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July 15, 2007
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- It’s often said that numbers don’t lie. But they don’t always tell the truth, either.
That was so earlier in the season, when PawSox righthander Devern Hansack owned a lowly 1-6 record although he had clearly pitched better than that.
And it’s still true, even as Hansack has managed to square his record after having helped hurl Pawtucket to an 8-2 trouncing of the Syracuse Chiefs, before 5,110 at Alliance Bank Stadium, last night.
Hansack, who had a sizable group of friends and family on hand, threw 6 2/3 strong innings, allowing just two runs on four hits, to win his fifth straight decision and even his mark at 6-6.
It also allowed the PawSox to emerge from their nine game road swing that included stops in Scranton and Rochester (and an All-Star break to boot) with six wins.
“I had a big crowd of fans,” said Hansack, “so I just tried to put it together and go hard.”
Pawtucket seized a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, when Jeff Bailey and George Kottaras slugged consecutive pitches from Chiefs starter Jeremy Cummings over the right field fence.
Alex Prieto added a run in the third with a solo shot to left.
Meanwhile, with his changeup proving hard to hit, Hansack sailed through the sixth inning, allowing just two base runners, and at one point setting down 11 Chiefs in a row, even as his mates were building a 5-0 lead.
“He’s got outstanding stuff,” said Kottaras, his catcher. “Tonight, he was on. He could throw anything for strikes, anytime he wanted to. He was mixing up his pitches, and didn’t really get into a pattern.”
Hansack lost steam in the seventh, and allowed two runs before giving way to Craig Hansen, who took it home from there.
Pawtucket put the game away with three more runs in the top of the ninth.
AROUND THE BASES: The rabid PawSox faithful who will flock to McCoy Stadium tonight for the Triple-A debut of righthander Clay Buchholz aren’t the only ones the chomping at the bit to see for themselves what the highly touted Bosox pitching prospect can do.
You can count Pawtucket pitching coach Mike Griffin among that number, too.
It will be Griffin’s job to take Buchholz’s abundant talent and buff it up to big league readiness. It‘s a task he‘s eagerly looking forward to tackling.
“Absolutely,” said Griffin, who has tutored the likes of current Red Sox hurlers Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, and Kason Gabbard in his five years with Pawtucket. “We’ve all heard what he’s been doing. It’s no secret. I’m very excited about seeing him pitch. I can hardly wait.”
Griffin’s plan with Buchholz will be a simple one. Don’t mess with success, but be ready with a guiding hand when one is needed.
“Right now,” said Griffin, , “I’ve just to to watch and let him pitch for a couple of times out. He’s had so much success down in (Double-A) Portland, you just have to let the guy go out and pitch. We know he’s got the stuff. We know he’s got everything to pitch at the major league level. I’m going to tell him ‘go do your thing’. Hopefully, there won‘t be a lot to correct.”
Hansack is not the only PawSox on a tear. Kottaras went 8 for his last 17 with 5 RBI and two homers, while raising his batting average 23 points to .219. And Alex Prieto, who had notched only seven hits all year before the road trip comes home with a seven game hitting streak, in which he’s gone 12-for-24, while seeing his average vault from .119 to a more respectable .229. Jacoby Ellsbury, who had been mired in a 1-for-18 slump, finished with two singles. He also added two steals to bulk his total to 26, one off the IL lead…Brandon Moss, who tweaked his groin in Saturday’s tilt, was held out as a precaution, the first game he had missed all year. He is expected to be fine.
Buchholz (NR), who according to Johnson will be held to a three inning/50 pitch limit, will be opposed tonight (7:05 p.m.) by Ottawa LHP Eude Brito (1-5, 7.71).
--DAN HICKLING
Posted by Chris Venditto 
at 9:45 PM to PawSox
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