Travis' Walk-Off Hit Splits Doubleheader with Buffalo
April 9, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release
Sam Travis of the Pawtucket Red Sox
(Pawtucket Red Sox)
(Pawtucket, RI) - Sam Travis laced a walk-off single down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh inning to crown a 4-3 PawSox win and split a pair of seven-inning contests on a chilly Saturday afternoon against the Buffalo Bisons before 2,795 fans at McCoy Stadium.
Pawtucket (2-1) banged out 11 hits in game two after falling 3-1 in game one, capping a 24-hour span in which the teams completed its first three games of the season.
The first four hitters in the Pawsox lineup (Josh Rutledge, Marco Hernandez, Christian Vazquez and Sam Travis) went a combined 10-for-15 at the plate in the nightcap.
With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, Rutledge singled against Buffalo reliever Pat McCoy (0-1) and stole second. After Hernandez struck out and Vazquez was intentionally walked, Travis delivered Pawtucket's first walkoff hit of 2016.
The top three in the order also delivered right away as they each collected hits in their first at-bat of the game against Buffalo starter Chad Jenkins.
Josh Rutledge led off the bottom of the first with a double to left. Marco Hernandez followed with a RBI triple just out of the reach of center fielder Darrell Ceciliani near the center field fence. Christian Vazquez then drove home Hernandez with a single to left to put Pawtucket ahead 2-0.
The Bisons (1-2) responded with their only three runs of the game in the second inning. Domonic Brown's, two-out, two-run single against Pawtucket starter Edwin Escobar gave Buffalo a three-run lead.
The PawSox tied the game in the fifth inning on three straight one-out singles by Hernandez, Vazquez and Travis.
Pawtucket pitcher Robby Scott (1-0) stranded a leadoff double in the seventh to wrap up three scoreless, one-hit innings of relief.
In the first game of the afternoon, the Bisons scored a pair of first-inning runs and never looked back from there on their way to their first win of the season.
The second batter of the game, Domonic Brown lined a home run to right field off Pawtucket starter Sean O'Sullivan (0-1) for Buffalo's first run of the season. Then with two outs, Casey Kotchman doubled home Jesus Montero to double Buffalo's lead.
Despite the first-inning blemish, O'Sullivan would allow just two hits and one run over his final six innings of work. He also collected eight strikeouts in his seven-inning complete game. Pawtucket pitchers recorded three complete games in all of 2015.
Buffalo excelled on the mound, only allowing four baserunners in the game-all singles. Starter Scott Diamond (1-0) struck out five in 5.0 innings of work. He allowed his only run when Chris Marrero collected an RBI single on a flyball that Buffalo rightfielder Junior Lake was unable to catch.
Bisons reliever Pat Venditte struck out the side in a perfect eighth inning and David Aardsma recorded his first save of the season with a perfect ninth.
The season-opening four-game series concludes tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 pm with PawSox righthander William Cuevas opposing lefthander Wade LeBlanc, who makes his debut for the Bisons.
Tomorrow will be the initial Family FUNday at McCoy Stadium, highlighted by the first-ever Junior PawSox Announcer. Fans will also be able to run the bases after the game.
Good seats are still available at the McCoy Stadium box office, by calling (401) 724-7300 or by visiting pawsox.com. Radio coverage on 920 AM (WHJJ) and also streaming online begins at 12:35 pm.
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 Sam Travis of the Pawtucket Red Sox |
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