The Providence Journal


Patrick Janssen - PawSox 8, Braves 5 - Sixth-inning rally makes a winner of Pauley

After Richmond sent nine batters to the plate and scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The PawSox responded with five runs in the top of the sixth. The PawSox put just two balls on the outfield grass in the inning but received the aid of four walks, including three with the bases loaded.

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With the exception of the fifth inning, PawSox starter David Pauley silenced the Richmond bats. Before allowing four runs (two earned) in the Braves’ big inning, Pauley had faced just two batters more than minimum. The 2001 eighth-round pick improved to 11-2 on the season.

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After smoking a double to lead off the fifth inning, Lowrie advanced to third base on a fly ball to put himself 90 feet away from home with one out. What made the play remarkable was that the fly ball was to left field.

Red-hot PawSox down Richmond

The PawSox marched 11 batters to the plate in that decisive frame, and with two outs, received a two-run line single to center by Bobby Kielty and bases-loaded walks to Jed Lowrie, Chris Carter, and Chad Spann.

Pawtucket broke on the board in the top of the second by scoring twice on Dusty Brown’s eighth home run of the season and a two-out RBI single by Jeff Bailey. The visitors added another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to center by Kielty, but the Braves responded with four runs in their half of the frame.

Starting pitcher David Pauley picked up his International League-leading 11th victory in 13 decisions by working the first six innings, striking out four batters and allowing seven hits, three walks, and two earned runs. Pauley also lowered his ERA to 3.38, which is good for seventh in the IL.

Kevin Thomas - No repeat performance; Kris Johnson's scoreless innings streak is snapped and the Sea Dogs lose to Reading, 11-5.

The Sea Dogs had 11 hits but squandered some chances, leaving 11 on base, including eight in scoring position.

Portland scored only two runs through eight innings, on a two-run single in the fourth by Mickey Hall (2 for 3).

The Sea Dogs got three more in the ninth on Tony Granadillo’s two-run homer, his second in two days, and Mark Wagner’s RBI single.

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Sea Dogs pitchers ran up 11 full counts and walked 10. Johnson (7-4) entered the game with a Sea Dogs record of 23 1⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings.

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Johnson left after walking two batters in the fifth. He gave up nine hits and three walks while striking out four, and his ERA climbed from 3.09 to 3.42.

Eric Harding - Beazley, JetHawks find relief in win

Starting pitcher Travis Beazley conquered his first inning troubles, while closer Richie Lentz rebounded from a blown save his last time out, to lead the JetHawks to a 4-3 win over Stockton at The Hangar.

Tied at 3-3 in the ninth, it was Stockton reliever Jared Lansford who struggled, walking three JetHawks. With the bases loaded, shortstop Argenis Diaz drew the game-winning walk that allowed third baseman Zak Farkes to come in to score.

After Lentz recorded two quick outs to start the top of the frame, he struggled with his control, walking the next two batters he faced, but got Matt Sulentic to ground out to first to preserve the 3-3 tie.

But the story was Beazley and his ability to overcome his notorious first inning-woes.

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Daniel Nava continues to impress the Red Sox organization, going 2-for-4 on the day with two RBI.

Willie T. Smith III - Drive's Kalish hitting his stride

Kalish signed with the Red Sox for $600,000, a signing bonus usually received by second-round selections. Because of that, the Commissioner's office held up the signing before sanctioning it.

The delay in his contract meant little work for the outfielder, who played for 2 weeks in the Gulf Coast League.

Although hoping to begin the 2007 campaign with the Drive, he was sent to the Lowell Spinners of the short season New York/Penn League.

Kalish flourished, batting .368 in 23 games. He was named to the league's all-star game and was once the player on the week.

A broken hamate bone in his right wrist ended his season and retarded the start to the 2008 campaign.

After opening the season in extended spring training, Kalish was sent to Greenville.

Rated Boston's seventh-best minor-league prospect, his debut with the Drive was disastrous.

In addition to garnering only one hit in six attempts, he made several miscues defensively.

"I was a deer in headlights," said Kalish. "It was awesome to be on the field, but I was really lost."

Kalish has since rebounded, entering Greenville's today's game at Delmarva with a .282 batting average. He has 3 home runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples and 24 runs batted in.

His defense in both right and center field has been impeccable.




Willie T. Smith III - Ex-Wren star Place has hot June in California

After producing offensive numbers similar to 2007's during the first half of the season, Place appears to have seen the light.

"We are really happy for him," said Red Sox Vice President of Player Personnel Ben Cherington. "Obviously he went through his struggles here in Greenville last year and had to grind it out. He took his lumps. We decided to send him to Lancaster, I think in part to challenge him, but also we thought coming back here to Greenville for another year, in his home town basically, would be a little tough for him.

"We wanted him to experience something else, living a little further away from home. He got off to a tough start again this year but, to his credit, he has really battled, worked really hard and made some adjustments with his swing."

Place entered Sunday with a .254 average. He has 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 17 doubles and 3 triples. He has 80 hits in 315 at-bats.

He has been on fire recently, hitting .320 with 6 home runs, 4 doubles and 19 RBI in June and .375 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI in 5 games in July.

The Lowell Sun

Chaz Scoggins - Spinners humbled

It was a rare poor performance by Lowell pitchers, whose 2.78 staff ERA ranked third in the New York-Penn League going into yesterday. Starter Drake Britton and Hunter Strickland were both banged around hard for all 11 runs, and all six hits Strickland allowed were for extra bases.

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Only Mitch Dening, the fifth-leading hitter in the NY-PL, has been consistent. Dening had two of the four Lowell hits yesterday to raise his average to .373 and has a six-game hitting streak. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games at a .439 clip (18-for-41) with seven multiple-hit games.