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June 18, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS – Pawtucket opened an eight-game road trip Monday night with a 4-3 loss to the host Indianapolis Indians on a walk-off walk.
Reliever Travis Hughes issued a one-out, bases loaded base on balls to Carlos Maldonado that decided the three-hour contest. The loss negated another excellent start by Nicaraguan right-hander Devern Hansack.
The International West Division-leading Indians (41-28) wasted no time in taking a 1-0 lead. Brian Bixler drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first and came around to score on a double to the gap in right-center by Yurendell de Caster.
The PawSox (31-36) answered with a pair of runs in the second. With one out, Brandon Moss doubled to center. The next batter, Jeff Bailey, hammered the first pitch he saw from Indianapolis starter Sean Burnett over the left field wall.
Matt Kata tied the game at 2-all with two out in the third, drilling a 92mph Hansack fastball over the wall in right for a solo homer.
Josh Sharpless replaced Burnett in the fourth. The right-hander promptly loaded the bases on a double to Moss and walks to Bailey and Michael Tucker. He got out of the fix by striking out Ed Rogers and Chad Spann and retiring Jacoby Ellsbury on a pop fly to third.
Sharpless dodged another bullet in the sixth. With one out, Bailey reached first on a throwing error and took third when Tucker singled off de Caster's glove at first. Rogers tried to squeeze the run home, but de Caster's scoop-and-throw to Maldonado nailed Bailey at home plate. The threat ended when Spann bounced out to second.
Hansack worked his way out of a jam in the bottom of the frame, getting Brad Eldred on an inning-ending pop fly with a runner on third.
In the seventh, Pawtucket went up 3-2. Ellsbury started the inning with base on balls off Mark Corey, the fourth Indianapolis pitcher of the night. Ellsbury promptly took off for second and, with no one covering, Maldonado's throw from home hit the base. As the ball rolled toward the outfield grass, Ellsbury scooted to third. One out later, David Murphy walked and stole second. After striking out Kevin Cash, Corey gave way to Juan Perez. Moss greeted Perez with a base hit up the middle that plated Ellsbury with the go-ahead run.
Hansack turned in his fourth consecutive quality start. Over six innings he struck out six batters, scattering four hits and a walk. Craig Hansen came on in the relief in the seventh and surrendered a game-tying run. Luis Matos stroked a one-out single and took third on a throwing error. Matos went to third on an infield out and scampered home on Hansen's wild pitch to make it 3-3.
After Bryan Corey pitched a scoreless eighth, Hughes started the ninth inning with a walk to Jose Hernandez. One out later, Michael Ryan's line single to right sent Chris Aguila, running for Hernandez, to third. Hughes intentionally walked Luis Ordaz to load the bases, then threw four straight balls to Maldonado to end the game.
Hughes (4-3) suffered the loss while Perez (1-1) earned the victory with two and one-third scoreless frames.
NOTES: No replacement yet for right-hander Manny Delcarmen, who was recalled Sunday by Boston. “We're a man short right now,” said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. “We'll just have to see how it goes.”
Pitching matchups for the rest of the series are David Pauley (4-1) for the Sox against Marty McLeary (4-2) on Tuesday; Jon Lester (1-3) versus Michael Tejera (3-1) for the Indians on Wednesday, and Kason Gabbard (6-2) for Pawtucket against Shane Youman (3-5) Thursday. Wednesday's game is an afternoon contest. The current road trip continues with four games at Louisville, starting Friday.
--PETE CAVA, Special to the Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto 
at 10:19 PM to PawSox
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