01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, April 14, 2005

BY DAN HICKLING
Special to the Journal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Sure it took about six days and roughly 22 hours. But that didn't detract from the Pawtucket Red Sox' satisfaction of notching their first victory of the season, a 5-1 resumption of Monday's weather suspended tilt with the Louisville Bats.

And the winning ways didn't stop there. Pawtucket, behind a masterful job by rookie lefthander Abe Alvarez, made it a clean sweep by thumping the Bats in the nightcap, 6-0.

For better or for worse, this was bound to be an historical night for the PawSox. Either they would reach a new franchise low point by losing their sixth straight to start the season, or they would prevail and hand first-year manager Ron Johnson his first win as the Pawtucket skipper.

"You want to be on the (good) side of the column," said Johnson. "Not only for myself, but for these guys, too. They want to feel good about themselves."

Last night there was much to be pleased with.

As play restarted, Pawtucket was leading 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, with Chip Ambres' first homer of the year accounting for all the runs.

Ambers hit his shot off Louisville knuckleballer Jared Fernandez, but the rubber-armed former PawSox hurler defied convention by retaking the mound last night.

Fernandez wound up lasting through the eighth inning, but was touched for two more runs in the fifth, both of them coming home on Shawn Wooten's double.

Boosting the beleaguered PawSox mound corps was swing-man Scott Cassidy, who picked up where starter Tim Kester left off on Monday.

Cassidy (1-0) came through with a clutch, inning-eating performance, going four scoreless frames, giving up just a hit and a walk while striking out six.

But for the PawSox, the best was yet to come.

Alvarez (1-0), making just his second Triple-A appearance, personally saw to that.

Mixing his speeds between 65 and 82 m.p.h., Alvarez allowed just four hits and no walks. He threw just 59 pitches, 43 of them for strikes.

"He was outstanding," said Wooten, who caught the second game. "He kept the ball down. He has a good game plan, and knows exactly what he wants to do."

It was a sharp contrast to his first outing, Apr. 7 in Indianapolis, when he was roughed up for five earned runs.

"I just went out there and tried to be aggressive in the (strike) zone," Alvarez said. "I had to put my last start away, and try to do a better job and get some outs."

Alvarez received a wealth of run support, but the only one he needed came in the first, when Justin Sherrod slugged an RBI double off of starter Tom Shearn (1-1), who was making his first start since 2001.

Sherrod contributed with his arm, too. In the bottom of the third, Sherrod gunned down Louisville's A.J. Zapp at the plate, choking off what would have been the tying run.

The PawSox followed with a run in the fourth, and three more in the fifth, making it 5-0.

Alvarez, was perhaps at his best in the fifth, when he retired the Bats in order, throwing just eight pitches.

"I was just trying to stay with what was (working)," he said. "I had the rhythm, I hit the black, and (got) those guys to swing at my pitches."

The PawSox will wrap up their eight-game sojourn tonight (7:15 p.m.) with veteran RHP Jeremi Gonzalez (0-1, 4.50) set to start against Louisville RHP Elizardo Ramirez (1-0, 0.00). They then return for their home-opener at McCoy on Friday night, when they host the Buffalo Bison.