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Baseball Today: Tuesday, August 14 »
August 13, 2007
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — When an opponent tries to hand you the game, or even begs you to take it, you might as well go ahead and take them up on their offer.
Last night, the Pawtucket Red Sox, who were the beneficiaries of five Syracuse errors, did just that, in taking a messy extra-inning 8-6 triumph before 7,809 at Alliance Bank Stadium.
Junior Spivey’s two-run double in the top of the 10th inning proved to be the difference in what was a truly bizarre affair.
“It was a good game,” said Spivey, “I was just fortunate to come up with a hit right there. I’d been scuffling at the plate, so that’s a start.”
Spivey’s hit came with one out and the bases loaded off Syracuse reliever Blaine Neal (5-7) and came after the second error of the game by Chiefs first baseman Kevin Barker.
Both errors, including one in the fifth inning, opened the gates for six unearned PawSox runs, helping them to a four-game sweep of their set with the Chiefs.
“It was one of those nights,” said left fielder Bobby Scales. “How many times are you going to see a team make five of them? You’ve got to take advantage of them. When a team gives you that many extra outs, you’ll be disappointed if you didn’t win the game.”
The first frame itself was a matter of get and give back.
Syracuse committed three errors in that inning which the PawSox parlayed into a 2-0 lead.
But the Chiefs replied in their half with a two-out, three-run shot by John-Ford Griffin off Pawtucket starter David Pauley.
In the fourth, Syracuse plated three more runs to expand their lead to 6-2.
But the PawSox got back into the game in the fifth, tallying four times to tie the score, 6-6.
It was Barker’s bobble of a throw from shortstop Sergio Santos that allowed lead off man Jacoby Ellsbury to reach safely.
Two outs later, Ellsbury scored ahead of Bobby Kielty, who slugged a towering home run off Chiefs starter Mike MacDonald, to make it 6-4.
Brandon Moss followed with a single, before Scales deposited a line drive into the left field bullpen.
“There’s no substitute for the two run homer,” said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson, “to get you back into the ballgame.”
A quartet of relievers held Syracuse scoreless for five innings, which bought the PawSox enough time to put together the winning rally.
“I just didn’t want to get too jumpy, right there,” said Spivey. “I didn’t want to hit the ball on the ground. I wanted to get it in the air, and I was able to do that.”
Reliever Lincoln Holdzkom (1-0) earned his first Triple-A win while Travis Hughes closed out the Chiefs in the 10th to pick up his 18th save.
--DAN HICKLING (Special to the Journal)
Posted by Corey Bourassa 
at 11:03 PM to PawSox
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