PawSox Beat IronPigs In Matinee Series Finale

Pawtucket Red Sox Press Release

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The Pawtucket Red Sox composed a well-rounded effort Monday afternoon at McCoy Stadium and defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 6-1, to bookend their season-long nine-game homestand with a pair of consecutive wins at the beginning and a pair at the end.

The PawSox (21-27) cracked open a 3-0 lead in the first three innings and added insurance in the fifth and seventh innings to close out the five-game series with the IronPigs (28-21). Following a combined three-hit shutout victory Sunday, Pawtucket only allowed one run on nine hits over the last two games of the series.

Pawtucket starter Chandler Shepherd (W, 3-4) closed out his outstanding month of May by logging seven innings of one-run work. The 25-year old gave up just four hits, struck out six, walked two and only allowed a runner to reach second base in the fourth inning. In five starts in May, Shepherd posted a 2.22 ERA (seven earned runs in 28.1 innings) with 21 strikeouts against just six walks. In four of those five starts, he didn’t allow more than one earned run. As of Sunday morning, the PawSox had only received one start of at least seven innings in their first 46 games. But right-hander William Cuevas dealt seven shutout stanzas on Sunday, setting the stage for Shepherd’s second seven-inning outing of the season.

“I thought he established his fastball early, got his cutter in the mix, used all of his pitches — curveball, change,” Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles said of Shepherd. “He did a really nice job. And he stuck with his mix. He didn’t just become one-dimensional.”

Shepherd made the offseason transition from reliever to starter.

“The process is going great,” Shepherd said. “The routine is something that’s getting instilled in me now, so I think I’m on a good page with that. Now I think it’s just continuing to be a smarter baseball player and working through that lineup that second, third, fourth time.”

PawSox second baseman Tzu-Wei Lin (2-for-5, 2B) recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game, and first baseman Sam Travis (2-for-4, HR, RBI, BB) socked his second home run in his last four games after hitting just two in his first 26 games. Right fielder Cole Sturgeon capped off a strong weekend with two walks and two singles, including a beautiful drag bunt, and shortstop Ivan De Jesus Jr. went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.

Pawtucket left-hander Robby Scott fired a scoreless eighth and lowered his ERA to 1.53, while hard-throwing veteran Ryan Brasier pumped his typical mid-to-high-90s fastball in the ninth to finish off the win.

Lehigh Valley starter Tom Eshelman (L, 1-4), typically a control artist, walked four in two-plus innings and was lifted after surrendering three runs (two earned).

Pawtucket placed runners at second and third with two outs in the first inning, and Lehigh Valley third baseman Mitch Walding committed a throwing error to first, allowing Sturgeon to score from third and lift the PawSox in front, 1-0.

The PawSox tacked on two more in the bottom of the third when center fielder Rusney Castillo stung a two-run double off the left-field wall to score Sturgeon and designated hitter Aneury Tavarez.

Lehigh Valley carved into the deficit in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from Walding that scored center fielder Collin Cowgill, who reached second on an infield single and Pawtucket error.

In the home half of the fifth, Travis pulled a solo homer to left — his second big fly of the homestand — to stretch the lead to 4-1.

Travis led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single up the third-base line and came around to score on an RBI double clubbed by third baseman Mike Olt off the center-field wall. Two batters later, catcher Mike Ohlman vaulted a sacrifice fly into right to score Olt and make it 6-1.

Following the end of this nine-game homestand, the PawSox now hit the road to begin a six-game road trip that starts against the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at Harbor Park. Pawtucket right-hander Justin Haley (1-6, 3.65) is scheduled to oppose Tides righty Tim Melville (5-1, 3.47). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 6:05 p.m.

The PawSox will return home to McCoy Stadium next Tuesday to kick off a six-game homestand that runs June 5-10 (Tuesday-Sunday). Good seats are available, and fans can visit the McCoy Stadium box office, which is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., and during all home games. Fans can also call (401) 724-7300 or log on to PawSox.com for tickets.