ACEVES ON THE MOUND FOR PAW SOX

MAY 7^th                       PAWTUCKET (18-13)     at     GWINNETT (12-20)        6:05 pm   

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 0.00) vs. Gwinnett Braves LHP Daniel Rodriguez (1-2, 7.48)   

  

Trying to Keep The Streaks Going – The Pawtucket Red Sox – who have won 7 straight games at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA dating back to the 2011 season – look to keep that streak alive and send the Gwinnett Braves to their 10^th loss in a row when they play the second game of their 4-game series tonight at 6:05 pm.  The PawSox won the series opener last night, 5-1 to extend their Coolray winning streak to 7-games (the final two in 2011, all four last year, and the first game this season).  In the process Gwinnett lost their 9^th consecutive game overall including 5 straight on their current homestand.

Special Night For Boston In Georgia – The Pawtucket Red Sox thank the Gwinnett Braves organization for hosting “Boston Strong Night” at Coolray Field this evening.  The Braves will donate $5 from every ticket sold via the online link gwinnettbraves.com/boston using the promo code STRONG to OneFundBoston.org, benefitting the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.  Furthermore, Atlanta Falcons and former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, former Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and former Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown will all be guests of the Gwinnett Braves and will all throw out ceremonial first pitches.  The Braves will also hold a Silent Auction that will be at the heart of the fundraising efforts. All players and coaches from both Gwinnett and Pawtucket will wear special Boston Braves hats and will sign them after the game. Each hat will be available in the auction, with all proceeds going to OneFundBoston.org.  In addition to the approximately 60 Boston Braves hats, numerous other items will be available for auction, including:

• Autographed Boston Braves hats worn by Ryan, Varitek, Harrison and Brown during their first pitches
• Lunch and a round of golf for two with Varitek at The River Country Club
• Round of golf for three with Harrison at Sugarloaf Country Club
• One-hour basketball training session with Brown
• Varitek autographed bat and baseball, Ryan autographed football, Harrison autographed football, Brown autographed basketball
• Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia autographed baseball and Red Sox DH David Ortiz autographed baseball

Nice to be Back - The PawSox were last at Coolray Field a little less than eight months ago and it proved to be a most pleasant visit as the Sox swept that 4-game set from the Braves last August 27-30 during the final full week of the regular-season.  Those four key wins came by scores of 3-1, 9-4, and a doubleheader sweep 1-0 and 3-2 and were largely instrumental in earning the PawSox the IL wild card berth which eventually led to their 2012 Governors’ Cup Championship.

This Series and Roadtrip – Pawtucket went 6-2 on their roadtrip to Charlotte and Gwinnett last August 23-30.  The PawSox will reverse that order during this trip – playing four in Gwinnett followed by four in Charlotte during this 8-game sojourn.  The Sox and Braves play tonight and tomorrow night both at 6:05 pm and the series finale on Thursday morning at 10:35 am.  Pawtucket then heads to Charlotte to face the Knights for a 4-game wrap-around weekend series – Friday & Saturday at 7:15 pm, Sunday at 2:15 pm, and next Monday at 7:15 pm.  The PawSox return home to McCoy Stadium one week from tonight for the start of an 8-game homestand (May 14-21) that will feature four more games vs. these Gwinnett Braves followed by a 4-game series against Indianapolis.

Series Business – Pawtucket – up 1-0 in this 4-game set at Gwinnett – is 2-2-4 in their first eight series of the season (two series wins, two series losses, and four series splits).  Pawtucket has gone 5-3 and 4-4 on their first two homestands of the year.  They went 5-1 and 3-5 on their first two roadtrips and 1-0 on this 8-game trip thus far.

Night Shift – The PawSox are 12-4 in night games compared to 6-9 in day games.  Half of the first 30 PawSox games this season had been day games and the other half night games.  That trend is changing now that the first month or so of the schedule is complete.  From May 6 on, only 22 of Pawtucket’s final 114 games this season will be considered day games (and that includes a handful of 5:00 pm road starts which technically are considered day games).

Running in Place – The PawSox and Buffalo are now tied for the International League lead in Runs Scored with 161.  The Bisons are 1^st in HR (32) while the Sox are 2^nd (29).

Repeat After Me – The PawSox began the season with a 4-game winning streak (April 4-7) and quickly followed that up with a season-high 5-game winning streak (April 9-14).  After that, they were not been able to win back-to-back games at any point from April 15-30.  The Sox did win their first two games in May (May 2 & 3).  The good news is the PawSox have not lost more than two in a row all season.  Pawtucket has had just four 2-game losing skids thus far (April 15 & 16, April 18 & 20, April 25 & 26, and on May 4 & 5).

May Underway – Pawtucket is 3-2 in May.  The pitching has been excellent in the early going this month as Sox hurlers are 3-2 with a 1.20 ERA in May (6 ER in 45 IP).  PawSox batters are hitting just .235 in May however (36-for-153).  They are scheduled to play 29 games this month.  Last year the PawSox had their winningest month of the season in May going 18-12.  The PawSox finished April with yet another winning month (15-11) as they have now had just two losing months in their last 12 full months (13-15 in May of 2011 and 13-15 in June of 2012).  They have had 9 winning (full) months and one .500 month in their last 12 months of action dating back to August 2010.

