PawSox End Syracuse Series with Walk-Off Win
PawSox news release…
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Deven Marrero looped a full-count offering just fair beyond the first-base bag to score Matt Dominguez and lift the Pawtucket Red Sox to a 2-1 walk-off victory over the Syracuse Chiefs on Thursday afternoon at McCoy Stadium.
“It feels good to support our pitching staff today; they threw great,” Marrero said. “We just battled that last inning, and I got that lucky hit right there and brought in that run. … I was praying, that’s for sure. I hit it, I was like ‘Please fall.’”
Less than 24 hours after their first shutout win of the season, the PawSox (5-3) earned their first walk-off victory to take three of four from Syracuse (1-6).
Pawtucket starting pitcher Brian Johnson spun 6.2 innings of one-run ball and racked up eight strikeouts against just one walk. Johnson, who didn’t miss an outing after taking a comebacker off the head in his last start, has only allowed two runs in 10.2 innings so far with 15 strikeouts.
“I felt great. I got on the same page with [catcher] Dan [Butler] real quick,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I shook him off once the whole game, purposely. It felt great.”
The southpaw didn’t allow his first hit until there were two outs in the third inning.
“He was terrific today,” Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles said. “Command of the fastball, curveball was sharp, cutter, just kept hitters off balance. He was efficient, did a great job. … That’s what we’ve seen in the past.”
PawSox reliever Brandon Workman (1-0) struck out four of the first six he faced and worked 2.1 hitless innings for the win.
“The thing that’s encouraging—the velocity is ticking back with the fastball—but the power to the curveball is what we’re seeing,” Boles said.
Syracuse righty Joe Ross, who started for the Nationals in the postseason in the fall, was sterling over seven innings, allowing just one run with six strikeouts and no walks. Reliever Austin Adams (1-1) allowed the unearned run in the ninth and took the loss.
Marrero, Dominguez and center fielder Rusney Castillo all recorded two-hit days.
The PawSox placed their first baserunner aboard against Ross in the fourth inning when Castillo blooped a single to center.
Syracuse finally broke the scoreless tie in the sixth. Center fielder Rafael Bautista led off with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a line drive RBI single through the box, narrowly missing Johnson, from No. 3 hitter Clint Robinson.
The PawSox tied the game, 1-1, later that inning. With Castillo at second, Dominguez delivered a two-out RBI single into center to plate Castillo just ahead of the throw.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dominguez led off and reached on a throwing error by Chiefs second baseman Brandon Snyder. With two outs, left fielder Junior Lake walked to push Dominguez to second and set the stage for Marrero’s heroics.
The PawSox now welcome the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to McCoy Stadium for a three-game, two-day series that begins Friday at 6:05 p.m. Pawtucket left-hander Henry Owens (0-0, 1.80) will oppose IronPigs righty Ben Lively (1-0, 1.50).
