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PawSox Walk-Off Yet Again, 6-5 Over Buffalo

August 5, 2011 - International League (IL) Pawtucket Red Sox

Brett Carroll wasted no time making a name for himself with his new team, and his team wasted no time in lathering their new teammate with a face full of shaving cream as he stood on the field for a post-game interview.

With two outs in the ninth, a 2-2 count and Tony Thomas off on the pitch, the PawSox newcomer flipped a ball into shallow right field that scored Che-Hsuan Lin from third base with the game-tying run, and sent Thomas into a head-first slide into home with the game-winning run.

Carroll still had shaving cream in his hair as he commented on his walk-off heroics in the clubhouse. "I was trying not to do too much and just be simple up at the plate," he said in reflection of his game-winning at-bat. "Thankfully I was able to come up with a chance to win it and came through."

"He's already a part of the team," said manager Arnie Beyeler of his right fielder's debut. "He goes in the middle of the lineup, has good numbers and is a seasoned guy." For Triple-A Nashville this season Carroll played 93 games and was hitting .281 with 15 homeruns and 51 RBI.

In addition to the base hit in the ninth, Carroll knocked in Pawtucket's fourth run of the game with a third-inning infield single deep in the hole to shortstop. He stole second base a few pitches later but was stranded at second base to end the inning.

Carroll, 28, comes over to the Boston Red Sox organization after exercising an opt-out clause in his contract that released him from the Nashville Sounds- the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Carroll has appeared in the major leagues in each of the past five seasons- the first four were with the Florida Marlins.

Though he had appeared in just two games for the Brewers so far 2011, he already feels comfortable with his new clubhouse mates. "These guys have made it warming for me to come to," said Carroll. "And obviously when you can come into a team that's winning it helps and this is one of the best organizations in baseball."

The PawSox have now walk-off victories in three of the last four games to help them maintain their lead in the I.L. Wild Card race and help them keep pace with the I.L. North-leading Lehigh Valley IronPigs who defeated Durham Friday 4-3. Pawtucket trails the division-leader by 1.5 games.

The PawSox led 4-2 entering the sixth inning, but Buffalo's offense took a 5-4 lead with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. A Josh Satin walk was sandwiched between a pair of flyouts to leftfielder Daniel Nava, and that brought Fernando Martinez to the plate with two outs. Martinez' double chased Lin and Carroll to the wall in right center field and was enough to score the fleet-footed Satin who scooted around from first to score without a slide on the relay throw from Nate Spears.

With the score tied 4-4, Pawtucket had an opportunity to break through for some runs in the seventh inning after three consecutive walks to Lin, Spears and Jed Lowrie loaded the bases with one out. With PawSox lefty Lars Anderson stepping-in, Buffalo summoned left-hander Michael O'Connor to battle Pawtucket's first baseman. Anderson grounded into a force out on Lin at home to keep the score 5-4, and Carroll flew out to center field to end the threat with the bases loaded.

PawSox starting pitcher Kevin Millwood was just getting settled in the first inning when Valentino Pascucci turned around a 1-2 pitch for a two-run homerun that landed in the bleachers in right-center field. Millwood had gotten the first two outs of the ballgame before third baseman Josh Satin singled. The powerful built Pascucci got all of his six-foot, six-inch, 268-pound frame into Millwood's fastball and hit a majestic fly that landed several rows up the bleachers.

Millwood went six innings allowing four runs on 99 pitches but did not factor in the decision. Pawtucket is 11-2 on the season in games in which Millwood has started.

Pawtucket responded to Buffalo's two-run first inning with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half. In the first frame Anderson blasted his 12th homerun of the season- his eighth since July 3- that easily cleared the fence and landed over the picnic tables in right center field to tie the game 2-2.

Lowrie played in his fourth game for Pawtucket as part of his left shoulder rehab assignment. Friday night marked the first night he played the entirety of the ballgame though his action came as a designated hitter, not shortstop. He entered the game 3-for-8 in his first three, finished Friday 1-for-3 with a walk and is now hitting .364 in his four games in Triple-A.

The PawSox will host the Buffalo Bisons for the third of four games Saturday night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Pawtucket's starting pitcher in the matchup is Tony Pena Jr. (7-5, 3.83 ERA) and he will be opposed by Buffalo's Pat Misch (6-6, 4.50 ERA).

Saturday will be the final free Youth Clinic of the season sponsored by Citizens Bank in association with ABC-6. From 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. manager Arnie Beyeler, pitching coach Rich Sauveur, hitting coach Chili Davis and a few select players will be on the field at McCoy Stadium to offer youngsters instruction on the game of baseball.

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