PAW SOX NOTEBOOK: DURHAM BULLS

MAY 5^th                       DURHAM (19-10)     at     PAWTUCKET (17-12)        1:05 pm    

 

Durham Bulls RHP Jake Odorizzi (2-0, 3.33) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Steven Wright (1-0, 1.93)   

Sunday Series Finale – The Pawtucket Red Sox play the finale of their 4-game series (and their 8-game homestand) this afternoon when they host the Durham Bulls at 1:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox will be bidding to win this series outright today after taking 2 of the first 3 games thus far.  They had a similar opportunity earlier during this homestand when they won 2 of the first 3 vs. Columbus but the Sox had to settle for a split of that series when they dropped the finale, 6-5 in 15-innings on Tuesday afternoon.  Pawtucket is 2-2-3 in their first seven series of the season (two series wins, two series losses, and three series splits).  Pawtucket is 4-3 on this 8-game homestand.  The Sox went 5-3 on their initial homestand from April 11-18.

This Series vs. Durham – Pawtucket had their modest 2-game winning streak snapped yesterday with a 4-1 defeat to Durham.  The Sox had rolled to wins in each of the first two games of this series with Durham by a combined 14-2 score (10-1 victory on Thursday followed by a 4-1 triumph on Friday).  Thus, the Sox had won two in a row for the first time in nearly three weeks since a season-high 5-game winning streak from April 9-14.  The PawSox also saw their 6-game home winning streak against Durham come to an end yesterday (they are now 2-1 here at McCoy this season vs. Durham following a 4-0 mark at home vs. the Bulls last season).  Pawtucket has still outscored the Bulls in their last 7 meetings by a combined score of 48-22.  Pawtucket’s victories over Durham last year were by 15-10, 9-5, 2-0, and 7-1 scores and this season by 10-1 and 4-1 margins.  Today is Durham’s final game at McCoy this season unless the teams face each other in the Governors’ Cup Finals.  The clubs won’t meet again until just after the All-Star break for a 4-game series in Durham from July 18-21.

Days Shifts Into Night – The PawSox are 6-8 in days games compared to 11-4 in nights games.  So including this afternoon’s contest, half of the first 30 PawSox games this season will have been day games and the other half night games.  That trend will change now that the first month or so of the scheduled is complete.  After today, only 22 of Pawtucket’s final 114 games this season will be considered day games (and that includes a handful of 5:00 pm road starts which technically are considered day games).

Run for a Cause – The PawSox had overtaken Durham for the International League lead in Runs Scored on Friday but Durham’s 4-1 victory yesterday enabled the Bulls to reclaim the lead.  Durham has scored a league-high 157 runs this season compared to 155 for the PawSox.  Durham is hitting .272 (2^nd best in the IL) while Pawtucket is 4^th in team batting at .259.

Repeat After Me – The PawSox began the season with a 4-game winning streak (April 4-7) and quickly followed that up with a season-high 5-game winning streak (April 9-14).  Since that point they had not been able to win back-to-back games from April 15-30 until winning their first two games in May.  The good news is they have not lost more than two in a row all season.  Pawtucket has had just three 2-game losing skids thus far (April 15 & 16, April 18 & 20, and April 25 & 26).  They need a victory today to avoid dropping back-to-back games.

May Underway – Pawtucket is 2-1 in May.  They are scheduled to play 29 games this month.  Last year the PawSox had their winningest month of the season in May going 18-12.  The PawSox finished April with yet another winning month (15-11) as they have now had just two losing months in their last 12 full months (13-15 in May of 2011 and 13-15 in June of 2012).  They have had 9 winning (full) months and one .500 month in their last 12 months of action dating back to August 2010.

Final April Numbers – PawSox batters hit .257 in 26 games in April.  Justin Henry (.338 in 20 games), Brandon Snyder (.324 in 21 games), and Jeremy Hazelbaker (.311 in 21 games) led the way among regulars.  Snyder, Hazelbaker, and Brentz all had 5 HR while Snyder & Brentz paced the club with 18 RBI.  On the pitching side, the Sox were 15-11 with a 3.96 ERA.  Oscar Villarreal led the way with 4 victories while Ryan-Rowland Smith had the best ERA (0.55) followed by Pedro Beato (1.80) and Jose De La Torre (1.88) with others close behind.

Homer Happy – Pawtucket has pounded 10 HR in their last 5 games – they had hit a total of 10 homers in their previous 17 games combined from April 11-27.  As a result the Sox are tied for 2^nd in the league with 28 HR (tied with Rochester and two behind Buffalo).  The PawSox are 11-7 when they homer in a game.

Go Play Outside – Their last series against Columbus marked Pawtucket’s first games outside their division this season.  The PawSox had played each of their first 22 games against their IL North rivals (going 13-9).  However, the Sox are now playing against teams outside their division for a 32-game span (4-3 thus far).  They will ultimately play 16 games against IL West opponents and 16 more against IL South foes from April 27 – May 30.  That stretch will end on May 31 when Syracuse of the IL North comes to town.

Trying to Climb Back on Top – The PawSox raced to a 9-1 start and a 2½-game lead atop the division through April 14.  However, Buffalo has won 14 of their last 19 games, took over the division lead on April 20, and the Bisons now have a 2-game advantage over the 2^nd-place PawSox (the Sox were a season-high -3 GB on April 26, 28, and 30).

Turn the Beat Around – The Sox are 7-7 in their last 14 games.  They have lost 11 of their last 19 games following their 9-1 start to the season.   The 9-1 start was the best in franchise-history.  Pawtucket has not lost more than 2 in a row this season.  They have had a 4-game winning streak (April 4-7) and a 5-game winning streak (April 9-14).

In the Clutch – PawSox batters are hitting .302 with runners on base (125-for-414), .415 with the bases loaded (17-for-41), and .292 with runners in scoring position (80-for-274).  However, they are hitting .241 with two outs and runners in scoring position (28-for-116).

