Dominquez Hits Pair of Home Runs as PawSox Beat RailRiders

PawSox news release…

(Moosic, PA) – Behind three hits apiece for Christian Vazquez and Chris Marrero, along with two home runs from Chris Dominguez, the Pawtucket Red Sox jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the fifth inning en route to a 9-3 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the opener of a four-game series at PNC Field.

The PawSox (66-59) racked up 13 hits, including six extra-base knocks, over the first five innings. In addition to a combined 6-for-6 effort from Vazquez and Marrero over the first four frames, both batters recorded a double and two RBI.

Pawtucket has won four straight games over the RailRiders (78-48), who hold the best record in Triple-A.

Starter Roenis Elias (9-4) allowed one run on three hits for his team-leading ninth win in his first Triple-A outing since August 5. He struck out five and walked three in his 5.1-inning effort.

Elias has held opposing batters to a .156 batting average over his last four Triple-A appearances. In 13 Triple-A outings since May 18, the lefthander is 9-1 with a 2.96 ERA.

The PawSox scored twice in the first inning against Scranton starter Tyler Webb (3-3) and never looked back.

For the second straight night, Rusney Castillo led off the game with a walk. Two batters later, Vazquez lined a single to left and Marrero flared a base hit to right for his second first-inning RBI single in as many nights.

Allen Craig drove in Vazquez with a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0 Pawtucket.

The PawSox tacked on four more runs in the second inning.

After a Mike Miller double, Dominguez hammered a pitch over the left center field fence for his 10th home run of the season and his second in the last two nights.

Following a Castillo walk and Ryan LaMarre single in the fourth inning, Vazquez drove a two-run double to left field that upped Pawtucket’s lead to 6-0. The next batter, Marrero, singled, but Vazquez was thrown out at home on the play.

Vazquez collected his third straight hit with a single to center in the fourth and this time he scored all the way from first on Marrero’s double to left.

The fifth inning began with a Jantzen Witte ground-rule double to right field, his 29th two-base hit of the season, which tied him for the fourth most in the league.

Dominguez followed with his third home run in two nights, a two-run shot that extended the PawSox advantage to 9-0. Like his home run on Wednesday, Dominguez sent his line drive over the right field wall.

Dominguez’s four RBI set a season high and his multi-home run performance became Pawtucket’s second of the season. Sam Travis also launched two round-trippers on May 15.

Castillo reached base in three of his five plate appearances with two walks. He has eight walks in his last five games, equaling the total number of free passes he earned over his previous 56 games. In August, Castillo is batting .400 with a .456 on-base percentage.

The RailRiders’ bullpen held the PawSox without a baserunner over the contest’s final four frames.

Roman Mendez surrendered two runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of relief.

Joe Kelly closed out the victory with 1.1 scoreless frames. He allowed two singles, while striking out a pair in the ninth inning.

After starting each of the three games in Pawtucket’s previous series in Allentown, the rehabbing Chris Young had the night off.

The PawSox continue their four-game series with the RailRiders tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Pawtucket righthander Sean O’Sullivan (6-6, 4.54) is scheduled to make the start against Scranton righty Luis Severino (7-1, 3.25). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM) and throughout the PawSox radio network begins at 6:35 p.m.

Pawtucket returns home for a four-game homestand on Monday.