The PawSox trail the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees by 1½ games after splitting their two-game series. They split their season series, 8-8, after playing eight games against each other in 12 days. They could meet again in the playoffs in three weeks. It would be the first Triple-A playoff series between Red Sox and Yankees affiliates since the Columbus Clippers swept the PawSox in the 1991 Governors’ Cup series.

Edgar Martinez scattered four hits in six shutout innings and earned his seventh win against two losses. “I was very impressed with Edgar Martinez,” said manager Ron Johnson. “We needed that game tonight. We needed somebody to step up and give us an opportunity.”

First baseman Sandy Madera had two hits, his second being an eighth-inning solo home run just to the left of the 400-foot mark in center field. Jeff Corsaletti had two doubles.

The PawSox infield turned three double plays, and right fielder Sean Danielson threw out a runner at third to end the fifth inning.

Charlie Zink savored his first grand latte in the big leagues Tuesday night with the Boston Red Sox and can’t wait to return for another.

The knuckleballer was back with the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium last night, signing autographs at a table in front of the visitors’ bullpen on Team Poster Night, thanking well-wishers for their encouragement and smiling for photos.

One would never have known that after retiring three All-Stars in order in the first inning the night before, Zink allowed 11 hits and eight runs before Red Sox manager Terry Francona took the ball from him with one out in the fifth.

“The experience was amazing,” he said while scrawling his name on posters, caps, shoes and balls. “I wasn’t that nervous, like I thought I’d be. I was able to compose myself and felt under control the whole time.”

Zink’s major-league debut after seven-plus seasons in the minors was memorable because the Red Sox blew a 10-run first-inning lead and still rallied for a wild 19-17 triumph over the Texas Rangers.

“I look at the bottom line,” Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said. “Charlie went to the big leagues and we won the game, whether it was 19-17 or 2-1. We won the game. Whatever level you want to evaluate it, it worked out good.”

Zink gave himself a shot of confidence when he set second baseman Ian Kinsler, shortstop Michael Young and center fielder Josh Hamilton down in order in the first.

“I was like, gee, I just got out three All-Stars,” he said. “I made it through that and didn’t really think about anything else after that. I just kept doing what I do and throw strikes … same thing I’ve been doing all year.”

Ground balls that found holes and timely Texas hits ultimately did Zink in, but he lost his edge in the bottom of the first while sitting through Boston’s 10-run barrage. He even went into the batting cage twice to throw to stay warm.

“After sitting that long, I didn’t feel like I was in a groove anymore. I just didn’t feel quite as comfortable,” he said.

He gave up a two-run single in the second inning and got out of the third and fourth innings unscathed. The Rangers hit him hard in the fifth, and he threw a wild pitch, the combination leading to his exit.

Kris Johnson kept his credentials as Portland's ace on Wednesday night, pitching the Sea Dogs to a 5-3 victory over the Altoona Curve at Hadlock Field.

Johnson (8-7) gave up six hits, no walks and two runs -- one earned -- while striking out eight over 52/3 innings.

Portland got solo home runs from Mickey Hall, his 10th, and Josh Reddick, his third. Argenis Diaz went 2 for 4, including a two-run single, and Daniel Bard got his fourth save by striking out 4 of 5.

The Sea Dogs (64-57) moved within 81/2 games of first-place Trenton (73-49) in the Eastern League Northern Division. More importantly, Portland remained two games ahead of third-place Binghamton (64-61) and Connecticut (63-60). The top two teams make the playoffs.

Johnson, 23, the 40th overall pick in the 2006 draft from Wichita State, has had some rough outings but has not allowed more than one earned run in his last four starts, lowering his ERA to 3.38.

"He has got back in the groove the last couple times out," Sea Dogs Manager Arnie Beyeler said. "He's (picked up) right where Michael (Bowden) left off. He's been good to watch."

Johnson had three pitches working, starting with a fastball in the low-90s on the corners.

"The control is there with my fastball," Johnson said. "I'm keeping my curveball down. The change-up's down. And I'm getting weak hits, which is what they want."

Johnson carried a shutout through five innings but tired in the sixth, allowing three hits.

Portland never trailed. Hall led off the first with a drive to the bullpen off Derek Hankins (1-9).

In the fourth, Portland loaded the bases on singles by Aaron Bates, Lars Anderson and Mark Wagner. Diaz's single up the middle scored two for a 3-0 lead.

Anderson (.329) and Diaz (.299), two prime prospects, have adapted well since their promotions last month.

Altoona scored twice in the sixth, but Portland added two in the bottom half. Anderson doubled to right-center, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Wagner's sacrifice fly. Reddick then homered to right.

he Lancaster JetHawks keep finding ways to win. Sometimes it’s through homers or clutch hits, and sometimes, like Wednesday night, it’s through pitching. Chris Jones gave up only one run in six innings as the JetHawks made it two wins out of three against Inland Empire, beating the 66ers 6-2. The win keeps Lancaster in first place in the second half. Their magic number to clinch the #1 seed in the Southern Division drops to 13.

Kris Negron opened the game with a solo homer and the JetHawks never trailed. A triple by Luis Exposito led to a run in the second inning and a RBI triple by Michael Jones helped Lancaster plate two in the third as they opened a 4-0 lead.

Lancaster got a much-need strong performance from Jones. The right-hander allowed just one run over six innings for his first quality start since June. Jones scattered just five hits and struck out five to earn his sixth win (6-8). Craig Molldrem and Cody McAllister gave up one run over the final three innings to close out the win.

Terumasa Matsuo entered Wednesday night’s start for the Greenville Drive with a 2-4 record in the friendly confines of Fluor Field.

But Matsuo (5-4) was brilliant on the mound, carrying a no-hitter through 6 1-3 innings, in a 7-3 win over the Lexington Legends. The win pushed Greenville’s winning streak to four games.

“(Terumasa) did a lot of things well tonight. He was able to do a good job as far as keeping the number of guys on base limited, but when they got on base he did a nice job controlling the running game,” Drive manager Kevin Boles said. “He’s very bright and he works hard. He’s a true professional in every sense of the word.”

Matsuo, coming off of a no-decision in which he went seven shutout innings, struck out six while giving up two runs on two hits.

“I think he was outstanding. What (Terumasa) did was put himself in a position to have options in any count,” Drive pitching coach Bob Kipper said.

Leading 1-0, the Drive (24-27) continued to add to their lead in the sixth and seventh innings. Fernandez reached first and advanced to second on a Lexington throwing error, and scored on a two-out double by Zach Penprase. One batter later, Oscar Tejeda hammered the ball over the fence in left-center to give the Drive a 4-0 lead.

The Lowell Spinners made it two straight over the host Williamsport Crosscutters with a 5-2 New York/Penn League win last night at Bowman Field.

The Stedler division-leading Spinners (28-25) snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth when Ryan Dent blooped a one-out single to center, stole second, advanced to third on a catcher's throwing error and scored on a sac-fly by Ronald Bermudez.

Lowell tacked on two more in the sixth, lacing three hits, including a double by Luis Sumoza, RBI single by Ryan Lavarnway, double by Will Middlebrooks and a bases-loaded wild pitch bringing home Lavarnway.

The Crosscutters (26-26) struck back with their only runs in the bottom of the sixth after a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with no outs. A wild pitch and infield hit to the mound made it 3-2.

Lowell got one back in the seventh when Mitch Dening singled up the middle and eventually crossed on a Sumoza sacrifice fly.