RICHMOND, Va. — It may sound odd but one could almost blame Pawtucket’s 2-1 loss last night in Richmond on the Boston Red Sox front office.

Inadvertently at least.

Richmond starter Ryan Baerlocher opened the 2007 spring training in the Boston Red Sox minor league camp but was one of the last cuts before the club headed north. According to Baerlocher, he figured that he would put his business administration degree from Lewis and Clark State to use and sell insurance.

The Boston brass however, made a few phone calls on his behalf and Baerlocher landed a role in the starting rotation for the York Revolution in the independent Atlantic League. The 29-year-old made four quality starts for the Revolution before the Braves plucked him from obscurity on June 1.

“It was late in spring and they [Boston] had more good young arms in camp then I thought they would when I signed my deal with them,” Baerlocher said. “I was the odd man out.”

Chalk up another quality start for Baerlocher in last night’s contest, this time at Pawtucket’s expense. The right-hander kept the PawSox hitters guessing for six innings, striking out five. All they managed to scratch out against the former Kansas City Royal farmhand was a single run and just two hits.

The PawSox managed to take the early lead, pushing a run across in the fourth.

Jacoby Ellsbury drew a lead-off walk and stole second. Joe McEwing grounded out to move Ellsbury to third. David Murphy came to bat and drove the ball the other way for a groundout at first allowing Ellsbury to score.

Baerlocher’s performance overshadowed a fine effort from Pawtucket starter Devern Hansack, who matched Baerlocher pitch for pitch through the first six innings scattering four hits while striking out seven.

The wheels fell off for Hansack and the PawSox in the seventh. Back-to-back base hits, a throwing error by Ellsbury, a hit batter and a double put Richmond on top 2-1 and chased Hansack from the game.

Mike Timlin made his sixth and possibly final rehab appearance in the eighth, setting the Braves down in order. The PawSox team including manager Ron Johnson met him at the dugout stairs and shook his hand as he came off the field.

“It’s not up to me,” said Johnson when asked if this was Timlin’s last game for Pawtucket. “That’s up to Theo [Epstein] and those guys. That’s why they make the big bucks.”