Cup of Coffee: Pitching paves way for Pawtucket victory

9/13 Cup of Coffee: Zach Stewart pitched 6.0 scoreless innings and the PawSox defeated the Charlotte Knights (CWS), 2-0 for a two-game lead in the International League finals. If the PawSox win tonight, they will secure their first Governors' Cup since 1984. 

Stewart scattered four hits over his 6.0 innings of work, struck out four and walked only one. The PawSox bullpen didn’t even yield a hit to the Knights over the final three innings. Only two men reached base—both on walks from Pedro Beato—but otherwise, Beato, Alex Wilson, and Jose De La Torre combined for three spectacular innings to seal the deal. 

Dan Butler put the PawSox on the board with a solo home run in the second inning. Che-Hsuan Lin added an insurance run in the fifth inning with a double. Butler and Lin each had two hits to lead the Pawtucket offense, and Butler scored both runs. Danny Valencia was the only other Pawtucket batter with a hit. 

The PawSox will go for the sweep at 7:15 p.m. tonight, but in enemy territory. Nelson Figueroa will take the mound tonight for the PawSox. Figueroa was 5-3 with a 3.77 ERA for Pawtucket this season. 

Player of the night: Dan Butler must have been calling for the right pitches considering the collective lines of the Pawtucket pitchers. But Butler's offensive prowess is what made the difference last night. Splitting time between both Portland and Pawtucket, Butler hit a combined .247 with an on-base percentage of .342. 

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