Victorino and Middlebrooks Hit Home Runs but PawSox Fall at McCoy
Ken Bell
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Thursday represented both a first and a second for Pawtucket Red Sox right-hander Allen Webster.
Webster suffered his first Triple-A loss while being ejected for the
second time, as the Charlotte Knights hit three home runs in a 10-5 rout
of the PawSox before a crowd of 3,018 at McCoy Stadium.
After Shane Victorino led off the last of the first with a homer in his
first injury-rehabilitation at-bat for Pawtucket, Charlotte tied the
game on Mike McDade's long ball to open the second and tie the game at
1-1.
Two pitches later, Webster hit Josh Phegley with his delivery, drawing a
warning from home plate umpire Adam Hamari. Webster was ejected from a
May 24 outing and subsequently suspended by the International League
after hitting Louisville's Mike Hessman with
a pitch.
A four-pitch walk of Lars Anderson followed, as did another hit batsman,
as Seth Loman took a curve ball off his foot. Webster then surrendered
a grand slam to Steve Tolleson for a 5-1 Charlotte lead.
The next time Tolleson came up, after Dan Butler's sacrifice fly had
drawn the PawSox within 5-2, he was struck off the left shoulder by a
Webster fastball. Hamari immediately ejected Webster, followed by
Pawtucket first baseman Drew Sutton and manager Gary
DiSarcina.
In all, Webster (L, 5-1) was charged with five earned runs on just four
hits in 3 1/3 innings, as his ERA rose from 2.57 to 3.38.
Facing ex-Knight Terry Doyle, who relieved Webster, Charlotte struck for
four more runs on Brent Morel's RBI single and Phegley's three-run
homer in the fifth inning.
Starter Simon Castro (W, 2-6) struck out eight in his six innings,
before lefty Daniel Moskos (S, 1) inherited the big lead for Charlotte.
Moskos allowed homers by rehabbing big leaguer Will Middlebrooks, who
delivered a solo shot, and Dan Butler, who launched
a two-run blast.
Middlebrooks has gone deep twice and driven in six runs in his first
three games with Pawtucket. Sidelined with a back injury, he is
eligible to be activated off Boston's disabled list on Saturday.
In addition to the three early ejections, Pawtucket pitching coach Rich
Sauveur was tossed out by Hamari in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The PawSox are scheduled to conclude their eight-day homestand with Bat
Night on Friday at 7:05 p.m., when Rubby De La Rosa (0-1, 3.51) opposes
Jason Berken (4-5, 3.49). Each of the first 4,000 youngsters 14 and
under will receive a regulation Axis bat.
