PawSox Thrash Rochester, 8-1, Secure Series
August 4, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release
PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Jantzen Witte highlighted a 12-hit offensive outbreak, and William Cuevas and a pair of relievers helped direct the PawSox to a well-rounded 8-1 win over the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd of more than 10,000 at McCoy Stadium.
A night after they walked off with a thrilling win in the series opener on a Brandon Phillips homer, the PawSox (51-59) thumped the Red Wings (49-61) in the middle matchup of the three-game series. Pawtucket bookended its victory with a four-run second inning and four more runs in the eighth.
In his first game back from Double-A Portland, Witte (2-for-4) drove in four runs, supplying a two-run homer in the second and a two-run single in the eighth. Right fielder Aneury Tavarez (2-for-5, 2B) and shortstop Mike Miller (3-for-4, 2 R, RBI) rounded out the offense. In his last 24 games dating back to June 29, Miller is 33-for-82 (.402) - the second-highest average in the International League in that time, behind only White Sox prospect Eloy Jiménez.
Cuevas (W, 8-6) struck out seven in 6.1 innings of one-run ball, while right-handed reliever Matthew Gorst (1.2 IP, 1 H) and southpaw Bobby Poyner (1-2-3 ninth inning) combined on 2.2 shutout stanzas to lock up the victory.
Twins rehabbing starter Aaron Slegers (L, 5-7) yielded three runs in 1.2 innings, and piggybacker Kohl Stewart was touched up for four runs on eight hits and two walks in 5.2 frames.
After toiling away in a nine-pitch at-bat, Pawtucket center fielder Kyle Wren laced a two-run triple into the right-field corner to score catcher Mike Ohlman and Miller. The very next batter, Witte, greeted Rochester reliever Ryne Harper by bashing a two-run homer to left field to make it 4-0.
Rochester finally inched onto the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI single from leadoff man Taylor Motter, trimming the gap to 4-1.
In the last of the eighth inning, Ohlman lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. Miller then sprayed an RBI single to left field, and Witte later bounced a two-strike, two-out, two-run single through the right side to blow open the advantage to 8-1.
The PawSox now conclude their three-game series against Rochester on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. Pawtucket right-hander Justin Haley (5-7, 3.66) is scheduled to oppose Rochester righty Fernando Romero (3-3, 3.06). The game will be televised on myRITV, and radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 1:05 p.m.
Good tickets are available. Fans can visit the McCoy Stadium box office, which is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., and during all home games. Fans can also call (401) 724-7300 or log on to PawSox.com for tickets.
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