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August 11, 2007
Syracuse, N.Y.--The Pawtucket Red Sox took advantage of the opportunities that the Syracuse Chiefs gave them in a 6-5 win last night at Alliance Bank Stadium.
A throwing error allowed a potential double-play ball hit by Junior Spivey in the third to plate a pair of runs as the PawSox put together a four-run inning off of Syracuse starter Jeremy Cummings (2-2).
Ed Rogers followed with a double to the right-field corner to score Spivey. George Kottaras, who reached on a walk, scored when Chad Mottola bobbled the ball before trying to cut down Kottaras at the plate.
Kottaras seemed to be pain free, returning to the lineup from a knee injury.
Spivey put the PawSox on the board in the second when he singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rogers.
Jed Lowrie caught Syracuse reliever Jamie Vermilyea napping as he stole second in the fourth inning after he singled to left. Vermilyea’s throw to second sailed into centerfield. Lowrie advanced to third and scored when Brandon Moss reached on a fielder’s choice after another botched double-play attempt by Syracuse.
While Syracuse was throwing the ball around on defense, the Chiefs managed to squeeze out four runs on the PawSox knuckleballer Charlie Zink (2-1).
Russ Adams doubled and scored in the first while John Hattig homered to left in the second inning. Adams walked and scored on Kevin Barkers double in the third while Barker walked and scored on Chad Mottola’s two-out single in the fifth.
Abe Alvarez saw his first action since coming off the disabled list. Alvarez relieved Zink in the seventh and issued a walk and a strikeout.
Bryan Corey came on in the eighth and after striking out Mottola gave up a single to Hattig and a double to Robinson Diaz. With one out and runners on second and third PawSox manager Ron Johnson gave the ball to Javier Lopez.
Jacob Ellsbury made a great diving catch of a ball off the bat of John-Ford Griffin. Hattig scored on the sacrifice fly that pulled Syracuse to within a run, but Lopez managed to strikeout Wayne Lydon to end the threat.
Travis Hughes pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save of the season.
Note--
Pawtucket sends Clay Buchholz (RHP 0-1, 3.20 ERA) to the mound tonight to face Josh Banks (RHP 10-8, 4.62) for Syracuse.
Spivey was hit by a Lee Gronkiewicz fastball on his upper left arm in the eighth after Syracuse catcher Robinson Diaz was hit by Zink in the sixth.
Jacoby Ellsbury singled in the sixth to extend his hitting steak to eight games. Brandon Moss singled and scored in the four-run third inning to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Bobby Kielty extended his hit streak to four games with a single in the third.
Former major leaguer Fred McGriff was at the game as he was inducted to the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame. After talking about how it was an honor to play at Fenway even when the fans got on him, he offered his batting advice against a knuckleball like Zink. "Knuckleballers can be tough," McGriff said. "With kunkleballers like Tim Wakefield and Charlie Zink you have to go after the first pitch. Wakefield always tries to just get the first pitch over and then his pitches improved. With Zink I think I would definitely swing at the first pitch."
--ED GONSER, Special to the Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto 
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