Boof Bonser Shines But Bullpen Lets PawSox Down

Rodriguez' Blast dampens PawSox hot homestand

Luis Rodriguez' two-run home run off Chad Paronto in the eighth inning proved to be the game-winner for the Charlotte Knights in front of a soggy 2,884 in attendance at McCoy Stadium Tuesday night.

In a game that was delayed 1:09, Rodriguez turned a 2-1 Pawtucket Red Sox lead into a 3-2 Charlotte Knights lead with a ball that was deposited in the picnic area beyond the wall in right field. With the loss, the Paw Sox have their winning streak snapped at three games.

The Paw Sox starter Boof Bonser (0-2) threw 86 pitches over seven innings allowing one earned run on five hits, zero walks and six strikeouts. With his team leading by a run with a runner on third base and two outs in the seventh inning, the right-hander fooled third baseman Javier Colina with a curveball as he swung and missed to end the top of the seventh inning. The strikeout preserved what was a 2-1 Pawtucket lead at the time.

Charlotte was held hitless for the first two innings before breaking through on Bonser with a run in the top of the third. With runners on first a third, Knights' leadoff hitter Buck Coats lined a ball on which centerfielder Ryan Kalish made a sliding catch. Javier Colina was able to scamper home from third without a throw to take the early 1-0 lead.

Niuman Romero used his first home run of the season to drive home Bubba Bell to give the Paw Sox a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Romero's blast over the 375 foot mark in right-centerfield proved to be the only runs scored by the Paw Sox on the evening and it matches his home run total from all of 2009.

The game marked the first in a Pawtucket Red Sox uniform for the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox organization, outfielder Ryan Kalish. In his AAA debut, Kalish turned in a pair of sliding catches in the field, but he went 0-4 at the plate striking out swinging in the fifth inning and grounding into a double-play in the ninth.

Knights' starter Jeffrey Marquez (4-4) pitched well in his second start of the season against the Paw Sox but wound up with the no decision. Over six innings he allowed just three hits, walked two batters, and struck out three. The one mistake by Marquez was the pitch that went for a two-run home run to Romero.

Erick Threets (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit, to pick up his first win of the season for the Knights.

The series continues Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. with Felix Doubront (0-1, 1.50 ERA) for the Paw Sox taking on Matt Zaleski (4-2, 3.99 ERA) of the Knights in middle game of a three-game series at McCoy Stadium.