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Friday, 04 July 2008 |
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By BRENDAN MCGAIR Sports writer PAWTUCKET – It appears knuckleball pitchers are built to last for a long time. Just look at Tim Wakefield, who at 41 years young and now in his 16th big league season is still going strong.
A further testament to Wakefield’s durability: he has made just two trips to the disabled list, once in ’97 with right elbow inflammation and two seasons ago with a stress fracture in his rib cage. With low stats like that, Wakefield has earned the distinction as Boston’s most dependable and reliable starter during his time with the organization.
Down at McCoy Stadium, Charlie Zink, a knuckleball pitcher himself, is also seeing his reputation grow. He has some work to do before he’s mentioned in the same sentence as Wakefield, but Zink has become something of an innings eater.
Zink went the complete game route Thursday night, limiting Syracuse to two singles in a masterful 3-0 win for first-place Pawtucket. Zink becomes the first PawSox to toss a complete game shutout since Jamie Brown turned the trick on Sept. 5, 2004 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Zink needed just 93 pitches (62 strikes) to go along with eight strikeouts and three walks. The only hits he surrendered came in the second and with two down in the ninth.
Ironically, Zink didn’t feel comfortable after his warm-up session. Try selling that to the Chiefs, many of whom didn’t take healthy cuts.
Zink has now gone more than six innings in 11 of his 18 starts. The International League All-Star lowered his ERA to 2.42.
“[Pawtucket pitching coach Rich] Sauveur has been able to get me locked in so I become comfortable repeating my delivery,” said Zink. “I’m just able to throw a lot of strikes, and that forces the opposition to swing early. They don’t want to go deep with a knuckleball coming.”
Zink agrees that being a butterfly pitcher can lead to a long career with minimal trips to the DL.
“I think that’s going to be one of the best things in my career, that I can throw a knuckleball,” said Zink, now in his seventh season in the Red Sox farm system. “I can eat up a lot of innings, and, knock on wood, knuckleballers don’t get hurt because of the less stress.”
Zink retired 15 in a row one point, a streak that started in the fourth before the Chiefs’ Danny Sandoval ended things with a single in the ninth.
PawSox manager Ron Johnson remembers when Zink lost a no-hit bid in the ninth inning when the two worked together in Double-A Portland. “I think tonight’s outing is no question up there,” said Johnson. “He was throwing strikes with the knuckler and getting ahead of hitters.”
Syracuse starter Scott Richmond came close to matching goose eggs with Zink. He allowed just two hits and a single run (on a RBI groundout by Keith Ginter in the fourth) in seven innings. Formerly of the Edmonton Cracker Cats of the Independent League, Richmond struck out eight while walking three.
Ginter provided some insurance in the eighth when he laced a two out, two run single. Jonathan Van Every reached base three times (one hit, two walks).
Shortstop Jed Lowrie endured a brief scare when he fouled a pitch off his ankle in the sixth. After falling to the ground and being attended to by trainer Greg Barajas and Johnson, Lowrie decided to remain in the game.
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EXTRA BASES: As expected, Chris Smith was returned to Pawtucket to make room for Mike Timlin. Johnson said the reliever will arrive in time for tonight’s game. The PawSox will have to make a corresponding move before Smith can be reinstated. … Johnson said he spoke to Terry Francona about how Smith fared in his big league stint “He made a very good impression; Tito doesn’t forget about stuff like that.” … Lehigh Valley, owners of the second-to-worst record in the IL (34-54 before last night’s action), invade McCoy for a two-game holiday set. Kris Benson, formally of the Mets and Orioles, starts for the Iron Pigs tonight against Devern Hansack, who seeks his third straight win. Clay Buchholz gets the nod Saturday. … Red Sox senior advisor and Rhode Island native Jeremy Kapstein will anchor a Red Sox float featuring the World Series trophies as part of the Bristol Fourth of July Parade. ... Last night was the fifth shutout of 2008 for Pawtucket.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 July 2008 )
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