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May 5, 2007

PawSox fall apart, lose 15-14.

By DAN HICKLING

BUFFALO -- It was the “Mother of all Meltdowns”.

Ready to book a much-needed win, a near certainty considering the hefty eight-run lead they took into the bottom of the ninth, the Pawtucket Red Sox instead, suffered a crushing 15-14 loss to the Buffalo Bisons, before 5,209 at Dunn Tire Park.

It was the resumption of a game suspended due to rain back on Apr. 23, and the first of a double-header, followed by a scheduled seven inning affair.

Buffalo torched PawSox relievers Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen for nine runs in that fateful frame, with Delcarmen (1-2) walking former Red Sox farmhand Mike Rose with the bases loaded, forcing in Ben Francisco with the winning run.

It was just the latest in a long list of heartbreaks and self inflicted wounds suffered by the PawSox, which had lost eight of their previous 10 starts.

This one came at the expense of two of the Sox most highly regarded young arms, beginning with Hansen, who had been called on in the ninth to close out what should have been an easy win.

But Hansen imploded, faced seven Bison hitters, all of whom eventually scored.
He added to his problems botching a fielding attempt, then failing to cover first after a sensational grab by first baseman Jeff Bailey.

Delcarmen inherited the situation, which only worsened as he gave up two hits and a pair of walks.

In the process, former PawSox third baseman Trent Durrington, who had come on to pitch in the bottom of the eighth, wound up being credited with the win.

It was his fifth-ever professional pitching appearance, and second in three days (both against Pawtucket).

And to think that it could have all been so different.

Pawtucket took the field in the bottom of the first clutching the lead given them by Brandon Moss’s three run homer.

The PawSox increased that to 6-0 with a run in the second and two more in the third, when doubles by Jeff Bailey and George Kotteras, sandwiched around a walk to Moss, accounted for the scoring.

But this would not be an easy lead to hold.

Buffalo touched PawSox righty Chris Smith, just up from Double A Portland, for a five spot in the bottom of the third.

The big blow was a two run double by well-traveled Bison catcher Mike Rose.

It took a spectacular running catch by David Murphy in left of a potential gapper by Brad Snyder to keep the tying run from scoring.

But in the top of the fourth, Bailey provided a bit of breathing room by blasting a two-out, two-run homer, his third of the year, which made it 8-5.

The PawSox seemingly blew the contest wide open by plating five runs in the top of the ninth.

But a cave-in of epic proportions was lurking around the corner.


AROUND THE BASES: Smith, who finished last season in the PawSox‘ starting rotation, was sent back to Portland for the start of the season, as part of the Red Sox’ plan to convert him to a reliever…Ellsbury got hits in both ends of the double-header to run his cumulative hitting streak to 17 games (including all 15 games with Portland, this year). He also upped his on-base streak to 27 consecutive games, dating back to Aug. 27, 2006…The PawSox will wrap up their short, two day stay here, this afternoon (1:05 p.m.), with LHP Abe Alvarez (1-3, 6.41) getting the start. He’ll be opposed by Buffalo LHP Jason Stanford (3-0, 2.19).

Posted by Thom Cahir  at 10:46 PM to PawSox | Permalink

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