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Sox game story, Wakefield gets 10th win in 7-4 decision over Jays »
July 12, 2007
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The PawSox returned from their three-day All-Star hiatus in a combative mood.
Which is to say that their batters battled, and their starter, David Pauley did, too.
The result was a healthy 9-5 triumph over the Syracuse Chiefs, before 7,172 at Alliance Bank Stadium.
Joe McEwing (4-for-5) and the suddenly resurgent Alex Prieto (3-for-4) knocked in three runs apiece to pace the 16-hit Pawtucket attack.
“The three days off was good for them,” said PawSox skipper Ron Johnson. “These guys really picked it up.”
Pauley (6-3), who gutted out 5 2/3 innings of five hit ball, hit one trouble spot after another in the early going. Yet he managed to keep the PawSox in a 1-1 tie through three innings.
He battled his way out of one bases loaded jam in the first, the promptly fell into another in the second. But he slipped out of that one with just minimal damage.
“He started focusing, again,” said Prieto, “and threw his stuff. It makes you want to win the game for him.”
Pauley’s mates supplied him with a 5-1 lead in the fourth, with a four run outburst that was highlighted by Joe McEwing’s two run homer.
Bobby Scales and George Kottaras whacked back to back doubles off Chiefs starter Josh Banks (7-6) to get Pawtucket started.
One out later, the hot-hitting Prieto (7 for his last 15) singled in Kottaras, setting the table for McEwing.
The PawSox upped the lead to 7-1 in the sixth, thanks to run scoring hits from Prieto and McEwing.
Syracuse made matters interesting in the seventh, when they scored three runs off reliever Craig Hansen to make it 7-4.
But Pawtucket tacked on two runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
AROUND THE BASES: All three PawSox who played in Wednesday’s Triple-A All Star Game made it back from Albuquerque, including OF Brandon Moss. Moss seemed no worse the wear for having had to answer a 3:45 a.m. wake up call. It may have been the adrenalin rush of having hit a first inning to help the International League take a 7-5 victory that kept him going.
“It was fun,” said Moss. “It was a nice place to play. It kind of spoils you.”
As for his big stage round tripper off Tacoma‘s Justin Lehr, Moss said it was more a product of high altitude and thin air, than raw power.
“In any park in this league,” he said, “that would have been a double.”
PawSox relievers Travis Hughes and Craig Breslow also took part.
As anticipated, highly touted RHP Clay Buchholz (No. 23 on your roster) has joined the PawSox from Double-A Portland, although he will not get his first start until Monday, when Ottawa visits McCoy Stadium. He takes the roster spot of 3B Chad Spann, who was sent down to the Sea Dogs…Also, 1B Jeff Bailey, who has been with Boston the past week, has been sent back and is expected to be in the Pawtucket lineup, tonight.
The PawSox will continue their visit here tonight (7:05 p.m.), when LHP Jon Lester (3-4, 3.62) is set to start against Syracuse RHP Mike MacDonald (2-6, 4.77).
-- DAN HICKLING
Posted by Chris Venditto 
at 10:59 PM to PawSox
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