PawSox Come Out With A Loss

PawSox Bats Silent, Louisville Wins 3-1

Pawtucket Red Sox starter Adam Mills (1-5) surrendered hits to the first three batters of the game and the Louisville Bats never looked back from the early 1-0 lead.

With a run in the first inning and insurance runs in the third and sixth innings, the Bats scored all the runs they needed in support of lefty starter Ben Jukich (2-3). Jukich went 4.1 innings, scattering three hits and three walks en route to surrendering one run in front of 7,004 fans on an overcast afternoon in Pawtucket, R.I.

Because Jukich was unable to pitch through the fifth inning, the pitcher of record for the Bats was reliever Carlos Fisher (1-0) who pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. Jon Adkins loaded the bases with two outs, but pitched a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 3-1 lead and record his eighth save of the season.

The lone run scored by the PawSox on the afternoon was a blast off the bat of catcher Gustavo Molina for his second of the season. Molina's monster home run carried over the PawSox bullpen, over the advertisements beyond the bullpen, and out of McCoy Stadium entirely- landing in the adjacent parking lot beyond left field. Molina's only two home runs of the season have come off left-handers and he is now 6 for 16 on the season against southpaws.

After a rocky start, Mills settled down as he pitched deeper into the ballgame. Over six innings the PawSox starter allowed three runs on nine hits and neither struck-out nor walked a Louisville batter.

Making his 2010 was relief pitcher Robert Coello who was the first man out of the bullpen for the PawSox. Coello, who pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for Pawtucket in 2009, allowed three walks and struck out four batters in three hitless innings of work in relief of the starter Mills.

On the game, the PawSox mustered just four hits against the Bats' pitching staff. Along with Molina's home run, Bubba Bell went 2-for-4, and leadoff hitter Niuman Romero chipped in with a double in the fifth inning. The series continues Monday at 7:05 p.m. with Kris Johnson (3-5, 4.75 ERA) for Pawtucket taking on Matt Maloney (4-3, 3.55 ERA) of the Bats in third game of a four-game series at McCoy Stadium.