PAW SOX HOST THE CLIPPERS AT MCCOY

APRIL 30^th                 COLUMBUS (13-12)     at     PAWTUCKET (15-10)      12:05 pm     

Columbus Clippers RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 0.00) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 9.31)    

Another Tuesday Matinee at McCoy – The Pawtucket Red Sox play their second Tuesday afternoon home game in as many Tuesdays at McCoy Stadium when they face the Columbus Clippers in the series finale of their 4-game set today at 12:05 pm.  The PawSox lost to Lehigh Valley, 8-6 two weeks ago on Tuesday afternoon April 16 and will play another early-season Tuesday matinee on May 21 vs. Indianapolis at 12:05 pm.  Pawtucket is 6-6 in day games compared to 9-4 in night games.  After this afternoon they will have played half their games in the daytime (13 of 26).

April Finale – With today marking the final day in April, the PawSox will finish with yet another winning month as they have now had just two losing months in their last 12 full months (13-15 in May of 2011 and 13-15 in June of 2012).  They have had 9 winning (full) months and one .500 month in their last 12 months of action dating back to August 2010.  Pawtucket went 16-9 last April which represented their second most all-time wins in the month of April.  They can match that plateau with a victory this afternoon.  The PawSox posted their best April mark ever during the 1994 season when they went 18-5 that April.

This Series – Pawtucket can earn a series victory with a win today.  They are 2-2-2 in their first six series of the season (2 series wins, two series losses, and two series splits).  The PawSox took the lead in this set, 2 games to 1 with a well-played 5-1 victory last night behind a season-high 4 homer barrage (2 by Brandon Snyder and 1 each by Jose Iglesias and Bryce Brentz).

The teams had swapped 6-5 victories the first two games of the series (PawSox won 6-5 on Saturday, Clippers won 6-5 on Sunday).  On Saturday night the PawSox were able to rally from a 5-2, 8^th-inning deficit thanks to a run in the 8^th and 3 more in the 9^th to pull out a 6-5 victory.  On Sunday afternoon the PawSox again rallied from a 6-0, 7^th-inning deficit but fell just short in a 6-5 defeat as the Clippers evened the series.  These teams meet again for the only other time this season in Columbus for another 4-game set from June 17-20.

A Homecoming for Some Bulls – The PawSox will enjoy their first scheduled off-day of the season tomorrow.  This homestand will continue when the IL South-leading Durham Bulls (17-8) come to town for a 4-game set with games on Thursday and Friday nights at 6:15 pm and then Saturday and Sunday afternoons both at 1:05 pm.  It will be a homecoming at McCoy this week for a pair of Durham players.  LHP Jeff Beliveau is a 26-year-old lefty reliever who lives in Johnston, RI and was the Rhode Island Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2005 after a standout career at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, RI.  Beliveau made his Major League debut with the Chicago Cubs last season going 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 22 relief appearances.  He went to spring training with Texas and was acquired by Tampa Bay on April 16.  Durham also has Somerset, MA native Craig Albernaz among their catching corps.  The Bulls are led by OF Wil Myers (.291 in 22 games) who is regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

First Things First – The PawSox have allowed the opposition to score first in each of the last six games but the Sox are 3-3 in those games.  Furthermore, the opponents have scored in the 1^st-inning during 5 of the last 6 PawSox games.  The Sox are 10-6 when the opponent scores first this season compared to 5-4 when they score first.

Homer Happy – Pawtucket has pounded 7 HR in their last two games (3 on Sunday and 4 on Monday) – they had hit a total of 7 homers in their previous 13 games combined from April 15-27.  All of a sudden the Sox are 2^nd in the league with 25 HR (one behind Buffalo).  The PawSox are 10-5 when they homer in a game.

Happy 25^th – The PawSox are 15-10 after 25 games.  Last year they were 16-9 after 25 and then 16-10 on May 1 and in 1^st-place by 1½-games.

Go Play Outside – This series against Columbus the past three days have marked Pawtucket’s first games outside their division this season.  The PawSox had played each of their first 22 games against their IL North rivals (going 13-9).  However, the Sox are now playing against teams outside their division for a 32-game span (2-1 thus far).  They will play 16 games against IL West opponents and 16 more against IL South foes from April 27 – May 30.  That stretch will end on May 31 when Syracuse of the IL North comes to town.

Trying to Climb Back on Top – The PawSox raced to a 9-1 start and a 2½-game lead atop the division through April 14.  However, Buffalo has won 12 of their last 15 games, took over the division lead on April 20, and the Bisons now have a 2-game advantage over the 2^nd-place PawSox (the Sox were a season-high -3 GB last Friday and Sunday).

Turn the Beat Around – The Sox are 5-5 in their last 10 games.  They have lost 9 of their last 15 games following their 9-1 start to the season.   The 9-1 start was the best in franchise-history.  Pawtucket has not lost more than 2 in a row this season.  They have had a 4-game winning streak (April 4-7) and a 5-game winning streak (April 9-14).

PAW SOX @ ROCHESTER IN FINALE TONIGHT

APRIL 22^nd                  PAWTUCKET (11-6)     at     ROCHESTER (5-12)        7:05 pm

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Terry Doyle (2-0, 0.98) vs. Rochester Red Wings RHP Liam Hendriks (0-1, 6.00)    

Looking for a Split – The Pawtucket Red Sox bid for a split of their 4-game set in Rochester when they play the finale of their series against the Red Wings tonight at 7:05 pm at Frontier Field in Rochester.  The PawSox have dropped 2 of the first 3 games in the series – falling 5-4 on Saturday afternoon and splitting a make-up doubleheader on Sunday (8-1 win followed by 2-0 loss).  Pawtucket is hoping to avoid their second series loss in a row as they most recently dropped 3 of 4 at home vs. Lehigh Valley last week.  The PawSox had won 2 of their first 3 series to begin the year (4-game sweeps in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and vs. Rochester) sandwiched around a 2-game split at Lehigh Valley.

