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Game story: Mariners sail by Sox, 9-4 »
June 25, 2007
The PawSox bats were blazing Monday night, but it wasn't enough to top another group of Bats, as Louisville won 12-7, taking three of four from Pawtucket.
The PawSox stranded 10 as they dropped their seventh decision in nine games, falling to 33-41. Louisville improved to 40-37.
"Most of the time, with Jon Lester on the mound and seven runs and 15 hits on the board you are going to be in good shape," said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. "There were a lot of bloop hits here and groundballs through the infield there. You can't take away from what they did, but it just wasn't our night."
Louisville lefty Phil Dumatrait breezed through the first three innings, striking out four and holding a 5-1 lead. However, in the fourth he began to labor, falling behind batters and the PawSox touched him for a run.
In the fifth, Jeff Bailey came up with two in scoring position and plated two on a double down the third base line. Moss followed with his team-leading thirteenth homer to straightaway center field to put the PawSox in front, 6-5.
The PawSox lead was short-lived as the Bats followed Pawtucket's four-run inning with a four-spot of their own. Mike Edwards followed Jeff Bannon's third hit of the game with a bloop single to right, putting runners on the corners with one out. Chris Dickerson lined a shot to center, driving home Bannon and ending lefty Jon Lester's night.
Bryan Corey came on for the PawSox and forced a groundball to second, but Ed Rogers couldn't handle it, loading the bases with one out. Ryan Freel, in his second game of a rehab assignment, lined a double to right center to push the Bats back in front, 8-6. Ryan Jorgensen scored on a groundout by Pedro Lopez, giving the Bats a three-run advantage after five.
Lester allowed eight runs, all earned, on nine hits in four and a third innings, falling to 1-4.
In the sixth, Bobby Scales came to the plate already 3-for-3 on the game, with runners on first and third. The switch-hitting slugger lifted a fly ball to center, scoring Prieto from third to cut the Bats lead to 9-7.
The Bats answered right back in the sixth, as Mike Edwards drove home Mark Bellhorn from second with a single to make it 10-7. Bellhorn reached on a walk.
The PawSox put one on in the seventh, but Jared Burton fanned Kevin Cash to end the inning. Bannon drove home two more in the seventh with a bases loaded single, giving him six RBI's on the night. That tied a career-high for the Bats right-fielder, last achieved May 28, 2004, and he also tied a career-high with four hits.
Pawtucket threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs for Moss, but the right fielder grounded out to first to end the inning.
The PawSox put one in the ninth before Bats righty Julio Manon closed out the Louisville win on a pop up to second.
Johnson said despite the loss, he was proud of the way his team battled. "We got down by a few early, but we fought back to pull ahead," he said. "Then they jumped back in front and we battled back, but it just wasn't enough. We knew this was going to be a tough road trip with Indy and Louisville and we will just try and go home and get better."
Jason Kershner earned the win for Louisville, working two-thirds of an inning in the fifth and improving to 5-3 on the year.
Scales led Pawtucket offensively, going 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs and an RBI. Shortstop Alex Prieto went 2-4 with two runs and Jacoby Ellsbury, Joe McEwing and Rogers all had two hits.
The Bats drew first blood in the bottom half of the first. With one out, Pedro Lopez lined a double into the right-center field gap. Lester sandwiched a strikeout between two walks to load the bases with two outs. Bannon followed with a bases clearing double over the left fielder's head to give the Bats an early 3-0 lead.
Lester continued to battle control problems in the second, walking Bats center fielder Chris Dickerson on four pitches to start the inning and going 3-0 on the next batter before inducing a pop out. A two-out walk put two on base, but Lester retired Jesse Gutierrez on a pop out to escape the inning unscathed.
The PawSox first run came in the third; beginning when PawSox shortstop Alex Prieto hit a high drive to left field that nearly left the yard. The blast ricocheted off the top of the padding and the base of a foot and a half high auxiliary wall, allowing Prieto to come into third base with a stand up triple. The shortstop scored on Ellsbury's groundout. The Bats struck back quickly.
Three straight hits, the last by Jeff Bannon, drove home a run, giving Bannon his fourth RBI of the game. A fielder's choice groundout by Mike Edwards extended the Bats lead to 5-1. PawSox right fielder Brandon Moss made a diving catch in right to help Lester get out of the inning with no further damage.
--Garrett E. Wishall (Special to the Journal)
Posted by Corey Bourassa 
at 10:47 PM to PawSox
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