# Ramiro Pena walks.
# Austin Jackson strikes out swinging. Ramiro Pena steals (1) 2nd base.
# Chris Malec hit by pitch.
# Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Carlos Mendoza replaces Chris Malec.
# Colin Curtis singles on a ground ball to shortstop Iggy Suarez. Ramiro Pena to 3rd. Carlos Mendoza to 2nd.
# P. J. Pilittere pops out to shortstop Iggy Suarez.
# Francisco Cervelli hit by pitch. Ramiro Pena scores. Carlos Mendoza to 3rd. Colin Curtis to 2nd.

* Kevin Russo strikes out swinging.
* Reegie Corona flies out to left fielder Zachary Daeges.
* Ramiro Pena singles on a fly ball to left fielder Zachary Daeges.
* Austin Jackson walks. Ramiro Pena to 2nd.
* Carlos Mendoza walks. Ramiro Pena to 3rd. Austin Jackson to 2nd.
* Colin Curtis walks. Ramiro Pena scores. Austin Jackson to 3rd. Carlos Mendoza to 2nd.
* P. J. Pilittere flies out to right fielder Mickey Hall.

Is Bowden throwing in relief a sign of things to come in Boston?

The Pawtucket Red Sox have counted on Jon Switzer to get them out of their toughest situations for the last month. The Boston organization may very well be counting on Adam Mills in the future.

In the fourth inning of last night’s game, however, Mills and Switzer could not handle the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, who opened up a four-run lead on the way to a 6-4 win in Game Three of the International League semifinals.

Mills, the 53rd player to appear in a PawSox uniform this season, was called on to fill out the playoff rotation and make a start with the series lead on the line. He struggled, allowing five hits and five runs (four earned) while striking out three in 3 1/3 innings. He also made a costly wild pickoff throw.

“It was a great opportunity and it will be an invaluable experience to him next year,” PawSox manager Ron Johnson said. “He kept his composure well. He’s a kid who just signed last year.

“We’re in the business of development. Tonight will be very good to him next year.”

Mills could not get through four innings and Switzer got into trouble on his fourth pitch, allowing the Yankees to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and move within a win of ending the PawSox season.

The Yankees led from the first inning on. Mills, who is still looking for his first win above Single A, allowed three runs in the first two innings. After the PawSox closed to 3-2, Mills and Switzer combined to give up three more runs in the fourth.

Shelley Duncan and Ben Broussard opened the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles. After Duncan was thrown out at the plate on Matt Carson’s ground ball, Johnson called on the lefty Switzer to face Eric Duncan.

The Portland Sea Dogs took the lead three times and lost it every time.

The Trenton Thunder took their only lead in the ninth and it held up.

Trenton took advantage of wild Portland pitching to beat the Sea Dogs 5-4 Friday night before 4,631 at Hadlock Field.

The win gave Trenton a three-game sweep of the Sea Dogs in the Eastern League Northern Division series. The Thunder will defend their league title in next week's championship series against Akron or Bowie.

Portland is finished, losing all three playoff games by one run.

"That's kind of tough to take," said outfielder Mickey Hall, who homered in the second inning. "But they got it done when they needed to."

The Sea Dogs led 4-3 after seven innings. But Trenton tied it in the eighth on a bases-loaded hit batter, then went ahead in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk.

Trenton got superb relief pitching. Kevin Whelan finished the game with three scoreless innings (seven strikeouts).

"They can pitch and they know how to handle a lead," Sea Dogs Manager Arnie Beyeler said. "We knew if we had a lead after seven innings, we had a chance. And we did."

Portland jumped on Trenton starter Jason Jones for two runs in the first on doubles by Jorge Jimenez, Ryan Khoury and Aaron Bates.

But Portland starter Ryne Lawson has struggled with command in his last four starts (14 walks). After a leadoff walk in the second, he gave up a Colin Curtis triple over the reach of Josh Reddick in center field. Curtis scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Hall gave Portland the lead back with a two-out, full-count blast into the right-field pavilion (fourth row).

But Curtis (4 for 4) led off the fourth with a double, advanced on a single and scored on a 6-4-3 double play to make it 3-3.

Mike James relieved Lawson in the fifth and retired nine of the 10 batters he faced.

The Tri-City ValleyCats scored two runs in the sixth inning to tie the game and scored again in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the Lowell Spinners, 5-4 in 10 innings Friday night in Troy, New York.

With a playoff spot already clinched, manager Gary DiSarcina continued to rotate his lineup to ensure everyone received playing time prior to the team's September 8 playoff game at LeLacheur Park.

Lowell (40-33) scored first, plating a run in the top of the second inning. After a one-out double by Ricardo Burgos, Will Middlebrooks atoned for a four strikeout performance Thursday night in Oneonta with a two-out, RBI single.

The lead was short lived however, as Tri-City (28-45) received a lead-off home run from David Flores to even the score at one.

The game remained knotted at one until the fourth inning when Lowell responded with a three run outburst. Doubles by Mitch Dening, Middlebrooks and Kade Keowen plated three runs, as the Spinners opened up a 4-1 lead.

After Spinners' starter Yeiper Castillo ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth inning, DiSarcina called upon Stephen Fife to protect the lead. Fife however allowed two inherited runners to score, tying the score at four.

The game would remained tied into extra-innings, as the Spinners struggled against the ValleyCat bullpen. After 3.2 scoreless innings from Fife, Alex Hale came in to start the 10th inning and did not record an out. After lead off man Andrew Simunic reached on a fielding error by centerfield Peter Hissey, Hale intentionally walked the next to batters to load the bases. Flores again made the Spinners pay, lining a single to left field to score Simunic and win the game for the ValleyCats.

Overall Castillo pitched 5.1 innings and was charged with four runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked one, but was victimized by two Tri-City home runs. In 3.2 scoreless innings, Fife struck out six, allowing just three hits.