PawSox Blank Chiefs Behind Henry Owens

PawSox news release…

(Pawtucket, RI) – Henry Owens delivered six scoreless innings as the Pawtucket Red Sox shut out the Syracuse Chiefs on Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium in the opener of the season’s final road trip.

Owens (9-6) combined with relievers Roman Mendez and Noe Ramirez to fan 11 batters and hold the Chiefs (58-75) to seven hits in Pawtucket’s franchise record-tying 15th shutout of the season.

In addition to directing his three pitchers from behind the plate, Christian Vazquez collected two of the team’s three RBI and picked Matt den Dekker off first base for the final out of the game.

Owens struck out eight and walked one, while limiting Syracuse to five hits in his 97-pitch outing. In his last two Triple-A starts, he has allowed one run in 13 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and two walks. Prior to this two-game stretch, Owens had walked at least two batters in all of his starts since the beginning of the season.

The PawSox (69-63) jumped on the board in the second inning against Chiefs starter Austin Voth (7-8).

Bryce Brentz led off with a triple that was just out of the reach of center fielder Michael Taylor. The next batter, Vazquez, lined a single to center to score Brentz.

Witte and Dominguez followed with singles to load the bases with no outs, but two strikeouts and a lineout got Voth out of further trouble.

After allowing two baserunners over the first three frames, Owens pitched around back-to-back singles in the fourth inning by inducing Pedro Severino to ground into a double play.

Owens then fanned four batters over his final two innings of work, retaining Pawtucket’s 1-0 lead.

Roman Mendez delivered two hitless frames of relief.

Noe Ramirez retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth inning before he surrendered consecutive two-out singles. But he did not have to retire another hitter for his sixth save thanks to Vazquez’s pickoff throw. Vazquez showed off his arm following a 1-1 pitch to the batter Jason Martinson.

The PawSox grabbed their two insurance runs in the top of the eighth. Ryan Lamarre, Brennan Boesch and Brentz each singled to begin the frame. Vazquez and Dominguez then both earned an RBI on groundballs to second base.

Brentz recorded three hits in the victory.

Pawtucket won its eighth straight series opener, while the club also snapped its 10-game losing streak at NBT Bank Stadium that dated to July 2015.

The PawSox continue their four-game series with the Chiefs tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Pawtucket lefthander Brian Johnson (5-5, 3.65) is scheduled to make the start against Syracuse righty Mat Latos (7-7, 3.47). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM) and throughout the PawSox radio network begins at 6:35 p.m.

The PawSox return home on Thursday for the final five games of the 2016 season.