IronPigs Homer Early In Shutout Win Over PawSox

Pawtucket Red Sox Press Release

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Three Pawtucket Red Sox pitchers, including Brian Johnson and Carson Smith, combined on a three-hit effort, but the Lehigh Valley IronPigs managed a trio of runs and blanked the PawSox, 3-0, on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd at McCoy Stadium.

The IronPigs (74-59) plated two runs in the first inning and limited the PawSox (62-72) to just four hits in the shutout victory in the middle meeting of the three-game set — Pawtucket’s final home series of the season. The crowd of 11,665 is the second largest of the season and marks the 11th sellout of the campaign (compared to just five in 2016). In six of the last seven home Saturday dates, sell-out crowds have packed McCoy Stadium.

Johnson (L, 3-3) settled in after the first inning and ended up spinning seven innings of two-run work, allowing merely two hits and a walk and setting down 20 of the final 21 IronPigs he faced. The southpaw retired 12 consecutive across the first and fifth innings before a line-drive comebacker shot through the box and deflected off his glove for an infield single. Johnson, who’s been clipped by two other line drives this year, was fortunately fine and retired the final eight batters he faced.

Rehabbing Red Sox reliever Carson Smith, in his seventh PawSox appearance as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery, logged a 1-2-3 eighth inning on just 10 pitches. Against the bottom-third of the Lehigh Valley order, he induced a pair of groundouts to third and a flyout to left field. Six of Smith’s seven appearances with the PawSox have been scoreless, including his last four, during which he’s only allowed one hit.

Lehigh Valley starter and control artist Tom Eshelman (W, 9-3), a former second-round pick of the Astros only two years ago, dazzled in seven scoreless innings on just 80 pitches, lowering his Triple-A ERA to 2.37. Workhorse reliever Pedro Beato (S, 29) stamped the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth.

In the top of the first inning, Lehigh Valley No. 3 hitter Cam Perkins launched a two-run homer to left field to prop up the IronPigs to an early 2-0 advantage.

Pawtucket’s best early scoring opportunity came in the second inning, when left fielder Ryan Court tripled off the center-field wall before he was stranded at third. Later in the bottom of the seventh, PawSox right fielder Brian Bogusevic and first baseman Sam Travis singled to place runners at the corners, but Eshelman responded by generating a flyout to right and a groundout back to the mound.

The IronPigs tacked on an insurance tally in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly against PawSox reliever Austin Maddox.

The PawSox conclude this seven-game homestand and three-game weekend series with Lehigh Valley on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. at McCoy Stadium. PawSox right-hander Héctor Velázquez (7-4, 2.39) is scheduled to oppose IronPigs righty Jose Taveras (2-1, 1.86). Radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the PawSox Pre-Game Show at 1:05 p.m.

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.