May 7, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Bowden shines in Pawtucket win
5/7 Cup of Coffee:
Superb Pawtucket pitching once again carried the day, as the PawSox took last night's contest over Toledo by a score of 2-1. Michael Bowden started and pitched 6.2 innings of no-hit ball before an error and a double ended his night. He ended up allowing only 1 unearned run on 1 hit and 4 walks, striking out 2. His ERA now sits at 1.01 on the season. Marcus McBeth (2-0) followed Bowden to the hill and picked up the win after firing a scoreless frame. Daniel Bard entered the game with two outs in the eighth and struck out all 4 Mud Hens he faced to earn his sixth save of 2009, giving him 29 strikeouts in 16.0 innings this season. Angel Chavez went 1 for 3 with a solo home run off Mud Hens starter Dontrelle Willis in the seventh, while Chip Ambres went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles. Dusty Brown knocked in the other Pawtucket run, going 1 for 3 with a walk.
In another tight game that almost got away, Portland prevailed over Binghamton, 4-3. Junichi Tazawa (3-2) pitched the first 6.0 frames for the Sea Dogs, allowing 1 earned run on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3 to earn the win. Richie Lentz pitched a rough seventh, allowing an earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks, although he did strike out 2. Bryce Cox went the next 1.2, allowing a run on 3 hits before TJ Large was summoned to record the final out and preserve the win. Three Sea Dogs had two-hit games, led by Aaron Bates, who went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI. Bubba Bell went 2 for 5 with a double and 2 runs scored, while John Otness went 2 for 4.
Salem's game against Kinston was rained out.
Greenville gave up 2 in the ninth and 2 more in the tenth to lose a heartbreaker to Savannah, 6-4. Stolmy Pimentel started and lasted 5.0 innings, scattering 9 hits and a walk to give up only 2 runs (1 earned) while striking out 5. Hunter Strickland (1-3) came on in the sixth and was looking good, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings before the wheels came off with two outs in the ninth. A dropped third strike by Ryan Lavarnway allowed a runner to reach, and a walk and 2 singles later the score was tied. A walk-off 2-run home run by Savannah's Jefry Marte sealed the loss for Greenville. Strickland ended up going 4.1, giving up 4 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and a walk, striking out 4. David Mailman and Zach Gentile both went 2 for 4 for the Drive, while Lavarnway went 1 for 3 with an RBI double.
Player of the Night: Michael Bowden, who took a no-hitter into the seventh and allowed no earned runs in 6.2 innings to lower his ERA to 1.01 on the season in Pawtucket's victory over Toledo.