New York, New York – The PawSox are 1-2 on this 8-game New York State roadtrip to Rochester and Buffalo.  The trip will continue tomorrow night when the Sox go to Buffalo to take on the 1^st-place Bisons who have won 8 in a row including a victory today in Lehigh Valley.  The 4-game set in Buffalo includes games tomorrow and Wednesday nights at 6:05 pm, Thursday afternoon at 1:05 pm, and the series and roadtrip finale on Friday at 6:05 pm.

The Road Home - Pawtucket – who went 5-1 on their initial roadtrip of the season – returns to McCoy Stadium for their second homestand of the year beginning this Saturday night at 6:05 pm vs. the Columbus Clippers.  It will be another 8-game homestand from Saturday through the following Sunday, May 5.  The PawSox will host Columbus for 4-games followed by the Durham Bulls for 4-more next week with the first off-day of the season scheduled in between (May 1).

Turn the Beat Around – The Sox have lost 5 of their last 7 games following their 9-1 start to the season.   The 9-1 start was the best in franchise-history.

Numbers Tell the Story – During their 9-1 start PawSox pitchers had a 3.17 ERA while batters hit .281.  Since that point Sox pitchers are 2-5 with a 4.74 ERA (30 ER in 57 IP) while batters are hitting .225 (47-for-209).  As a result Pawtucket’s Team ERA has risen from 3.17 on April 14 to 3.79 (6^th in the International League) while their Team Batting has gone down from .281 to .260 (also 6^th in the league).

2013 vs. Rochester – Pawtucket leads the Red Wings, 5 games to 2 in the season-series thus far.  The Sox swept a 4-game set against Rochester at McCoy Stadium just over a week ago.  The PawSox won the opener of the series on April 11, 5-4.  After a rain-out the next night, Pawtucket swept the make-up doubleheader on April 13 by identical 7-1 scores in both games (each of which lasted exactly 2 hours & 18 minutes).  The Sox completed the sweep on April 14 with a 5-2 victory in 11-innings.  The Red Wings have gained a measure of revenge this weekend in Rochester with 5-4 and 2-0 victories sandwiched around an 8-1 PawSox win thus far.

Stats vs. Red Wings in 2013 – PawSox pitchers are 5-2 with a 1.80 ERA in the 7 games vs. Rochester (11 ER in 55 IP).  Sox batters are hitting .271 vs. the Red Wings (56-for-207).  Pawtucket has out-scored Rochester, 36-16 thus far in the season-series.  

Last Year vs. Rochester – Pawtucket won the 2012 season-series over Rochester by a 9-7 margin going 5-3 at McCoy and 4-4 in Rochester. 

Stats vs. Rochester - The PawSox hit .274 in the 16 games vs. the Red Wingswhile Sox pitchers were 9-7 with a 3.28 ERA vs. Rochester. The PawSox out-scored the Wings by a 70-53 margin during the 2012 the season-series.

Against Rochester Recently – Pawtucket has captured the season-series vs. Rochester during each of the last three years going 9-7 in 2012, 10-6 vs. Rochester in 2011, and 11-5 vs. the Red Wings in 2010.  The PawSox last lost a season-series to the Wings in 2009 when they went 6-10 vs. Rochester.

More Numbers to Crunch – The PawSox have scored 5 runs or more in 14 of their first 17 games thus far…The Sox are 7-3 when the opponent scores first this season compared to 4-3 when they score first.  Pawtucket is 8-0 when they score last in the game…The PawSox have 7 come-from-behind wins already this season (they had 37 last year) along with 2 wins in their last at-bat (1 walk-off).  Last year they had 14 wins in their last at-bat (3 walk-offs).

Northern Exposure – The PawSox are 11-6 vs. the IL North this season.  They will finally play outside the division when the Columbus Clippers of the IL West visit starting this Saturday.  The Sox finished last season with a 44-36 record against their five IL North division rivals.  The Sox had a winning record against four IL North clubs and finished .500 vs. Lehigh Valley (8-8).  Pawtucket was 9-7 vs. Buffalo, Rochester, Scranton/WB, and Syracuse.

Back to Back Championships? – The PawSox have been to the post-season two years in a row – they have never made it in three consecutive years.  They have never won the Governors’ Cup in back-to-back seasons.

THE HOME OPENER TONIGHT AT McCOY

APRIL 11^th                ROCHESTER (2-4)     at    PAWTUCKET (5-1)          7:05 pm

 

Rochester Red Wings RHP Kyle Gibson (0-0, 1.80) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox LHP Chris Hernandez (0-0, 2.25)   

Opening Act – The defending International League Champion Pawtucket Red Sox – coming off a 5-1 season-opening roadtrip to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (4-0) and LehighValley (1-1) – make their 2013 McCoy Stadium debut tonight when they play their home-opener against the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 pm.  The PawSox have won 3 straight home-openers (2010, 2011, and 2012) and 7 of their last 9 home-openers since 2004.  They have a chance tonight to make it 4 victorious home-openers in a row which would be a new franchise-mark.  Pawtucket began this year on the road for the first time since the 2009 season.  The PawSox lost their home-opener that year on April 17, 2009 by a 4-3 score to LehighValley – marking the last time the Sox dropped their home-opener.

Start Me Up – Pawtucket’s 5-1 start is their best in franchise-history.  The 1994 PawSox put together the best extended start in club-history going 6-2 after 8 games, 10-3 after 13 games, and eventually 21-5 and then 30-7 (through May 14, 1994).

