9/1 Pawsox Clinch Playoff Berth With Win; Face SWB Yankees
By: Colin Riccobon
Updated: September 2, 2012
Former SWB Yankee and Red Baron Nelson Figueroa (WP, 12-5) threw 8.0 scoreless innings and Dan Butler hit two solo home runs as the Pawtucket Red Sox (78-64) punched their ticket to the International League's post season with a 2-0 shutout win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday night at McCoy Stadium.
Figueroa who pitched in 17 games and made nine starts
with the Yankees earlier this season posting a 7-2 record before getting
released on July 19th made his third start against
his old team and saved his best for last. The right hander held SWB to
four hits over 8.0 innings and did not allow a Yankees base runner past second
base. He walked one and struck out six on the
night.
All the offense the Pawtucket would need came from Butler
who led off the Red Sox sixth inning with a homer off the Yankees second pitcher
of the night Kelvin Perez (1-2) and then hit his second of the night with two
out in the bottom of the seventh inning off SWB reliever Juan
Cedeno.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Chase Whitley was making
just his second start of the season, filling in for Justin Thomas who was one of
six players called up by the New York Yankees on the first day that Major League
roster were expanded to 40 players. Whitley was out standing over
his 4.0 innings of work allowing two hits and no runs. The right hander on a pitch
count finished the night with 47 pitches, 30 for strikes.
The Yankees continue the final four game series of 2012
on Sunday night at Mc Coy Stadium against the Pawtucket Red Sox with a 6:05 PM
first pitch. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher for the
third game of the four game series.
