Final, 4-2 Chiefs: With the bases loaded and a chance to win the game, Pawtucket catcher Luis Exposito couldn't be the hero.
Exposito grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game, pulling the plug on a ninth inning rally by the home team.
Lars Anderson got things going with a single to left field, followed by Hector Luna with another single, and then repeated with another single by Will Middlebrooks to load the bases with no one out.
Brett Carroll struck out swinging for the first out of the frame, and Exposito ended it with the twin killing.
Credit Syracuse with solid pitching all night, shutting down the Sox in six of the nine innings by not allowing a runner and only allowing two runs in the second and third innings. Brad Peacock picks up his fourth win of the season to improve to 4-1, while Jason Rice takes the loss, falling to 4-5. Josh Wilkie earned his 12th save of the season as well for the Chiefs.
Pawtucket drops to 73-57 with the loss and will now play the next eight games away from McCoy Stadium. The Chiefs move to 59-68.
Mid 9th, 4-2 Chiefs: Royce Ring did his job on the mound, getting Syracuse to go 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, keeping it a 4-2 game.
The highlight of the night for the Sox might be the catch shortstop Jose Iglesias made in the inning, diving to his left and grabbing a line drive off the bat of his counterpart Seth Bynum.
Last chance here for the Sox, with Lars Anderson, Hector Luna and Will Middlebrooks due up in the final frame. Josh Wilkie is on to try and close it out for Syracuse.
End 8th, 4-2 Chiefs: Two ground outs and a fly ball to left field is how the Sox went down in the eighth inning, the sixth time in eight frames Pawtucket has been unproductive at the dish.
Che-Hsuan Lin grounded out to second base, the final out of the night for Garrett Mock, who did not allow a hit or run in 2 1/3 innings of work and struck out two. Left-hander Atahualpa Severino came on to retire Nate Spears on a fly ball to left field and Daniel Nava grounded out to the shortstop, putting away the Sox in the bottom of the eighth.
Royce Ring is now on to pitch for Pawtucket, and the lefty will try to keep it a two-run game.
Mid 8th, 4-2 Chiefs: You can't hit what you can't see, and Sox pitcher Randy Williams is proving that.
With a deceptive delivery that hides the ball until the last possible moment, the left-hander got Matt Antonelli to fly out to center field and then got Jesus Valdez and Tug Hulett to strike out consecutively, keeping it a 4-2 game through 7 1/2.
With the top of the order coming up, this could be the best chance for the Sox to mount a comeback. Getting someone on base might be a good way to do so. Just a suggestion.
End 7th, 4-2 Chiefs: Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Sox just went down 1-2-3.
If you've been paying attention then you know that was the fifth time Pawtucket has failed to get anyone on base and has gone down in order. This time it was a ground out to shortstop by Brett Carroll and back-to-back ground outs to third base by Luis Exposito and Jose Iglesias.
Save for manufacturing a run apiece in the second and third innings, the PawSox have been retired with ease in every other inning tonight and have managed only four hits.
Mid 7th, 4-2 Chiefs: A spry play at first base by Lars Anderson keeps it a 4-2 game after 6 1/2.
With Jeff Frazier standing on second base and two men retired, Roger Bernadina hit a high chopper that Anderson had to wait for as it seemed to hang in the air. The first baseman snagged it with his glove, sprinted and dove toward the bag and tagged it with his leather a half-second before Bernadina got there, ending the inning.
Seventh inning stretch time here at McCoy, where the official attendance is listed at 9,602.
End 6th, 4-2 Chiefs: Once again it's a quick inning for the Sox, who cannot get a runner on base and go in order for the fourth time in six innings.
Garrett Mock took over for Brad Peacock on the bump after Peacock went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out three. He threw 82 pitches, 45 for strikes.
Mock had no trouble with the heart of the PawSox lineup, striking out Lars Anderson and Will Middlebrooks with a fly out by Hector Luna sandwiched in-between.
Southpaw Randy Williams will take over on the rubber for Pawtucket, replacing Jason Rice, who allowed two earned runs in two innings with four hits and a wild pitch.
Mid 6th, 4-2 Chiefs: Seven batters come to the plate in the top of the sixth for Syracuse, who score twice to take a 4-2 lead.
It all began with a one-out single by Roger Bernadina, followed by a walk to Matt Antonelli. Jesus Valdez loaded the bases by singling to right field. With the bases juiced, Tug Hulett drove one to deep center field that Che-Hsuan Lin appeared to have tracked down in front of the warning track, but as he slid to make the catch the ball glanced off his glove and fell in for a hit, scoring Bernadina from third.
With the bases still loaded, Jhonathan Solano hit a pop up that remained on the dirt for an automatic infield fly out. Pawtucket pitcher Jason Rice then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Antonelli to score from third to make it 4-2. Seth Bynum struck out on a full count to end the half inning.
End 5th, 2-2: A quiet inning for the Sox in the fifth, who go down 1-2-3 for the third time tonight.
