PawSox Belted by Iron Pigs in Pennsylvania

PawSox news release…

ALLENTOWN, Penn. — A night after the Pawtucket Red Sox turned in an explosive offensive performance, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs flipped the script and strolled to a 10-2 win Wednesday at Coca-Cola Park.

The IronPigs (50-29), bolstered by a five-run second inning, scored in each of the first four frames and never looked back to nab their first win in the third meeting of the four-game set with the PawSox (37-39).

Pawtucket right-handed reliever Noe Ramirez delivered three smooth shutout innings with five strikeouts and only one hit (a dropped fly ball ruled a triple). In his last seven appearances, Ramirez has logged 15.2 innings with 15 strikeouts, ceding just two runs during the stretch (a 1.15 ERA).

In the second game of his rehab assignment, Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval (inner ear infection) went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, a walk and a sharp lineout to second.

PawSox designated hitter and three-time MLB All-Star Jhonny Peralta, in his Pawtucket debut after signing a minor-league contract Friday, went 0-for-4 with a groundout to short, a pair of flyouts to center and a strikeout.

PawSox starter Kyle Kendrick (L, 2-5) allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and four walks in two innings in which he used 68 pitches.

Lehigh Valley starter Tom Eshelman (W, 6-2) gave up two runs over six innings filled with seven strikeouts. The 23-year old former second-round pick retired the final seven he faced with four punchouts in that span.

Lehigh Valley punched across a run in the first on a single, walk, fielder’s choice and throwing error.

The Pigs placed runners at second and third with one out in the second and netted another run on a passed ball. Catcher Jorge Alfaro then lashed a three-run home run on a line to left to make it 5-0. Two batters later, first baseman Rhys Hoskins destroyed a solo rocket to left.

The PawSox jumped on the board in the third when shortstop Mike Miller lofted a solo homer to left — just his second long ball of the season — cutting the gap to 6-1.

Lehigh Valley snatched the run back in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly from leadoff man Scott Kingery.

PawSox center fielder and former IronPig Brian Bogusevic laced an opposite-field solo homer to left in the fourth to make it 7-2.

IronPigs left fielder Andrew Pullin pulled a two-run double to right in the fourth, stretching the margin to 9-2. Kingery later chipped in with another sacrifice fly.

Pawtucket concludes its four-game series against Lehigh Valley on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. PawSox right-hander Marcus Walden (6-3, 3.68) is scheduled to oppose IronPigs righty Mark Appel (5-3, 4.95).