By Josh Cook
Six Louisville pitchers limited Pawtucket to four hits in a 3-1 Bats' victory Sunday afternoon.
Starter Ben Jukich gave up three hits and one earned run over 4 1/3 innings before five relievers combined to hold the Red Sox to one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings.
Meanwhile Drew Sutton went 2-for-3 with one run scored to lead Louisville's nine-hit attack and run his International League-on-base streak to 31 games.
Louisville (29-35) scored single runs in the first, third and sixth innings to win for the third time in five games.
The Bats led off the game with three consecutive singles - by Sutton, Zack Cozart and Yonder Alonso - off Pawtucket starter Adam Mills (1-5). Alonso's hit scored Sutton.
In the third Cozart reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third on Alonso's double and scored on Wladimir Balentien's sacrifice fly.
Pawtucket (28-36) scored its lone run of the game in the fifth inning on Gustavo Molina's solo homer to pull within 2-1.
Louisville, though, answered in the sixth. Todd Frazier singled with one out, moved to third on Wilkin Castillo's single, then scored on Chris Burke's sacrifice fly.
Carlos Fisher (1-0), who started the season with the Bats had a stint in Cincinnati then returned to Louisville, pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief to pick up his first win of the season. Fisher, who relieved spot-starter Jukich, walked two and struck out one.
Joseph Krebs, Jared Burton, Bill Bray and Jon Adkins came on after Fisher to preserve the victory in spite of combining for five of Louisville's 10 walks allowed. Adkins earned his eighth save of the season to move within one of Louisville's all-time franchise record (39).
Sutton, Cozart and Alonso had two hits apiece.
The Bats and Red Sox meet for the third game of the four-game series at 7:05 p.m. Monday night. It is scheduled to be a battle of lefties as Louisville's Matt Maloney (5-3, 3.10 earned-run average) will take on Kris Johnson (3-5, 4.75).
