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IL1 Pawtucket Red Sox

Syracuse Bookends Series with Walk-Off Win in 12 Innings

August 2, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Backed up against the wall and down to their final strike, the Pawtucket Red Sox fought back in the ninth inning and forced extras, only to fall to the Syracuse Chiefs, 5-4, in 12 innings in walk-off fashion Thursday night at NBT Bank Stadium.

For a team that has oozed resiliency, the PawSox (49-59) suffered another heartbreaking loss in the series finale with the Chiefs (46-64). Pawtucket chipped away at a 2-0 deficit in the fifth, tied the game in the ninth, scored in the 10th and 11th innings (with Syracuse matching their runs each time) and yielded a walk-off sacrifice fly to Syracuse in the bottom of the 12th. Thursday's thriller marked Pawtucket's sixth extra-innings game in their last 18 contests. The PawSox have lost nine of their last 10 road games. Seven of those have been decided by one run, six have been walk-off losses, and four have been in extra innings.

In a sidebar that might send the Elias Sports Bureau staggering, Syracuse middle infielder Bengie Gonzalez pitched for the third time in the four-game series and followed up his win in Monday's 13-inning spectacle with another win in Thursday's 12-inning affair.

Pitching prospect Travis Lakins made his Triple-A debut and struck out two of the four batters he faced in 1.1 scoreless innings. The former sixth-round pick from Ohio State used just two pitches to strand two inherited runners in the fifth, then struck out the first two batters he faced in the sixth and erased a single on a caught stealing from catcher Oscar Hernández. Lakins, whose fastball sat 93-95 MPH, converted to a relief role at the end of May, and opponents have hit 8-for-74 against him since.

Pawtucket starter Josh D. Smith struck out six in 4.2 innings of two-run work in which he threw a career-high 97 pitches. Sidearmer Trevor Kelley chipped in with two shutout innings, lowering his Triple-A ERA to 1.65. Marcus Walden pounded 95-96 MPH sinkers all over the zone in the ninth and 10th innings in his best outing since returning from the disabled list. Matthew Gorst (L, 0-1) allowed two unearned runs to score in extras.

PawSox second baseman Iván De Jesús Jr. (2-for-6), center fielder Rusney Castillo (2-for-5) and first baseman Sam Travis (3-for-5) directed a 10-hit effort from the offense.

Syracuse started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single from designated hitter José Marmolejos and a sacrifice fly to right-center field that made it 2-0.

Pawtucket cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning when right fielder Cole Sturgeon rocketed an RBI double to straightaway center to score Travis.

Down to their final strike in the top of the ninth, Pawtucket designated hitter Brandon Phillips worked a two-out walk. Travis then singled to place runners at first and second. That set the stage for left fielder Aneury Tavarez, who blooped a game-tying RBI single to center field, where Nationals uberprospect Victor Robles picked up the ball and rifled to the plate - a shade after the headfirst dive of Phillips.

In the 10th, Pawtucket used a Hernández RBI single past the drawn-in infield to go ahead 3-2. De Jesus then doubled to the right-center wall, but Robles started a dazzling 8-6-2 relay that barely nabbed Hernández at the plate and kept Syracuse within a run. The Chiefs immediately tied the game in the bottom of the 10th on an RBI double, but Walden buckled down and got three straight outs - including two strikeouts - to continue the game.

In the 11th, the PawSox used an RBI fielder's choice from Travis to go ahead again, 4-3. But in the last of the 11th, with Syracuse down to its final out, the wunderkind Robles bounced an RBI single up the middle to level the score once again.

Pawtucket couldn't solve Gonzalez in the top of the 12th, and the Chiefs won in the home half on a sacrifice fly from catcher Pedro Severino.

The PawSox now return home to McCoy Stadium to kick off a three-game series with the Rochester Red Wings on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Pawtucket right-hander William Cuevas (7-6, 3.57) is scheduled to oppose Rochester lefty Stephen Gonsalves (7-3, 3.04). The game will be televised on YurView on COX, and radio coverage on WHJJ (920 AM and 104.7 FM) and throughout the PawSox Radio Network begins with the pre-game show at 6:35 p.m.

The series runs through Sunday, and 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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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.

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