Che-Hsuan Lin grounded out to the shortstop, Nate Spears hit one up the elevator shaft that was caught behind the plate by catcher Jhonathan Solano, and Daniel Nava hit a fly ball to third which settled into the glove of Matt Antonelli for the final out.
Mid 5th, 2-2: When backed into a corner Jason Rice brought the heat, and it paid off.
The Pawtucket reliever allowed a one-out walk to Jhonathan Solano and an infield hit to Jeff Frazier to put runners on first and second. With two men on and two out, Rice got Chris Marrero, who just entered the game in replacement of Corey Brown, to watch a fastball go by for a strikeout, preventing Syracuse from taking the lead.
Also a quick side note on Ryan Kalish, who has been placed on the 15-day disabled list by Pawtucket. The young outfielder has inflammation in his right trapezius. This has been an injury-plagued 2011 for Kalish.
End 4th, 2-2: Three fly ball outs put the Sox down in order in the bottom of the fourth frame.
Brett Carroll popped out to Peacock for the first out, with the pitcher racing down the third base line and narrowly avoiding a collision with third baseman Matt Antonelli. Luis Exposito flied to the warning track in center field and Jose Iglesias hit a fly ball into foul territory in right field to end the inning.
A few changes to note as well. The deep fly hit by Exposito was caught at the wall by Syracuse center fielder Corey Brown, who pulled up lame after making the catch and exited the game. Jeff Frazier moved from first base to left field, Roger Bernadina shifted from left field to center field, and Chris Marrero entered the game at first base and will bat ninth.
Jason Rice will be the pitcher for the Sox in the top of the fifth, replacing Alex Wilson. In his second start at the Triple-A level, Wilson went four innings, gave up five hits, struck out two, walked four, allowed two earned runs and threw 86 pitches. He will not factor in the decision.
Top 4th, 2-2: Two out hits are money, and the Chiefs just cashed in during the top half of the fourth inning.
Alex Wilson got the first two hitters to ground out harmlessly, but Corey Brown singled to right field, Steve Lombardozzi reached on a bloop single to left field and Roger Bernadina lofted a single to shallow left that scored Brown from second base, then advanced to second on the throw home which was not in time.
It could have been a lot worse for Pawtucket as Matt Antonelli walked to load the bases, but a pop out to second base by Jesus Valdez ended the inning with three runners stranded.
End 3rd, 2-1 Sox: Fans at McCoy Stadium just got to see why Daniel Nava and Lars Anderson are expected to make an impact for Boston in the future.
Nava drilled a two-out double down the right field line, waiting patiently on an off-speed pitch and using his speed to get to second. Anderson followed that up by lashing a single up the middle, keeping his balance and timing a curveball beautifully. The hit scored Nava from second base and gave the Sox a 2-1 lead.
Hector Luna kept the hit parade going with a single that found its way past first and second base, but Will Middlebrooks grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.
Mid 3rd, 1-1: A throwing error by Will Middlebrooks at third base allows Syracuse to tie it up 1-1 in the top of the third.
Steve Lombardozzi started things off with an infield single that second baseman Hector Luna dove to keep on the dirt but couldn't get over to first in time. After a fly ball out, Matt Antonelli earned a walk, then both he and Lombardozzi took off on a double steal. Jesus Valdez then hit a chopper to Middlebrooks at third base, but a bad throw got past Lars Anderson at first base and allowed Lombardozzi to score while Antonelli took third and Valdez reached second.
Alex Wilson shook off the error and got Tug Hulett to fly out to shallow right field and Jhonathan Solano to ground out to shortstop. Jose Iglesias made a great diving play to make the third out on the Chiefs' catcher.
End 2nd, 1-0 Sox: A much more patient approach at the plate allows the PawSox to break the scoreless tie and take a 1-0 lead.
After a soft line drive off the bat of Lars Anderson was snared at second base, Hector Luna rested the bat on his shoulder and watched four wide ones sail by to draw a walk. Will Middlebrooks showed a very good eye in the next at-bat, laying off some tantalizing pitches on the outer half to make it runners at first and second with a full count walk.
A wild pitch by Brad Peacock allowed Luna and Middlebrooks to move up to second and third, and Brett Carroll made the pitcher pay with a hard hit ball to third base that Matt Antonelli dove to keep on the infield but could not make a play on. Luna scampered home on the play to make it 1-0.
After Luis Exposito struck out, Jose Iglesias appeared to earn a walk, but was called out on a close 3-2 pitch that looked to be outside. The near-walk would have set Pawtucket up with the bases loaded and the top of the order up.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: A two-out walk did no damage for Wilson as he worked out of trouble to keep the game scoreless in the top of the second.
After two quick fly outs to right field by Tug Hulett and Jhonathan Solano, Wilson yielded a walk to Seth Bynum and a single by Jeff Frazier that found a hole between Lars Anderson and Hector Luna. With runners on first and second, the ninth hitter Corey Brown struck out on a check swing to end the top half of the inning.