No Close Encounters – All six PawSox games this season have been decided by 4 runs or more as the Sox five wins have come by 4 runs, 5 runs, 5 runs, 4 runs, and 5 runs again while their only loss was by 9 runs.  Pawtucket and Columbus are the only IL teams not to have played a 1-run game yet this season while the PawSox and Syracuse are the only two clubs not to have been involved in a 2-run game thus far.  Last year Pawtucket was 21-22 in 1-run games and 13-18 in 2-run games as 74 of their 144 games were decided by one or two runs (51%).

The Road Home – Pawtucket went 5-1 on their initial roadtrip of the season that was cut short by one game last night when the finale at LehighValley was suspended by rain.  The game was scoreless after 2-innings when it was suspended – it will be resumed during Pawtucket’s next trip to LehighValley on July 8.  The just-concluded PawSox trip featured a 4-game sweep in Moosic, PA against the Scranton/WB RailRiders over the weekend and a split of the abbreviated 2-game set in Allentown, PA against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs earlier this week.  Pawtucket’s best roadtrip last season came in their first trip of the year when they went 7-2 through Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse from April 11-19.

This Homestand - The PawSox make their 2013 McCoy Stadium debut tonight when they host the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 pm.  Returning PawSox players will receive their 2012 Governors’ Cup Championship rings in special pre-game ceremonies.  The PawSox play Rochester for four games tonight & tomorrow at 7:05 pm and then over the weekend on Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 pm.  The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will visit next for a 4-game set next week with games Monday at 6:15 pm, Tuesday at 12:05 pm, Wednesday at 6:15 pm, and next Thursday at 12:05 pm.

Big Papi at McCoy – Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz will begin a 20-day injury rehab assignment with the PawSox tonight.

Ortiz is recovering from right Achilles’ tendinopathy that originally happened last July 16 while he was running the bases.  David returned for one game on August 24 but was placed back on the DL the next day and missed the remainder of the 2012 season.  Ortiz, who did not appear in any games with the Red Sox during the past spring training, played in a simulated game on Monday in Fort Myers, FL (going 2-for-4) and in an extended spring training game in Fort Myers on Tuesday (again going 2-for-4).

Despite being limited to just 90 games last season he led the majors with a .611 slugging pct. while batting .318 with 23 HR & 60 RBI.  An 8-time American League All-Star, Ortiz has a career average of .285 with 401 HR & 1326 RBI in 1832 games (16 years).  He ranks among the all-time Red Sox leaders in homers (5^th, 343), RBI (6^th, 1088), extra-base hits (5^th, 730), doubles (6^th, 374), walks (6^th, 825), total bases (6^th, 2899), hits (9^th, 1470), runs (9^th, 909), slugging pct. (4^th, .573), and OPS (4^th, .962).

PAW SOX LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK

APRIL 9^th      PAWTUCKET (4-1)  at  LEHIGH VALLEY (2-3)    7:05 pm  

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Steven Wright (0-0) vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs RHP Tyler Cloyd (0-1) 

PawSox Suffer First Defeat in 14-5 Loss to Lehigh Valley – Pawtucket jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the 2^nd inning, but could not sustain the advantage as the IronPigs plated the game’s next 13 runs without an answer.  Jeremy Hazelbaker led off the game with a solo homer and Bryce Brentz added a two-run shot later in the 1^st.  The PawSox scored two more in the 2^nd on an RBI single by Jonathan Diaz and a sacrifice fly from Justin Henry.  But, the pitching staff allowed a run in every frame except the 6^th and served up three Lehigh Valley home runs. Both Hazelbaker and Diaz collect two hits in the loss.  Starter Rubby De La Rosa lasted just 2.1 innings allowing 5 runs, all earned, on 4 hits (2 HR) with 3 k’s while throwing 49 pitches.

A History-Making 2012 Season – Pawtucket had a memorable 2012 season…for a couple of different reasons.  The PawSox were the IL wild card winner and made the playoffs for the second year in a row.  They will be attempting to make it to the post-season in 2013 for the third consecutive year which would be a first in franchise-history.

Road-Tripping to Start the Year – The Pawtucket Red Sox will continue their 7-game roadie that featured a 4-game sweep in Moosic against the RailRiders and a 3-game set in Allentown, PA against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Tonight and finishing tomorrow night at 7:0.

The Road Home – The PawSox will make their 2013 McCoy Stadium Thursday, April 11 when they host the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 pm.  Returning PawSox players will receive their 2012 Governors’ Cup Championship rings in special pre-game ceremonies on Thursday night.  The PawSox play Rochester for four games April 11 and 12 at 7:05 pm and then over the weekend on April 13 & 14 at 1:05 pm.  The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will visit next for a 4-game set from April 15-18 with games at 6:15 pm, 12:05 pm, 6:15 pm, and 12:05 pm.

Big Papi at McCoy? – Multiple media reports have speculated that injured Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz could continue his rehab (heel injuries) with the PawSox as early as next week when the PawSox return to McCoy Stadium from April 11-18.  We will keep you posted as we get further information on. 

Last Year vs. Lehigh Valley – Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley finished the 2012 season-series knotted at 8 victories apiece. The PawSox went 5-3 at home vs. the IronPigs but 3-5 here in Allentown. 

Stats vs. Lehigh Valley - The PawSox hit .259 in the 16 games vs. the IronPigs with 16 HR while Sox pitchers were 8-8 with a 2.83 ERA vs. Lehigh Valley with 10 HRA. The PawSox out-scored the IronPigs by a 75-49 margin during the 2012 the season-series.  

