Shaw, Knights knock out Sharks

NASHUA – No wonder the New York Mets want Chris Shaw so badly. The Nashua Silver Knight first baseman, and recent Lexington (Mass.) High School grad, drafted in the 26th round earlier this month by the Mets, is coming into his own. On Thursday, he hit a tape measure shot over the right field wall, his league-leading fifth homer of the year, a three-run shot that catapulted the Silver Knights to a 7-2 win over Martha’s Vineyard before 1,044 at Holman Stadium. Shaw, recently moved into the cleanup spot, came into the game hitting .328 as well and picked on an 0-2 pitch from MV starter Dan Weigel. Nashua scored five times in the first and never looked back, making a winner out of Salem and Boston College lefty Nick Poore (1-1) for the first time this summer. Poore tossed six innings of shutout ball and allowed 10 hits, but escaped bases loaded situations twice, including the sixth where a 2-3 double play rescued the Knights from damage. Nashua (11-5) has now won eight straight at home. Knights reliever Brian MacHaffie was charged with two MV runs in the seventh but Connor Root and Cody Rocha finished up unscathed. Nashua added two in the fourth thanks to two Sharks errors and a James Katsiroubas RBI single. Figuring out the bullpen A year ago, it seemed fairly automatic in the ninth inning.