Red Wings Hold Home Run Derby at PawSox Expense
PawSox news release…
Pawtucket, RI) – The Rochester Red Wings used a six-run second inning followed by Byungho Park’s trio of home runs to salvage the finale of the four-game series as they dispatched the Pawtucket Red Sox, 13-5, in Thursday’s matinee in front of 11,255 fans at McCoy Stadium.
After the PawSox (54-52) began to chip away at Rochester’s early lead, Park put the game out of reach with three blasts (7, 8, 9) in the game’s final four innings.
He led off the sixth inning with a round-tripper that carried over the fence in right center field, pushing the Red Wings’ edge to 7-3.
Park then led off the eighth inning by drilling a pitch over Pawtucket’s bullpen in left field, adding the 10th run of the contest for Rochester (61-46).
For his final trick, Park crushed a three-run home run in the ninth inning over the batter’s eye in center field, extending the Red Wings’ lead to 13-5.
Park’s first two home runs came against William Cuevas, while his final dinger came off of Casey Janssen, part of five Rochester home runs in the game.
The 13 runs were the most surrendered by Pawtucket since July 2, 2014, while the loss snapped the club’s six-game winning streak at home.
Sean O’Sullivan (6-3) began his rehabilitation assignment for the PawSox, sandwiching a pair of scoreless frames around the six-run second inning. The entire second-inning rally came with two outs.
Three line-drive singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with a run already home. Jorge Polanco then lined the fourth single of the frame into right field that put the Red Wings on top, 3-0.
The next batter, Daniel Palka, obliterated a three-run home run (5) over the stands in right center field, extending the Rochester lead to 6-0.
O’Sullivan made his first start for Pawtucket since two brilliant outings on June 20 and 25 that earned him International Player of the Week honors. He struck out four, walked none and allowed four hits in his three innings of work.
The PawSox offense attempted to claw its way back all afternoon long, placing multiple runners on base in six of the final eight innings and scoring a run in five separate frames.
In the second inning, Christian Vazquez and Brennan Boesch delivered back-to-back doubles against Red Wings starter Jason Wheeler (8-2) to put Pawtucket on the board.
The PawSox tacked on another run in the third inning with three singles capped off by Chris Marrero’s two-out RBI knock.
Pawtucket scratched the board again in the fourth inning after Boesch walked, advanced to second on Jantzen Witte’s double and scored on Chris Dominguez’ sacrifice fly.
A run in three straight innings pulled the PawSox within 6-3 before Park’s power display began.
William Cuevas pitched in relief, allowing six runs, all earned, on eight hits, including three home runs, in 5.1 innings pitched.
Two batters after Park’s first home run in the sixth, Logan Schafer hit a two-run shot (3) off Cuevas.
Pawtucket also scored in the sixth and eighth innings, courtesy of two Ryan LaMarre RBI singles.
Eight of the nine batters in the PawSox batting order collected at least one hit.
Pawtucket opens a three-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Wade Boggs, Jim Rice and the late Ben Mondor will be inducted as the inaugural class in the PawSox Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. Pawtucket lefthander Brian Johnson (2-4, 5.25) is scheduled to take the mound against Scranton lefthander Dietrich Enns (4-1, 1.51).
