PAWTUCKET 4, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 3

The highlights: There were a number for Pawtucket, but the biggest was winning the game.

The Yankees have led the International League North all season, but they have struggled lately. With the victory, Pawtucket draws within 2 1/2 games of Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Because Syracuse lost, Pawtucket moves into second place.

The Pawtucket offense, which has struggled mightily, came through in the clutch to rally from a 3-1 deficit. Paul McAnulty had a home run and double and two runs scored.

The PawSox trailed 3-2 in the sixth when they got the two runs that won it. McAnuly was hit by a pitch and Chris Carter walked. Bubba Bell ripped a double near the line in right to score the tying run, then Dusty Brown got the winning run home with a fielder's choice grounder to short.

He's a star, too: While All-Star Clay Buchholz picked up the victory and all-star Fernando Cabrera recorded the save, Marcus McBeth rcorded what might have been the biggest out of all.

Scranton/Wilkes Barre had two runners on in the eighth with one out. McBeth, whose ERA is at 1.90, had to face Shelly Duncan, who leads the league in both home runs and RBI.

"Nobody wants to see Shelly Duncan coming up in the eighth in a one-run game with two runners on," said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson.

McBeth got the count to 2-2, then struck out Duncan with a gorgeous change-up that had Duncan way out front.

"I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Marcus McBeth. That's why he's in the game in those situations," Johnson said.

Defense: Pawtucket third baseman Angel Chavez had an excellent night in the field. He was involved in a half dozen plays, several of them plays he had to make on the move. He made them all, topped by ranging behind the bad to snag a grounder by Yurendell DeCaster in the seventh and starting an inning-ending double play.

Next up: Lefty Kris Johnson (3-7, 6.09) goes for Pawtucket tonight against Josh Towers (2-5, 4.89). It will the second fireworks night, so game time is advanced to 6:15.

pkenyon @projo.com