All-Time vs. the IronPigs – The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have met 80 times in the regular-season since Lehigh Valley entered the International League in 2008. The PawSox hold a 45-35 advantage. That does not include Pawtucket’s 0-3 mark vs. Lehigh Valley in September of 2011 in the IL Playoffs which was the first playoff meeting between the clubs (and the first post-season appearance in the young history of the IronPigs).  

10-6 Good Buddy - The PawSox won the 2011 season-series over Lehigh Valley by a 10-6 margin (finishing 6-2 at home at McCoy Stadium and 4-4 in Lehigh Valley). Lehigh Valley had gone 10-6 vs. the PawSox in both 2009 and 2010 – winning 10 times as many games against the PawSox in both those years than they did in all of 2008 (1-15) – their first year in the International League. The PawSox won the first nine games (ever) vs. Lehigh Valley in 2008 before losing on July 5, 2008 at McCoy, 5-2. That was their only loss that year vs. the IronPigs as the Sox finished 15-1 vs. Lehigh Valley – their most victories in a single-season against any single IL club ever.

PAW SOX STILL UNDEFEATED…DeLa ROSA GOES TODAY

APRIL 8^th      PAWTUCKET (4-0)  at  LEHIGH VALLEY (1-3)    7:05 pm

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Rubby De La Rosa vs. Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs RHP B.J. Rosenberg 

Doyle Leads PawSox to Sweep of SWB with a 6-2 Win – While starter Terry Doyle threw just 44 strikes of his 87 pitches, he allowed just one hit and pitched around 5 walks in 6.1 innings of work. He was the first PawSox starter to earn a decision in 2013.  Ryan Rowland-Smith (just up from Extended Spring) added 1.2 innings allowing a run and Anthony Carter allowed a run in the 9^th.  The offense built a 5-0 lead after four innings thanks to a two-run single by Ryan Lavarnway, a sac-fly by Drew Sutton, an RBI double by Mark Hamilton and an RBI single by Justin Henry.  Hamilton added another RBI hit in the 7^th to snag a 6-0 lead. He finished 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and Jeremy Hazelbaker was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

A History-Making 2012 Season – Pawtucket had a memorable 2012 season…for a couple of different reasons.  The PawSox were the IL wild card winner and made the playoffs for the second year in a row.  They will be attempting to make it to the post-season in 2013 for the third consecutive year which would be a first in franchise-history.

Road-Tripping to Start the Year – The Pawtucket Red Sox will continue their 7-game roadie that featured a 4-game sweep in Moosic against the RailRiders and a 3-game set in Allentown, PA against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next Tonight through Wednesday night (all at 7:05 pm).

The Road Home – The PawSox will make their 2013 McCoy Stadium Thursday, April 11 when they host the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 pm.  Returning PawSox players will receive their 2012 Governors’ Cup Championship rings in special pre-game ceremonies on Thursday night.  The PawSox play Rochester for four games April 11 and 12 at 7:05 pm and then over the weekend on April 13 & 14 at 1:05 pm.  The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will visit next for a 4-game set from April 15-18 with games at 6:15 pm, 12:05 pm, 6:15 pm, and 12:05 pm.

Big Papi at McCoy? – Multiple media reports have speculated that injured Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz could continue his rehab (heel injuries) with the PawSox as early as next week when the PawSox return to McCoy Stadium from April 11-18.  We will keep you posted as we get further information on.  

Last Year vs. Lehigh Valley – Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley finished the 2012 season-series knotted at 8 victories apiece. The PawSox went 5-3 at home vs. the IronPigs but 3-5 here in Allentown.  

Stats vs. Lehigh Valley - The PawSox hit .259 in the 16 games vs. the IronPigs with 16 HR while Sox pitchers were 8-8 with a 2.83 ERA vs. Lehigh Valley with 10 HRA. The PawSox out-scored the IronPigs by a 75-49 margin during the 2012 the season-series.  

All-Time vs. the IronPigs – The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have met 80 times in the regular-season since Lehigh Valley entered the International League in 2008. The PawSox hold a 45-35 advantage. That does not include Pawtucket’s 0-3 mark vs. Lehigh Valley in September of 2011 in the IL Playoffs which was the first playoff meeting between the clubs (and the first post-season appearance in the young history of the IronPigs).  

10-6 Good Buddy - The PawSox won the 2011 season-series over Lehigh Valley by a 10-6 margin (finishing 6-2 at home at McCoy Stadium and 4-4 in Lehigh Valley). Lehigh Valley had gone 10-6 vs. the PawSox in both 2009 and 2010 – winning 10 times as many games against the PawSox in both those years than they did in all of 2008 (1-15) – their first year in the International League. The PawSox won the first nine games (ever) vs. Lehigh Valley in 2008 before losing on July 5, 2008 at

PAW SOX LOOK FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WIN TO OPEN SEASON TONIGHT

APRIL 5^th      PAWTUCKET (1-0)  at  SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE (0-1)    7:05 pm

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Allen Webster (NR) vs. Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders RHP Dillan Betances (NR) 

 

PawSox Home Past RailRiders – Pawtucket used a five-run 10^th inning, including two homers, to slug their way past Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on opening night, 8-4. Trailing 2-0 into the 5^th, the PawSox tied the game on a two-run homer by Brandon Snyder (playing in his first game in the Boston Org.) and took the lead thanks to a two-out RBI single by Brock Holt. The ‘Riders would tie the game in the 7^th on a sacrifice fly by Thomas Neal.  In the 10^th, Jeremy Hazelbaker launched a one-out solo homer to grab the lead for good.  Ryan Larvanway and Bryce Brentz each added RBI doubles and Justin Henry blasted a two-run homer.  Starter Steven Wright went four innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. The bullpen of Graham Godfrey, Jose De La Torre, Alex Wilson and Anthony Carter allowed just 2 runs in the final 6 inning of the game. The staff walked 11 in the game and struck out 14.   

