bag before throwing to Roberts, who then tagged the second base bag before throwing to Lavarnway, who then finished things by stepping on the bag at first for the rare Triple Play. The crowd roared with excitement as the Triple Play was completed, getting the PawSox out of a major jam. 

Interestingly enough, that was the first Triple Play completed by the PawSox since June 26, 2009 when they took on the Norfolk Tidewater (They ended up losing the game 4-1). However the PawSox ended up going scoreless in the 8th and then in the 9th as the game went into extra innings.

But in the top of the 10th inning, disaster struck. First Pierla was able to get on base with a one-out single and then advanced to second after Garcia was walked. Next came RailRiders LF Ramon Flores as he drove a single to left that ended up scoring the speedy Pierla to make it 4-3 in favor of the RailRiders. Then the next batter, RailRiders 1B Kyle Roller, came to the plate and proceeded to hit a sac fly to left to score Garcia. But then Flores got caught in a rundown trying to advance to third and was tagged out by Ryan Roberts.

The PawSox made one last charge in the bottom of the 10th inning. Lavarnway was able to get on base with a two-out single against RailRiders RHP Diego Moreno, but was stranded there as teammate Vazquez groundout.

So when the final out was made, the PawSox ended up dropping to the RailRiders 5-3 in 10 innings of play. Starter Allen Webster got a no-decision, his 6th of the season. He went 5 innings, gave up 3 hits, 1 run (it was earned), while walking one batter, hitting another one, while striking out 4 on 99 pitches (59 for strikes and 1 was a wild pitch). The losing pitcher for the PawSox was Chris Hernandez as he dropped to 1-4 for the season. He went 2 innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 runs (both earned), walking one batter and striking out another on 36 pitches (20 for strikes). 

The winning pitcher for the RailRiders was Jim Miller, who went 2 innings while giving up no hits, runs, and walks while striking out 3 batters on 29 pitches (20 for strikes). Diego ended up getting the save, his first for the season.

Now the two teams will face off for the series finale tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. Taking the mound for the PawSox is RHP Anthony Ranuado (4-2, 3.47). He will be opposed by RailRiders RHP Shane Greene (0-2, 6.11).

Bonus Clip
SP Allen Webster talks to the media after the game