KEY TO THE GAME: In the No-Good-Deed-Goes-Unpunished Dept., knuckleballer Charlie Zink was the beneficiary of the PawSox’ first offensive largesse of the four-game series. He used it through seven innings to pick up his International League-leading 12th victory, then learned that his services were no longer required in the Triple-A All-Star Game, Wednesday at Louisville. “I’d like to go to the game. I’d like to at least be part of the opening ceremonies,” Zink said after surrendering six hits and striking out six before leaving with a 10-1 lead. “But they said no.” The IL said it wanted fresh arms to play against the Pacific Coast League All-Stars, so Zink will have to settle for three days off.

HIGHLIGHTS: Jeff Bailey had two hits and Joe Thurston drove in two runs with a double in an eight-run fifth inning for the PawSox, who broke out of a scoring drought. They had only four runs and 17 hits over the first three games of this four-game series. Yesterday, they had 10 runs and 15 hits.

THEY SAID IT: “This was important to us to go into the All-Star break,” manager Ron Johnson said. “[Saturday] night was the really important game (won 2-1 on Jonathan Van Every’s home run in the 10th inning), but it was important for us tonight to break out.”

NOTES: Bryan Pritz’s trip around the bases in the fifth inning was like a run through a minefield. Pritz reached on a fielder’s choice, then had to leap to avoid having his legs taken off by Sean Danielson’s line-drive single to right field. Pritz reached third on the play, then was almost decapitated by the barrel of Gil Velasquez’ bat on his single to left field. … Nation Annexation? As was the case in Richmond, where the PawSox began this eight-game trip, the occasional cheer in Norfolk broke out: “Let’s go, Red Sox.” Until Sunday, the cheer was shouted down by Tides fans. In yesterday’s blowout, they didn’t bother.

UP NEXT: The PawSox, leading the International League North by four games, take the next three days off for the All-Star break before convening Thursday for a four-game series with Toledo at McCoy Stadium. Edgar Martinez (3-1, 3.93) is expected to pitch for the Sox, whose lineup will be bolstered by David Ortiz as their designated hitter while on a rehabilitation assignment from Boston.