The Providence Journal

Tom Robinson - PawSox 5, IronPigs 1 - Zink gets the win as PawSox complete sweep

The PawSox held the IronPigs hitless for the first four innings for the second straight night. Charlie Zink (8-2) retired the first 12 batters and allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings while helping the PawSox move into a tie for the top spot in the North Division and the International League.

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The PawSox got the leadoff man on in four of the first seven innings, leading to runs three times. Chris Carter walked to open the second and scored on a two-out double by Bryan Pritz. Jeff Bailey singled to start the sixth. Jed Lowrie doubled into the left-field corner to score Bailey. Carter and Keith Ginter followed Lowrie with singles to push the lead to 3-0. Chad Spann singled to start the seventh and Van Every followed with a two-run homer.


Steven Krasner - Colon goes on DL; Chris Smith is called up from Pawtucket

He was replaced on the roster by Chris Smith, a right-hander called up from Pawtucket. Smith will provide manager Terry Francona with another arm out of the bullpen for three games. It is expected that Smith will be returned to Pawtucket on Saturday, when Daisuke Matsuzaka will be activated for a start at home against St. Louis.

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The Sox extended their player development contract with Single-A Lowell for two more years, through the 2010 season . . . Boston signed Notre Dame right-hander Kyle Weiland, the Sox’ second third-round pick, as well as catcher Christian Vazquez of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy High School, a ninth-round selection.

Kevin Thomas - Dogs' rainout least of Hottovy's concerns; Portland pitcher Tommy Hottovy is still looking for answers to what is causing pain in his arm.

The rainout did not matter to Hottovy. Either way, he was spending his final evening in Portland, for now.

Hottovy, 26, is scheduled to fly out today to visit Dr. James Andrews, the noted sports surgeon, in Birmingham, Ala.

Hottovy, who has been shut down with forearm pain three times since last July, is hoping to find some answers.

"I still have the same (problem) as last year," said Hottovy, who spent a month on the disabled list last season, then all of spring training before he was shut down on May 28 after two starts.

"We thought it was tendinitis last year," Hottovy said. "I did rehab and felt good at the end of the season. The minute I got down to spring training, it came back again.

"Did the MRI and didn't see much. Did the same rehab and now it's back again. There's obviously something else in there besides tendinitis."

Dr. Andrews is perhaps the nation's premier specialist for pitchers and their well-worn arms. He has performed thousands of Tommy John surgeries, transplanting ligaments to damaged elbows.

The surgery typically requires a year of rehabilitation, so just the mention of Andrews' name can evoke concern.



Kevin Thomas - The clicker, Doc, Bowden, lineups

The Tar Heels would lose 5-3, and face an elimination game today vs. LSU.

Red Sox fans have some interest in the game.

The North Carolina catcher is Tim Federowicz, Boston's seventh-round pick in the 2008 draft. Bard and Federowicz played together for one season, in 2006. Bard remembers him as a solid player.

Once the Tar Heels are done, Federowicz can begin negotiating with Boston, and likely head to the Lowell roster.

LSU already quickened negotiations between Boston and another draft pick. LSU scored four ninth-inning runs Tuesday to eliminate Rice 6-5. Rice reliever Bryan Price (who did not pitched Tuesday) is now done and could be in Lowell soon.

Price was the 45th overall pick in the draft - a pick the Red Sox received for "losing" reliever Eric Gagne to free agency.

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Speaking of the Sea Dogs rainout, Portland is not pushing back Michael Bowden's start. He is still scheduled for Thursday's game at Hadlock Field, which is good news for local fans wanting to see the prospect while they can. After Thursday, Portland goes on a week-long road trip.

In case you missed today's story, Sea Dogs pitcher Tommy Hottovy is visiting Dr. James Andrew in Alabama today, to get another opinion on his ailing forearm/elbow ... And lefty Dustin Richardson will be out a few weeks with a sore shoulder (he is shut down a week and then will work his way back).

In Pawtucket, Charlie Zink pitched 7 innings (4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K). His ERA dropped to 2.14 ... Hunter Jones and Jose Vaquedano combined for 2 IP of 1 H, 0 R ... Bryan Pritz hit 2 doubles ... Jed Lowrie also went 2-for-4, and is now at .289.

In Lancaster, Lars Anderson went 2-for-5 (.314) and hit his 8th home run ... Josh Reddick was 3-for-5 (.344).

