Mills pitches Portland past Altoona

Pawtucket took a 3-1 lead in to the seventh inning, but it was old friend David Pauley who got the last laugh as Norfolk came back to win, 5-3. Randor Bierd started for the Red Sox and left with the lead, going 5.0 innings allowing 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 4. TJ Large entered the game in the sixth and went 1.1 innings total, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk, striking out 1 but taking the loss to fall to 2-1. Hunter Jones went the next 1.2 innings without yielding a run before Marcus McBeth allowed a run on 2 hits and walk in the ninth. Jeff Bailey went 3 for 4 with a double and a run, and Chris Carter continued his hot hitting by swatting home run number 14 on the season, a 2-run shot in the fifth and his only hit in 3 at-bats. Chris Duncan, serving as the Pawtucket DH, went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

Portland too jumped out to an early lead, scoring 4 times in the second and riding a gem by Adam Mills to an 8-1 victory over Altoona. Mills went the first 8.0 innings allowing only 1 unearned run on 5 hits, walking nobody and striking out 8 to earn his tenth win of the season. Ryne Miller closed things out with a scoreless ninth, striking out 2. Ryan Kalish was one of many Sea Dogs to have a good night at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Catcher Juan Apodaca continued his hot hitting as well, going 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. Luis Exposito, who was the DH for Portland, also went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Ryan Khoury rounded out the multi-hit club, going 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Salem also received a solid performance from its starter, but the offense could not back it up as the Red Sox lost to Kinston, 2-0. It was Kyle Weiland who turned in said performance, going 6.0 innings allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 5 but took the loss to fall to 3-9. Jason Rice pitched a scoreless seventh with 2 strikeouts before Robert Coello allowed a single run in the eighth on a home run by Adam Davis. Salem managed only 3 hits in the game, all singles, 1 each in 3 at-bats for Che-Hsuan Lin, David Mailman, and Kris Negron. Lin also walked and stole his twentieth base of the year.

It was a wild one in Greenville, but the Drive did not come out on top, losing to Lexington 10-5. Stolmy Pimentel got the starting nod and went 5.0 innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, 2 of which were home runs, and a walk, striking out 4. Lance McClain (2-2) went the next 2.0 innings and also allowed 3 runs to take the loss. Leandro Marin allowed 4 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks without recording an out before Mitch Herold ended the madness with 2 scoreless innings to finish things. Kade Keowen was responsible for 2 of Greenville's 9 hits, going 2 for 4 with an RBI double, while Casey Kelly collected 2 of his own in 4 trips to the plate. Oscar Tejeda went 1 for 3 with a solo home run, his third of the year, and Zach Gentile went 1 for 3 as well with a walk and a run scored thrown in.

The game in Hudson Valley was a much calmer affair, and one in which Lowell prevailed, 2-1. Jose Alvarez (5-3) started for the Spinners and got the win, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings allowing only 4 hits and 1 walk, striking out 5. His ERA now stands at 1.74. Charle Rosario allowed the only Hudson Valley run, but did manage to hold the lead in his 2.0 innings. Dennis Neuman threw a hitless ninth with a strikeout to earn his fourth save. Ryan Westmoreland kept his hot bat going, gathering 2 hits and a walk in 4 plate appearances. Derrick Gibson also had 2 hits, going 2 for 4 with a run scored and his twentieth steal of 2009, while Drew Hedman drove in both Lowell runs with his double in the sixth.

The GCL Red Sox gave up a 1-run lead in the ninth and lost it in the eleventh, dropping a 4-3 decision to the GCL Orioles. Drake Britton led off the game with a scoreless inning, striking out the side but also allowing 2 hits and a walk. Manny Rivera went the next 4.0 innings and allowed only 1 earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Next up was Kyle Stroup, who also allowed 1 run in his 2.0 innings of work on 2 hits and a walk. He was followed by Justin Erasmus (1-2), who allowed both the game-tying and game-winning runs to take the loss. He went 3.1 innings in all, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Dustin Mercandante got the final 2 outs. The Red Sox managed only 4 hits in the game, equaling their error total, with no hitter collecting more than 1.

A great start by Juan Rodriguez and excellent relief work from Luis Diaz were all the DSL Red Sox needed to down the DSL Cubs, 4-2. Rodriguez went the first 5.0 innings and allowed both Cubs runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 9. Diaz was even better, throwing 4.0 scoreless innings yielding only 1 hit, striking out 4. Javier Gutierrez led the way on offense, going 2 for 2 with a double, a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Dreily Guerrero also had 2 hits, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a steal. Heiker Menses drove in the final Red Sox run, going 1 for 2.

Player of the Night: Adam Mills, who allowed only 1 unearned run on 5 hits, walking nobody and striking out 8 in 8.0 innings to earn his tenth win of the season.

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