PawSox get 4-3 win over Rochester

(WPRI) - For a second consecutive game the Pawtucket Red Sox needed eighth inning offense to secure a victory, and it was Will Middlebrooks’ RBI single that proved to be the game-winner on a crystal clear Sunday night in Pawtucket, RI.

A season-high 10,507 were lured to McCoy Stadium with the promise of post-game fireworks on the agenda, but the baseball game alone proved to be well worth the price of admission. One night after his first-inning grand slam made a mark on Pawtucket’s division title-clinching victory Saturday night, Middlebrooks was the hero in Pawtucket’s 80th victory of the season. He was 0-for-3 in his first three at-bats before providing the heroics that sent the hometown fans home happy.

In his fifth game for the PawSox Alex Wilson earned the no-decision. The only inning in which he ran into trouble was the fourth inning when Rochester tagged him for three runs. After recording outs to the first two batters, Dustin Martin singled and Chase Lambin drove him home with a triple. The next batter was former PawSox Aaron Bates who drove a homerun to left field on a 2-2 pitch to give the Red Wings a 3-2 lead. Wilson finished with three runs in six innings, allowing five hits while striking out six batters.

Randy Williams entered the game to earn the save. He walked Jeff Bailey to begin the inning but faced just three batters in the inning. On a night when Pawtucket set the franchise record for double plays turned in a season, it was fitting that an unassisted double play on a line drive to Lars Anderson accounted for the final two outs of the ballgame.

Jose Iglesias reached base in his first three plate appearances- including a pair of runs scored- and Daniel Nava had a pair of hits to pace the Pawtucket offense that had just enough firepower to send the Red Wings to their 90th loss of the season.

Pawtucket will wrap-up the 2011 regular season in a Labor Day matinee against the Rochester Red Wings. The two teams opened the regular season at McCoy Stadium on April 7 and will end the regular season with the PawSox sending lefty Greg Smith (4-4, 4.64 ERA) to the mound against the Red Wings’ Deinys Suarez (7-13, 5.85 ERA).