Dan Goldberg - The Hangar stays House of Horrors

The bad was a 9-8 loss, their third loss in the last four games.

"I'm sick and tired of getting our (butt) kicked in this ballpark," manager Chad Epperson said. "We're supposed to take care of business in our ballpark and we're not doing it."

The JetHawks fell to 17-20 at home.

Epperson said there would be a meeting today to discuss the team's lackluster play at home.

Jones' failures are a compilation of legitimate Hangar complications and a distrust of his ability to get hitters out.

Jones threw a first strike to five of the first seven hitters he faced. Unfortunately for Jones, he also gave up hits to five of those seven, and the JetHawks came to bat trailing, 4-0.

David Willis - Huntzinger delivers dream debut for Spinners

As it turned out, Huntzinger had nothing to worry about.

The starter delivered a professional debut that any pitcher would dream of with seven strikeouts over five innings in the Lowell Spinners' 4-2 victory over the Tri-City ValleyCats on opening day at LeLacheur Park.

"I was thrilled with the way he controlled his emotions," said Lowell manager Gary DiSarcina. "I know he tends to get a little excited. But he stays in control and he was very effective."

The 19-year-old Huntzinger's debut was a whole year in the making.

In his senior season at Pendleton Heights (Ind.) High, the righty finished 7-0 and allowed only one earned run and struck out 88 over 43 innings. But, after receiving little attention from pro scouts, he assumed he was headed for college and signed on with Indiana University.

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Huntzinger left no doubt it was his day from the first pitch. After the first batter grounded out, he struck out the next four batters, all swinging. He didn't allow a hit until the fourth, and allowed only three in his outing. His best pitch was his fastball, which was regularly in the mid-90s.

"My fastball was good," he said. "I was getting a lot of swings and misses and a lot of foul balls. I threw a few good sliders. I really had some adrenaline going."

His manager was just as impressed.

Greenville Drive's Jones has RBI in All-Star Game

Greenville Drive first baseman Michael Jones was 1-for-3 with an RBI, but the Southern Division lost 13-4 to its Northern counterparts in the South Atlantic League all-star game on Tuesday in Greensboro, N.C.

The Lowell Sun

Chaz Scoggins - Huntzinger sets tone; Spinners open 2008 season with impressive win

Brock Huntzinger and two relievers combined to hurl a walkless five-hitter with 12 strikeouts, and Kade Keowen's two-run single in the fourth inning proved to be the difference last night as the Lowell Spinners trimmed the Tri-City ValleyCats 4-2 in their 13th New York-Penn League opener in front of another SRO crowd of 5,030 at LeLacheur Park.

Huntzinger, a third-round pick by the Red Sox last spring, pitched the first five innings, striking out seven to post his first professional victory.

Hunter Strickland pitched the next three innings, and Seth Garrison pitched the ninth, striking out two to collect his first professional save.

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The Spinners scored right away against ValleyCats starter Robert Bono. Ryan Dent led off the bottom of the first with a single, then stole second and took third when catcher Reinaldo Pestana threw the ball into center field for an error.

Ronald Bermudez brought Dent home with a groundout.

The Spinners made it 4-0 with three more runs in the fourth after Carlos Fernandez-Oliva led off with his second double of the game.

Fernandez-Oliva, who hit .307 for the Spinners last year and finished tied for fourth in the NY-PL with 82 hits, had three hits last night.

Now learning to play first base, Fernandez-Oliva was unable to compete for a spot on a full-season team because he broke his wrist during the winter.

"The kid can hit," said DiSarcina.

Fernandez-Oliva moved to third on third baseman Ebert Rosario's error and then scored when Bono made a wild throw while trying to pick Darren Blocker off first base. Mitch Dening singled and took second on the throw from the outfielder, and Keowen bounced a single up the middle for two more runs.

Keith Groller - Knuckleballer Zink silences IronPigs' bats

Knuckleballer Charlie Zink tormented the local club for seven innings and Jonathan Van Every continued his ''everyday'' torture with a two-run home run as Pawtucket completed its second four-game sweep between the teams this season with a 5-1 win at Coca-Cola Park.

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The 'Pigs will do better if they don't have to see Van Every, whose home run was his third of the series and fourth against the 'Pigs this season. He is now 11-for-30 with nine RBIs against Lehigh Valley.

Three other Red Sox knocked in single runs in a 10-hit attack.