Sports stats



Pawtucket Back in First Place with 4-0 win over SWB

July 29, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees News Release


Pawtucket, RI - The lead atop the International North Division changed hands once again as the Pawtucket Red Sox (61-48) moved one half game ahead of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (60-48) with a 4-0 shutout on Sunday afternoon in the lone game played in a scheduled two game series at McCoy Stadium.

Over the last 10 days, covering the Yankees recent road trip to Gwinnet, Charlotte and Pawtucket the lead in the division changed hands on five different occasions between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Pawtucket and did again on Sunday following the Paw Sox win.

Billy Buckner (WP, 3-5) who made his first start against SWB since a start with Toledo on July 15, 2010 which he allowed nine earned runs on seven hits in 0.2 innings of work for the Mud Hens was much improved in the afternoon start for the Red Sox on Sunday. Buckner allowed only a bloop single to Chris Dickerson leading off the fourth inning as his lone hit surrendered on the day. He walked one and struck out two over 6.0 shutout innings, lowering his ERA from 5.50 to 4.95.

Mike O'Connor (LP, 2-5) made his 24 appearance and his eighth start for the Yankees allowing three runs over the 5.0 innings he pitched on Sunday. The left hander gave up seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts allowing a single run in the third inning on Jason Repko's leadoff homer and two runs in the fifth inning on a Ryan Lavarnway RBI double and a sacrifice fly from Lars Anderson.

The Paw Sox added an additional run in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo homer from Andy LaRoche off reliever Chase Whitely, the third SWB Yankees pitcher of the afternoon. Manny Delcarmen relieved O'Connor with a scoreless sixth before Whitley took over in the seventh.

Pawtucket's bullpen took over where the starter Buckner had left off handcuffing Yankees hitters. Former SWB Yankee Mark Prior threw a scoreless seventh inning with a strikeout and a walk before turning the ball over to Daniel Bard in the eighth. The right hander who began the season in the Red Sox starting rotation before getting sent to the minors struck out one SWB hitter and pitched a scoreless inning.

The Yankees managed their first hit since the Dickerson single leading off the fourth and only their second of the game with a two out double in the top of the ninth from Jack Cust. Cust picked up the two base hit off of Pawtucket reliever Chris Carpenter, who was down from Boston on a big league assignment.

The venue shifts to Frontier Field in Rochester as the Yankees will host Pawtucket in a two game series with the Red Sox beginning on Monday night with a 7:05 PM first pitch. Right hander John Maine (4-3, 5.90) opens the series for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while right hander Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2, 3.90) is expected to get the start in a MLB rehab for the paw Sox...

• Discuss this story on the International League message board...

International League Stories from July 29, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central