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Toledo 3, Pawtucket 2

PAWTUCKET — A pitcher coming back from the big leagues squared off against another moving up from Double-A last night at McCoy and the match turned out to be a good one.

The bad news for the home team was that the youngster on the way up, Dallas Trahern, was the victor as he pitched Toledo to a 3-2 decision over Pawtucket.
It was the type of game Pawtucket has played far too often already, one which could have gone either way. The teams combined for a total of only 12 hits, six for each. Pawtucket had the tying run on third base with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
But, in keeping with the script as it has played out so far, the Pawsox, now 11-22, were the team coming up short once again before a crowd of 7,526.

``I thought it was a really good game,’’ said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson. ``The guys we used tonight, (Devern) Hansack, (Craig) Hansen, (Bryan) Corey and (Mike) Burns all threw the ball very well.’’

Hansack, making his return after spending eight days with Boston (in which time he pitched only two-thirds of an inning) took the loss because of one bad inning. He was sharp early, allowing only one base runner in the first three innings.

With one out in the fourth, he walked Timo Perez. Ryan Raburn, who leads the International League in RBI, followed with a blast to the back of the berm in left for a two-run homer. It was his eighth of the season.

``Raburn’s been a good hitter for a few years now. He’s got some pop. I’ve seen him since he was in Double-A,’’ Johnson said. ``He can turn on the ball.’’

``That might have been the only pitch Hanny got up all night. . . He just left it up a little bit. He’s a four-hole hitter and he did what a hitter like that is supposed to do,’’ Johnson said.

``But I don’t think that takes anything away from his performance,’’ Johnson said of Hansack. ``That’s a quality start.’’

The home run for Raburn was made a bit sweeter because he had been robbed of a two-run homer on a great leaping catch at the fence in center in Friday night’s game by Jacoby Ellsbury.

It was the final run of the fourth that turned out to be the killer. Jack Hanrahan blooped a double to left and came around on a single by Mike Hessman and a ground ball Henry Mateo.

Trahern was outstanding in getting the victory in his International League debut. The 21-year-old right-hander was 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA for Erie, in Double-A.
David Murphy continued his strong play for Pawtucket, scoring each of his team’s runs. He walked leading off the fourth, moved up on two ground ball outs and scored on a triple by Bobby Scales.

That cut the Toledo lead to 3-1. He sliced it to 3-2 in the sixth when he singled with one out and then raced home on Jeff Bailey’s double.

Pawtucket had a chance to tie it in the ninth. Ed Rogers led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Kevin Cash. Alex Ochoa was sent up to pinch-hit for Alex Prieto. On a 1-2 pitch, reliever Jason Karnuth fired the ball wide and to the backstop, allowing Rogers to get to third. However, Ochoa took a called third strike. Ellsbury then grounded to short to end it.

Even with his team in last place, Johnson remains optimistic.

``It will get better. We’ve played a lot of games like this,’’ he said. ``I’m real proud of this team. They hustle. They fight. We’ll get there. We’ll get a few guys who will be able to put things together. It will happen.

``If you don’t have pitching it really gets frustrating. You always wonder how you’re going to finish things up,’’ Johnson said. ``We’ve got pitching here.’’

--PAUL KENYON

Posted by Chris Venditto  at 10:04 PM to PawSox | Permalink

Today's lineups

BALTIMORE

Brian Roberts, 4
Nick Markakis, 9
Miguel Tejada, 6
Ramon Hernandez, 2
Aubrey Huff, 3
Melvin Mora, 5
Jay Gibbons, DH
Jay Payton, 7
Corey Patterson, 8
Steve Trachsel, SP

BOSTON

Julio Lugo, 6
Kevin Youkilis, 3
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, 7
J.D. Drew, 9
Mike Lowell, 5
Jason Varitek, 2
Coco Crisp, 8
Dustin Pedroia, 4
Curt Schilling, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:30 AM | Permalink