Happy New Year – The defending International League Champion Pawtucket Red Sox and the newly-named Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders begin their rendezvous with destiny tonight at 7:05 pm at new-look PNC Field in Moosic, PA with the 2013 season-opener to help start the 130^th year of the International League.  The PawSox will be bidding for their 8^th straight Opening Night victory this evening.  Their last loss in a season-opener came in 2005 when Red Sox Hall of Famer Curt Schilling (making a rehab start for the PawSox) suffered a 7-5 defeat in Indianapolis.  Since then the PawSox have captured their last seven season-openers (5 at home and 2 on the road).

A History-Making 2012 Season – Both Pawtucket and Scranton/WB had memorable 2012 seasons…for a couple of different reasons.  The PawSox were the IL wild card winner and made the playoffs for the second year in a row.  They will be attempting to make it to the post-season in 2013 for the third consecutive year which would be a first in franchise-history.  The Scranton/WB Yankees won the 2012 IL North division for the 6^th time in the last 7 years despite playing on the road all season while PNC Field was being renovated.   (The only season Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has not won the IL North between 2006-2012 came in 2011 when the PawSox were division champs).  The Sox and Yanks met in the IL semi-final playoffs last September with Pawtucket taking the series, 3 games to 1.  The PawSox then went on to sweep the Charlotte Knights to capture their first Governors’ Cup Championship in 28 years (since 1984).

One Year Ago (Almost) – 364 days ago the PawSox beat Buffalo, 4-2 at McCoy Stadium in the 2012 season-opener to debut with a victory for the 7th year in a row.  Justin Germano was the starter and winner while a pair of players who would soon find their way to Boston keyed the offense with 2B Pedro Ciriaco (4 hits, 2 RBI) and 3B Will Middlebrooks (3 hits, 2 doubles) leading the way.

History-Making Opening Acts – The PawSox have now won eight straight season-openers as they have continued to build onto this new club-record (prior to this current streak their longest Opening Day winning streak was all of two games – in 1990 & ’91).  The winning streak began with a 3-2 win vs. Indianapolis on April 6, 2006 at McCoy.  In 2007 the PawSox opened in Charlotte on April 5 and rolled to a 7-4 victory.  The PawSox won their third Opening Night game in a row (a franchise first) with a 3-0 shutout at home against Indianapolis behind Bartolo Colon and three relievers on April 3, 2008 (equaling their earliest start to a season ever).  In 2009 the PawSox earned their fourth consecutive Opening Night victory with a 6-4 triumph in Buffalo on April 9.  Their Opening Night winning streak reached five in a row with an 11-3 rout of Rochester on April 8, 2010 at McCoy. The Sox made it six consecutive with a well-played, 2-1 victory over Rochester on April 7, 2011 at McCoy.  And last year the PawSox again opened at home and again began victorious with a 4-2 decision over Buffalo.

More Good News – Pawtucket has also won 9 of their last 10 season-openers – their only loss during this stretch an Opening Day 7-5 setback at Indianapolis on April 7, 2005 with Curt Schilling suffering the defeat.  Over a longer span, the PawSox have come up winners in 9 of their last 11 season-openers following an 8-game Opening Day losing streak that stretched from 1993-2001.

Next Year is Here - The Pawtucket Red Sox will start the 2013 season with this 7-game roadtrip that features this 4-game series in Moosic against the RailRiders (tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night all at 7:05 pm and Sunday at 1:05 pm) followed by a 3-game set in Allentown, PA against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next Monday through Wednesday nights (all at 7:05 pm).

The Road Home - The PawSox will make their 2013 McCoy Stadium Thursday, April 11 when they host the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 pm.  Returning PawSox players will receive their 2012 Governors’ Cup Championship rings in special pre-game ceremonies on Thursday night.  The PawSox play Rochester for four games April 11 and 12 at 7:05 pm and then over the weekend on April 13 & 14 at 1:05 pm.  The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will visit next for a 4-game set from April 15-18 with games at 6:15 pm, 12:05 pm, 6:15 pm, and 12:05 pm.

Big Papi at McCoy? – Multiple media reports have speculated that injured Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz could continue his rehab (heel injuries) with the PawSox as early as next week when the PawSox return to McCoy Stadium from April 11-18.  We will keep you posted as we get further information on.

 

PAW SOX SET TO OPEN 2013 SEASON

APRIL 4^th      PAWTUCKET (0-0)  at  SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE (0-0)    7:05 pm

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Steven Wright (NR) vs. Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders LHP Vidal Nuno (NR)  

Happy New Year – The defending International League Champion Pawtucket Red Sox and the newly-named Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders begin their rendezvous with destiny tonight at 7:05 pm at new-look PNC Field in Moosic, PA with the 2013 season-opener to help start the 130^th year of the International League.  The PawSox will be bidding for their 8^th straight Opening Night victory this evening.  Their last loss in a season-opener came in 2005 when Red Sox Hall of Famer Curt Schilling (making a rehab start for the PawSox) suffered a 7-5 defeat in Indianapolis.  Since then the PawSox have captured their last seven season-openers (5 at home and 2 on the road).

