Soggy PawSox Lose 5-Inning Game
Knights drop PawSox in 5 inning game
The weather stole the show Thursday night at McCoy Stadium, as the game was called after five innings when a thunderstorm rendered the field unplayable. Trailing 3-1 when the umpires halted play, the PawSox had to settle for a split of their four-game series with the Charlotte Knights and a 5-3 record for the homestand.
After last night's game ended 1-0 in favor of the PawSox, pitchers for both teams came out strong again tonight. Charlotte's Dan Hudson (7-2) allowed just two hits in his five innings of work, giving up a run only when Aaron Bates drove a double into the left-field corner to score Lars Anderson from first in the fourth.
On the other side, Adam Mills (1-4) danced a high-wire act from the beginning. After retiring the Knights in order in the first, he loaded the bases on a walk, a double, and a hit batsman with one out in the second before inducing a popup and a fly to center to escape unscathed. In the third, he allowed two singles before getting Josh Kroeger to pop up and striking out Tyler Flowers looking to end the threat.
The fourth inning proved to be Mills's undoing, though, as three singles again loaded the bases with one out. Buck Coats grounded a ball up the middle, where PawSox shortstop Angel Sanchez gloved it on the run and tried to shovel to second to start an inning-ending double play. The ball slipped away for an error, though, letting one run in, and after a sac fly from Luis Rodriguez and a single from Dayan Viciedo, Charlotte held a 3-0 lead.
Though the PawSox got one run back in the fourth as the rain started to fall and got Ryan Kalish to third with two outs in the fifth, the lead proved insurmountable before the weather took over.
The sound of thunder grew steadily louder during the last innings, and a delay became a question of when and not if. The umpires kept play going through a downpour in the fourth and several lightning bolts in the fifth to make the game official, but the result was that the field was drenched before the grounds crew could get the tarp fully unrolled.
The tarp came off after a 44-minute delay, but the umpires declared the field unplayable and called the game after five innings.
The PawSox are back in action Thursday night as they begin a four-game series on the road against the Louisville Bats. Kris Johnson (3-3, 3.83) is set to take the mound against Matt Klinker (0-1, 6.00).
