•KEY TO THE GAME: Luis Terrero’s one-out, bases-loaded ground ball to shortstop Jeff Lowrie was too soft to be turned into a double play. It scored Tike Redman in the 11th inning to cost Pawtucket a chance to move 25 games over .500. That would have tied a franchise record set on Aug. 1, 2000. The PawSox were 47-0 when leading after eight innings. The Tides, who won their seventh game in a row, overcame a 2-0 PawSox lead with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to cost Chris Smith his 10th save. He was the losing pitcher. “We had our best out there and didn’t get it done,” manager Ron Johnson said. “They’re a hot club.”

•HIGHLIGHTS: Who will blink first? As it turned out, Norfolk’s Andy Mitchell, who matched Edgar Martinez first, then Justin Masterson with zeroes through six innings. The PawSox’ Chris Carter led off the seventh with a double, advanced to third on Keith Ginter’s sacrifice and scored on George Kotteras’ fly ball. The PawSox added a run without a hit in the eighth, helped by Mitchell’s error on Sean Danielson’s sacrifice bunt.

•LAB WORK: The Great Masterson Relief Experiment began when he threw a 94-mph fastball past Norfolk’s Redman in a sixth inning that couldn’t have gone better had it been scripted. Masterson, 4-3 as a starter with Boston before being optioned out, relieved Martinez in a scoreless game. Masterson retired all three Tides he faced, struck out Oscar Salazar with his 16th pitch to end the inning, then gave way to Hunter Jones to pitch the seventh. Masterson had an entire half-inning to warm up in the bullpen, the result of his usual role of starting. Masterson will pitch again in relief tomorrow night.

•NO CLOSERS NEED APPLY: Johnson’s simple explanation of why Masterson pitched the sixth inning and wasn’t used to close the game: “We’ve got Papelbon” [in Boston].

•NOTES: Jeff Bailey was optioned back to the PawSox and awaited an open roster spot before being activated today. He is scheduled to appear with the International League team in the All-Star Game against the Pacific Coast League All-Stars in Louisville on Tuesday. … Pitcher Miguel Ascencio (big toe sprain) was reinstated from the seven-day disabled list and sent to Double-A Portland. … The eight innings pitched by Mitchell was a Tides-best this season and the longest outing of his career.

•UP NEXT: The PawSox’ Devern Hansack (4-8, 4.45) faces Chris Waters (2-6, 6.65) in the second of their four-game series tonight at 8.