End 1st, 0-0: The Sox go down 1-2-3 pretty quickly in the home half of the first.
Che Hsuan-Lin chased a pitch in the dirt for a strikeout, and despite solid contact from Nate Spears and Daniel Nava, two line drives found the gloves of waiting outfielders for the final two outs.
Chiefs starter Brad Peacock seems to have a lively fastball, buzzing Spears inside with a pitch on a 1-2 count that had the left fielder jumping back. Looks like he's trying to establish the inside part of the plate early.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Despite a leadoff walk on four pitches to Steve Lombardozzi, Alex Wilson settled in and got the next three hitters out with an infield fly, a strikeout, and a foul ball pop out to right field.
Wilson looked a little picky in the first inning, getting to three balls against all but one hitter, but this is only his second start at Triple-A, so you can understand the righty's desire to make sure he doesn't make a mistake to these hitters. We'll see if he settles in going forward.
Pawtucket now gets its turn at the plate.
7:07 p.m. ET: Alex Wilson's first pitch of the night is a fastball inside for a ball, and we're underway tonight at McCoy.
7 p.m. ET: A very nice pregame show included prominent local figures being honored and the mayor bouncing the ceremonial first pitch into the dirt, which is customary with all ceremonial first pitches. As mentioned earlier, Pawtucket honors its 125th anniversary as a city today, and is in full celebratory mode.
The Sox starters are at the edge of the dugout, awaiting to take the field. The first pitch from Alex Wilson is coming shortly.
6:30 p.m. ET: As promised the lineup cards have been turned in. Here is what the order looks like for both clubs.
Syracuse
Steve Lombardozzi, 2B
Roger Bernadina, LF
Matt Antonelli, 3B
Jesus Valdez, RF
Tug Hulett, DH
Jhonatan Solano, C
Seth Bynum, SS
Jeff Frazier, 1B
Corey Brown, CF
Brad Peacock, P
Pawtucket
Che-Hsuan Lin, CF
Nate Spears, LF
Daniel Nava, DH
Lars Anderson, 1B
Hector Luna, 2B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Brett Carroll,RF
Luis Exposito, C
Jose Iglesias, SS
Alex Wilson, P
The one glaring omission for the Sox is the absense of Ryan Kalish, who is still working his way back from a nagging neck injury. Kalish played in Saturday's Futures at Fenway game but gets tonight off with utility man Nate Spears taking over in left field while Che-Hsuan Lin shifts over to center field.
6:05 p.m. ET: It's a beautiful evening here at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, and barring anymore earthquakes we should be set to go for baseball tonight.
There is a sizable crowd mulling around the ballpark, as fans here know this is the final chance they have to see their local nine until September. These same teams will meet again on Wednesday night but will do so in Syracuse as the Sox begin an eight-game road trip, their final road quest of the regular season.
Pawtucket enters this game with a one-game lead in the International League's Eastern Division with only 13 games remaining on the schedule. Lehigh Valley lurks just behind the Sox in the race for the division title and currently leads in the race for the wild card by two games. Syracuse is playing out the string at this point, sitting 13 1/2 games out of first place with a record of 58-68.
Both clubs have taken their hacks in the batting cage and are back in the locker room, changing from shorts and t-shirts into their game uniforms. The starting lineups are expected to be announced shortly.
12 p.m. ET: The PawSox will take the field at McCoy Stadium for the final time this month when they meet the Syracuse Chiefs on Tuesday night.
The Sox will wrap up their August home slate before taking to the road for an eight-game trip. The club does not return to Pawtucket until Sept. 2 for the final four games of the regular season.
On Monday night the Sox earned a 3-2 victory courtesy of a rare two-run home run from Che-Hsuan Lin, the team’s young 22-year-old outfielder from Taiwan. Known more for his defensive work in center field and plate discipline, Lin showed some surprising pop in his bat with his second blast of the season, which broke a 1-1 tie. Tony Pena Jr. started for Pawtucket and earned the win after going 6 2/3 innings.
The Sox go for two straight on Tuesday and will send right-hander Alex Wilson to the hill. Wilson will be making his second start for the Sox after being called up from Double-A Portland on Aug. 16. In his only other appearance in Triple-A, the 6-foot hurler went six innings in an Aug. 18 start against Columbus and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out seven. He did not factor in the decision, a game the Clippers won 7-5.
Going for Syracuse tonight is Brad Peacock, who is 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA in seven starts at the Triple-A level. The 6-foot-1 righty is coming off an impressive seven inning, one-hit performance against the Gwinnett Braves on Aug. 18.
PawSox fans can look forward to seeing a laser show Tuesday night, but not of the variety provided by Dustin Pedroia. That Laser Show is busy playing in Texas tonight, so Pawtucket will employ a postgame laser light show to celebrate the city’s 125th anniversary. Mayor Donald Grebien will be on hand to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
The game’s first pitch from Wilson should leave his hand at 7:05 p.m. ET. Check back here for more updates throughout the day.