A History-Making 2012 Season – Both Pawtucket and Scranton/WB had memorable 2012 seasons…for a couple of different reasons.  The PawSox were the IL wild card winner and made the playoffs for the second year in a row.  They will be attempting to make it to the post-season in 2013 for the third consecutive year which would be a first in franchise-history.  The Scranton/WB Yankees won the 2012 IL North division for the 6^th time in the last 7 years despite playing on the road all season while PNC Field was being renovated.   (The only season Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has not won the IL North between 2006-2012 came in 2011 when the PawSox were division champs).  The Sox and Yanks met in the IL semi-final playoffs last September with Pawtucket taking the series, 3 games to 1.  The PawSox then went on to sweep the Charlotte Knights to capture their first Governors’ Cup Championship in 28 years (since 1984).

One Year Ago (Almost) – 364 days ago the PawSox beat Buffalo, 4-2 at McCoy Stadium in the 2012 season-opener to debut with a victory for the 7th year in a row.  Justin Germano was the starter and winner while a pair of players who would soon find their way to Boston keyed the offense with 2B Pedro Ciriaco (4 hits, 2 RBI) and 3B Will Middlebrooks (3 hits, 2 doubles) leading the way.

History-Making Opening Acts – The PawSox come into tonight having won seven straight season-openers as they have continued to build onto this new club-record (prior to this current streak their longest Opening Day winning streak was all of two games – in 1990 & ’91).  The winning streak began with a 3-2 win vs. Indianapolis on April 6, 2006 at McCoy.  In 2007 the PawSox opened in Charlotte on April 5 and rolled to a 7-4 victory.  The PawSox won their third Opening Night game in a row (a franchise first) with a 3-0 shutout at home against Indianapolis behind Bartolo Colon and three relievers on April 3, 2008 (equaling their earliest start to a season ever).  In 2009 the PawSox earned their fourth consecutive Opening Night victory with a 6-4 triumph in Buffalo on April 9.  Their Opening Night winning streak reached five in a row with an 11-3 rout of Rochester on April 8, 2010 at McCoy. The Sox made it six consecutive with a well-played, 2-1 victory over Rochester on April 7, 2011 at McCoy.  And last year the PawSox again opened at home and again began victorious with a 4-2 decision over Buffalo.

More Good News – Pawtucket has also won 8 of their last 9 season-openers – their only loss during this stretch an Opening Day 7-5 setback at Indianapolis on April 7, 2005 with Curt Schilling suffering the defeat.  Over a longer span, the PawSox have come up winners in 9 of their last 11 season-openers following an 8-game Opening Day losing streak that stretched from 1993-2001.

Next Year is Here - The Pawtucket Red Sox will start the 2013 season with this 7-game roadtrip that features this 4-game series in Moosic against the RailRiders (tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night all at 7:05 pm and Sunday at 1:05 pm) followed by a 3-game set in Allentown, PA against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next Monday through Wednesday nights (all at 7:05 pm).

GOLDSMITH JOINS THE MARINERS BROADCAST BOOTH

PAWSOX RADIO BROADCASTER AARON GOLDSMITH to JOIN SEATTLE MARINERS

 

Goldsmith Gets to Big Leagues After Just One Season With the PawSox as he is

Named New Mariners Radio Announcer

 

The Pawtucket Red Sox are pleased to report that their radio broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith has earned a job in the Major Leagues.  The Seattle Mariners announced today that Goldsmith, the lead radio voice for the PawSox in 2012, has been hired to join their radio team for the 2013 season.  Aaron will work with veteran Mariners voice Rick Rizzs to broadcast all Seattle games during the upcoming season.

Goldsmith, 29, is the latest in a long line of PawSox broadcasters who have received the call to the big leagues.  Those include: Gary Cohen (New York Mets in 1989), Don Orsillo (Boston Red Sox in 2001), Dave Flemming (San Francisco Giants in 2004), Andy Freed (Tampa Bay Rays in 2005), Dave Shea (Washington Nationals in 2005), Dave Jageler (Washington Nationals in 2006), and Dan Hoard (the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals in 2011).

“I am proud to continue the tradition of broadcasters who move from McCoy Stadium to the majors,” said Goldsmith.  “I’d like to express my sincere thanks to everyone with the PawSox for allowing me to be a part of a wonderful organization during an historic championship season last year.  This job with the Seattle Mariners is an immense honor and dream come true.  I look forward to this incredible opportunity and to contributing to the Mariners both on and off the air.”

“Aaron Goldsmith is a talented and accomplished young broadcaster who, in his lone season with us certainly left his mark with fans of PawSox Baseball – calling our run to the Governors’ Cup Championship,” said PawSox President Mike Tamburro.  “The PawSox family wishes him the very best in his new position with the Seattle Mariners.  Aaron takes his rightful place in the long line of PawSox broadcasters who have graduated to the major leagues.”

“Aaron has a bright future as a broadcaster, and we believe Mariners fans in the Northwest will enjoy listening to him with Rick Rizzs on 710 ESPN and the Mariners Radio Network,” said Randy Adamack, Seattle’s Senior Vice President of Communications.

Goldsmith was hired by the PawSox in December of 2011 after being chosen from among more than 150 nationwide applicants to replace Dan Hoard who accepted a radio job with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to the 2011 NFL season.

Prior to coming to Pawtucket, Goldsmith had spent the previous two seasons as the radio broadcaster for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers in Frisco, TX.  In 2009 Aaron was a radio broadcaster/studio host for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Aaron graduated from Principia College in Elsah, IL where he majored in History.  Following college he attended the Broadcast Center in St. Louis where he earned a certificate in Radio Broadcasting and Production.  His professional broadcast career began in 2007 doing play-by-play for the Gateway Grizzlies of the Independent Frontier League followed by a summer on the Cape in 2008 as the lead broadcaster for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.