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Red Sox pound IronPigs pitchers Benson and Walrond

All Pawtucket starters get at least one hit, one run

By Christian Berg | Of The Morning Call

August 28, 2008

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs jumped out to a quick two-run lead Wednesday against the Pawtucket Red Sox and led by a run after two innings.

The early offense wasn't nearly enough to hold off a hot-hitting Red Sox squad that unloaded on starting pitcher Kris Benson and reliever Les Walrond, racking up 19 hits en route to a 14-4 blowout. Every batter in the Pawtucket lineup had at least one hit and scored at least one run en route to a four-game sweep of Lehigh Valley.

The 'Pigs (53-85) are 1-13 against the Red Sox this season, and the 14 runs allowed are a season high.

Benson, an eight-year major league veteran the Phillies signed hoping he could contribute during a pennant race, struggled mightily after the first inning. He allowed nine hits and eight runs (six earned) in four innings to slip to 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA.

''It was one of those nights,'' IronPigs manager Dave Huppert said of Benson's outing. ''He threw 111 pitches in five innings last outing and maybe it took a little bit out of him, you know? We'll see what happens in five days.''

The 'Pigs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Brandon Watson led off by flaring a single to center and scored when Rich Thompson stroked a line triple into the gap in right center. Mike Cervenak then grounded out to give the 'Pigs a two-run lead.

Pawtucket catcher Dusty Brown led off the top of the second with a single and scored on Gil Velazquez's two-run homer to left to tie the game. Jonathan Van Every followed with a solo shot to center to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

It was the second day in a row that Velazquez and Van Every smacked back-to-back homers.

The 'Pigs stormed back in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead. Brennan King led off with an infield single. Mike Rouse followed with a line single to center and T.J. Bohn's double scored King to make it 3-3. After a Watson popout, Thompson hit an RBI grounder to score Rouse for a 4-3 Lehigh Valley advantage.

Benson walked Jason Lane to start the top of the third and then gave up a line single to right to Chris Carter. David Ross reached on an error by King.

Brown then doubled to left to score Lane and Carter. Keith Ginter then hit a sacrifice fly to score Ross for a 6-4 Pawtucket lead.

In the bottom of the third, Pawtucket starter Edgar Martinez was replaced by reliever Lincoln Holdzkom after he began the inning by walking Oscar Robles and giving up a single to King.

Holdzkom escaped that jam and went on to pitch four scoreless innings.

Benson, meanwhile, gave up two more runs in the top of the fourth, and Pawtucket roughed up Walrond (12/3 IP, 8 hits, 6 earned runs) for three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

cberg@mcall.com

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