Pawsox Blank Iron Pigs

PawSox Offense Explodes on IronPigs

The PawSox were outstanding both offensively and on the mound for the second night in a row, and they shut out Lehigh Valley 8-0 to finish this brief homestand with a 4-1 record.

Bobby Coello gave up just three hits, walked one, and struck out nine in 6.1 innings to improve to 2-1 on the year. Aaron Bates hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and the PawSox never looked back.

After Coello retired the side in order-picking up Lars Anderson for a dropped foul pop-up-in the first, the PawSox wasted no time getting into gear against IronPigs starter Ty Taubenheim. Ryan Kalish lashed a fly ball to left that sent John Mayberry, Jr. racing back to make the catch. Taubenheim then lost the plate in walking both Argenis Reyes and Bubba Bell. When he found it again, Bates made him pay with a tremendous drive to left.

Lars Anderson followed that with a double, and it was only after he got caught off second on a grounder back to the pitcher off the bat of Josh Reddick that Taubenheim settled down. He retired the next 12 men in a row before Kalish singled with two outs in the fifth.

Coello attacked the IronPigs' bats right from the start and allowed just two hits while striking out nine in the first five innings. After Andy Tracy's double in the fourth gave Lehigh Valley its first runner in scoring position, Coello struck out Mayberry to end the inning and then struck out the next three in a row to get through the fifth.

Anderson atoned for his earlier error when he speared a low liner off the bat of Chris Duffy then turned and tagged Keoni DeRenne, aboard with a walk to leadoff the sixth, for a double play. Coello gave up a double to Domonic Brown to start the seventh, then was lifted after getting Tracy to pop up. Chad Paronto came on and finished the inning with a grounder to Reyes at third and a strikeout.

Reyes was playing in his first game for the PawSox since being signed from the New Jersey Jackals of the CanAm Independent League. He played 49 games with the Mets in 2008, compiling a .218 average.

The PawSox added a run in their half of the sixth after Bell reached on catcher's interference. Bates walked, and then groundouts by Anderson and Reddick allowed Bell to score and make it 4-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, the PawSox batted around against the IronPigs' bullpen, plating four more runs to blow the game open. Gil Velazquez led off with a triple, and after a walk to Juan Apodaca, Kalish singled in the first run. Reyes walked, and after Bell struck out, an RBI sac fly by Bates and a walk to Anderson that re-loaded the bases chased Ryan Vogelsong from the game.

Oscar Villarreal came on and promptly gave up a bloop double to Reddick. Kalish and Reyes scampered home while the ball bounced around in short center field and the PawSox had their 8-0 margin.

Paronto gave up back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth, but Hulett scooped up Duffy's grounder up the middle, stepped on second, and fired to first to complete a double play and end the inning.

Kason Gabbard came on and gave up a leadoff single to Melvin Dorta in the ninth. Dorta moved to second on a wild pitch, but Gabbard retired the next three in order to close things out. Both teams finished with six hits and one error, but the IronPigs put seven men on with bases on balls while the PawSox walked just one.

This was the first of a five-game home-and-home series between the PawSox and IronPigs, and the only one at McCoy. The teams are off to Lehigh Valley now for four games there, and Adam Mills (2-6, 4.01) takes on J.A. Happ (0-0, 4.50) tomorrow night at 7:05.