This year’s version of the Pawtucket Red Sox has shown its flare for the dramatic in the ninth inning. The PawSox proved that again last night, scoring three runs with two out in the top of the ninth to come away with a 5-3 win over the Gwinnett Braves at Coolray Field.
Entering the final inning trailing 3-2, Daniel Nava led the charge with a single to center off Gwinnett reliever Jaye Chapman (1-3). After Brett Carroll and Nate Spears were retired, Hector Luna singled and Jose Iglesias walked to load the bases.
Che-Hsuan Lin then drove a 1-1 pitch by Chapman to left for a single, plating two runs and giving the PawSox a 4-3 lead. Iglesias took third on the throw to the plate. Dustin Richardson replaced Chapman on the mound for the Braves. With Ryan Kalish at the plate, Lin broke for second on an attempted steal. The pitch by Richardson got away from Braves C Will Nieves, allowing Iglesias to score an insurance run for Pawtucket.
Scott Atchison came on to hold the Braves scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory.
The two teams were scoreless until the top of the fourth when the PawSox got on the board on a RBI single by Lars Anderson.
Gwinnett scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to take the lead before the PawSox tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh on a Iglesias RBI single.
Gwinnett took the lead with a run off PawSox reliever Jason Rice in the bottom of the eighth. Rice (4-4) wound up with the win.
Tony Pena, Jr. got the start for Pawtucket and threw five innings, giving up one run on six hits. He walked one and struck out one.
Game two of the series is tonight at 7:05p.m. Kyle Weiland (8-7, 3.23 ERA) throws for the PawSox. He’ll face Todd Redmond (8-8, 2.91 ERA) for the Braves.
PawSox Blog 