PawSox: Red Wings Put PawSox in Doghouse

Ryan L. Fox

This past Sunday, the Pawtucket Red Sox played a matinee game in front of both the two-legged and four-legged crowd of 6,915 at McCoy against the Rochester Red Wings during the PawSox's Bark in the Park event. Already the PawSox had dropped the first 3 games of the weekend series to the Red Wings and looked to try to win the contest and avoid the series sweep.

Taking the mound for the PawSox was LHP Brian Johnson (0-0, 5.79) making his 3rd rehab start with the team. Opposing him was Red Wings RHP Chase De Jong (0-4, 13.76).

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After Johnson cruised through the top 1st, the PawSox got on the scoreboard with a solo home run by CF Gorkys Hernandez in the following bottom 1st to make it 1-0. SS Tzu-Wei Lin then got on board with a double as the PawSox were primed to jump all over De Jong. However De Jong got the next 3 PawSox to fly out to end the inning.
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The Red Wings were able to tie things up later on in the top 3rd.

First Red Wings 3B Drew Maggi lead the inning off with a single into right field with then 2B Luis Arraez getting on base via walk. Both baserunners then advanced up a base via steal to get into scoring position as C Williams Astudillo came to the plate. Facing a 1-2 count, Astudillo singled into right field to drive in Maggi to tie the game at 1-1 and put runners at the corner. Luckily, Johnson got CF Jake Cave to ground into a double play to get out of the inning.

The PawSox tried to break open the tie during the following bottom 3rd. C Oscar Hernandez lead the inning off with a double as two batters later, Lin got on base with a single. O. Hernandez was able to advance to 3rd on 2B Chad De La Guerra fly out as there were runners at the corners with 2 outs in the inning. Unfortunately, LF Bryce Brentz grounded out to the third baseman to end the inning.

The game was remained tied for over the next 2 innings as each team couldn’t break through against the opposition’s pitcher. But then in the top 6th inning, the Red Wings were able to break the tie.

With 2 outs in the inning, Cave faced a 1-2 count against PawSox RHP Steven Wright. Cave then took a fastball right down the middle 440-ft over the center field wall for a solo home run to make it 2-1.

For a while, the PawSox struggled to break through against the Red Wings pitchers. But then in the bottom 7th against RHP Jack Reed, RF Cole Sturgeon hit a solo home run over the right field wall to tie the game at 2-2.

In the top 8th, the PawSox went with LHP Kyle Hart to pitch the inning. Hart got the first two men he faced to go down via strikeout and then fly out. But Gordon got on board via single into right field as Astudillo came to the plate. On the very first pitch he saw from Hart, Astudillo knocked a 2-run home run over the left field wall to help the Red Wings regain the lead 4-2.

The PawSox were able to answer the Astudillo home run in the bottom 8th as Brentz hit a solo home run off of Red Wings RHP D.J. Baxendale and over the right center field wall to make it 4-3.

In the top 9th, Red Wings LF Brent Rooker led the inning off with a single into left field. Two batters later, Rooker came around to score as on an RBI double by teammate RF LaMonte Wade Jr. Wade Jr. himself was able to advance to 3rd during the throw to home to put himself into scoring position. But the next 2 Red Wings batters lined and flew out to end the inning.

The PawSox tried to rally back in the bottom 9th but they ended up going down 1-2-3 to end the game, giving the Red Wings the 5-3 victory as well as the weekend series sweep.

The winning pitcher for the Red Wings was RHP Jake Reed. Reed pitched 2 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run (1 earned), issued 2 walks, struck out 1 PawSox batters, and gave up a home run on 31 pitched (18 for strikes). The losing pitcher for the PawSox was LHP Kyle Hart. Hart ended up pitching 2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 runs (3 earned), issued 0 walks, and struck out 2 Red Wings batters on 33 pitches (25 for strikes).

The PawSox will be off the following Monday before heading out on the road. They’ll begin a 3-game mid-week series against the Louisville Bats down in Louisville, Kentucky. The first game of the series will be on Tuesday, June 11 pending weather. Taking the mound for the PawSox will be RHP Teddy Stankiewicz (3-4, 4.46) as he will be opposed by Bats RHP Keury Mella (4-5, 4.83).

After the game, PawSox Manager Billy McMillon spoke briefly with the media about his team's performance during the game.

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