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July 25, 2007
TOLEDO, Ohio – Pawtucket’s 12-2 loss to the Mud Hens last night was as ugly as the final score would indicate.
Oh, it was a close, tight, winnable game for the first five innings or so. But the Red Sox wasted scoring opportunities in the middle innings, then saw Toledo blow the game open with four runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh.
“Not much to talk about on this one,” Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said afterwards.
David Murphy gave the PawSox an early lead when he slammed his ninth home run of the season, an opposite-field shot just under the scoreboard in left.
And starter Joel Pineiro, making his first appearance for Pawtucket since the parent club in Boston designated him for assignment July 22, was impressive in his three innings of work. The only baserunner he allowed was Chris Shelton, who walked with one out in the second but was thrown trying to steal second by Kevin Cash.
“Joel Pineiro did a really nice job,” Johnson said. “He got three innings, and his pitch efficiency was good.”
But Devern Hansack picked up for Pineiro and gave up a home run to Andres Torres on the third pitch he threw. Hansack got one out before walking Timo Perez, then throwing one pitch to Jack Hannahan and leaving with a stiff neck.
Edgar Martinez came on and walked Hannahan before giving up a run-scoring single to Shelton.
Pawtucket retied the game in the top of the fifth with an unearned run that scored on the second of Joe McEwing’s four singles on the night, but the Hens pulled away with a four run sixth-inning rally that was fueled by three walks, one by Martinez and two more by Barry Hertzler.
“When you’re in a situation like that in the sixth inning, you’re kind of hoping and holding on,” Johnson said. “You’re hoping to get some kind of break to stay in the game, and we didn’t get it.
“I turned the page on this one right there.”
Things got worse when the Mud Hens scored five more times off Hertzler in the seventh. Hertzler’s line included seven hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings, raising his ERA with the PawSox from 13.81 to 16.31.
Perez led the Mud Hens with five RBI, tying Toledo’s season high, while Torres had three. Thanks to 12 hits and eight walks allowed by Pawtucket pitching every Hen hitter reached base at least once.
After that the only excitement came when Jeff Bailey, who was hit by a Ron Chiavacci curve-ball in the sixth, was hit by a pitch from Eulogio De La Cruz to lead off the eighth. Both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown and order was quickly restored.
The PawSox had won eight of their last 11 games before last night, which Johnson said will allow his team to set aside the lopsided loss.
“You’ve got to push aside games like this anyway because there’s no alternative,” Johnson said. “If you’re going to carry this thing into the next day, what are you going to do?
“We’re going to come out and exchange lineup cards today, and we’re going to play regardless of how well feel about it. So let’s move on.”
NOTES: RHP Curt Schilling will start for the PawSox tonight in Toledo. Schilling is expected to throw approximately 65 pitches, which means he will cover roughly four to five innings.
--JOHN WAGNER (Special to the Journal)
Posted by Corey Bourassa 
at 10:43 PM to PawSox
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