Steven Wright Hard Luck Loser in Loss to Gwinnett at McCoy

PawSox news release…

(Pawtucket, RI) – PawSox starter Steven Wright held a shutout with two outs in the top of the ninth inning before allowing a hard-luck bloop RBI double to Jose Peraza that scored the game’s only run as the Gwinnett Braves defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox, 1-0, on Friday night at McCoy Stadium in front of 5,696 fans in the opener of a three-game series. 

Three Gwinnett pitchers combined on a one-hitter, led by starter Alex White who blanked the PawSox for seven innings.  Reliever Peter Moylan (2-0) tossed a perfect eighth inning and then David Carpenter retired Pawtucket in order in the ninth to record the save.

Wright (2-2), just optioned from Boston on Tuesday, faced the minimum through six innings and was working on a two-hit shutout on only 75 pitches thrown after eight.  He then allowed a leadoff single to Daniel Castro in the ninth and Jose Yepez sacrificed Castro to second base.

After Mallex Smith grounded out to advance Castro to third, Peraza hit a very soft fly ball down the right field line.  Three Pawtucket defenders converged on the ball – Carlos Peguero from right, Allen Craig from first and Sean Coyle from second – but none could catch it and the ball landed just inside the foul line for a game-winning double.

For Wright, the nine-inning complete game was the longest outing for any PawSox pitcher this season.  He did not walk a batter and struck out five, while throwing only 87 pitches (70 strikes).

White did walk four batters in his seven innings for Gwinnett and he struck out three in throwing 104 pitches.  Matt Spring’s fifth-inning single was the only hit that Pawtucket could muster in the game.

Game two of the series is slated for a 6:05pm first pitch on Saturday night.  Right-hander Zeke Spruill (4-2, 4.02) is expected to start for the PawSox while the Braves counter with ace lefty-hander Manny Banuelos (6-2, 2.03).