•THE HIGHLIGHTS: Joe Thurston was 4-for-5 and scored three times while Jeff Bailey went 3-for-5 with a monster home run off Mike MacDonald in the ninth to cap off the night. Bailey doubled and scored in the sixth.

Sandy Madera blasted a two-run homer to left-center field in the fourth inning off Syracuse journeyman starter Kane Davis that gave the PawSox a 2-1 lead. It was the second homer for Madera since being promoted to Triple-A to replace Brandon Moss. The designated hitter is 6-for-17 with six RBI.

A quality job delivered by the PawSox relievers under a steady rain from the third inning on in Syracuse. Starter Devern Hansack was electric in his second start since coming off the disabled list but was limited to 4 2/3 innings. Abe Alvarez, Eric Hull, Jon Switzer and Bryan Corey went the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits. Alvarez (2-1) earned the win.

Bailey, George Kottaras and Thurston each knocked in a pair of runs. Kottaras was also 3-for-5 for the game.

•KEY TO THE GAME: Pawtucket’s ability to get to Davis in the sixth. PawSox took control when Bailey doubled to left to open the inning. Thurston hit a bloop single to right and George Kottaras followed with a shallow single one of his own to left, scoring Bailey. Thurston later scored on a wild pitch by Davis.

•PROSPECT WATCH: If you have to break out of a hitting slump with a bloop single on a pitch you didn’t even mean to hit, so be it. That’s what PawSox catcher George Kottaras did in the sixth inning, when his check swing fluttered into shallow left. Kottaras entered the game with only one hit in his last 16 at-bats and was hitless in his first two plate appearances last night. Kottaras followed his excuse-me single with a solid shot to right in the eighth and a double to right in the ninth. Kottaras must like Chiefs’ pitching; he’s hitting .462 (6 for 13) against Syracuse.

•THEY SAID IT: “I didn’t mean to swing. I tried to hold up my swing and it hit on the barrel and went over the third baseman. You hit the ball hard sometimes and it gets caught and then you have one like that and it gets you back in [a hitting groove].” Kottaras on his single, the first of three hits in the game for him.

“It was great to see Devern Hansack get back on the mound. Once he got over walking the first guy, his stuff got electric. His slider was real good today. To see him back on the mound was great.” Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson on starting pitcher Devern Hansack.