PAW SOX NOTES @ COLUMBUS

 

JUNE 18^th   PAWTUCKET (41-28)     at     COLUMBUS (34-37)      

Pawtucket Red Sox LHP Chris Hernandez (3-2, 4.38) vs. Columbus Clippers RHP Joe Martinez (2-5, 6.48) 

Climbing to New Heights – The Pawtucket Red Sox look to go 14-games over .500 for the first time this season when they play game two of their 4-game series against the Columbus Clippers tonight at 7:05 pm at Huntington Park in Columbus.  The PawSox used three pitchers (winner Rubby De La Rosa along with relievers Alex Wilson and Brock Huntzinger) to blank Columbus, 4-0 last night in the series opener.  The win pushed the Sox to 13-games above .500 matching their season-high from June 2 (35-22).  A victory tonight would raise them to 14 over for the first time since they ended last season with a 79-65 record.

This Series and Trip - The PawSox and Clippers face each other for three more night games (tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday all at 7:05 pm) before the PawSox continue this 8-game Ohio roadtrip by moving to Toledo for a 4-game wrap-around weekend set this Friday night through next Monday afternoon.   That series will actually start a stretch of 8 consecutive games with the Mud Hens as the PawSox return home to McCoy Stadium one week from tonight (Tuesday, June 25) to host Toledo for four more games as part of a season-high 9-game homestand (June 25 – July 3) that also includes a 5-game series with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (the first time the Red Sox and Yankee affiliates will meet at McCoy this season).

Their Cups Runneth Over – The PawSox and Clippers have captured the last three Governors’ Cup Championships.  Columbus won the Cup in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011 while Pawtucket won the International League Championship in 2012 (in case you hadn’t heard).  The PawSox are attempting to repeat as Cup Champs this season and although they have never done it in franchise-history the feat is not as rare as one would think.  As mentioned, Columbus won back-to-back titles in 2010 & 2011, Toledo did the same in 2005 & 2006, and Durham won the Cup in 2002 & 2003.  Before the Bulls pulled off that feat you do have to go back to 1991 and 1992 to find the next repeat champ – and that was Columbus.

High Five – 1^st-place Pawtucket’s current 5-game lead is their largest this season and their largest in just over a year since they were up by 5-games last June 15-17 (which was their 2012 season-high).  The PawSox have not owned a 1^st-place lead of more than 5-game since they were atop the IL North by 6-games on July 9 of 2008.  As the midpoint of the season approaches (this Thursday in Columbus by the way), the PawSox have either held 1^st or 2^nd-place in the division all year except for one day in 3^rd-place (May 5).  The Sox have held the lead atop the IL North since May 24 after being tied with Buffalo for the top spot from May 17-23.

Road Warriors – The PawSox have the best road record in the International League at 21-13.  Syracuse is next with a 19-14 road mark.  The Sox have won 13 of their last 20 away games.

Series Matters – By taking 3 of 4 from Buffalo this weekend, Pawtucket won a series for the first time since taking 3 of 4 in Louisville from May 23-26.  Thanks in large part to an uncooperative Mother Nature, the PawSox had suffered two straight series losses as their previous two series were both cut short from 4-games to 3-games as the result of rainouts.  Thus the Sox had lost back-to-back series for the first time in nearly a year since they lost three straight series last June 18-29 (swept in Syracuse, swept vs. Louisville, and lost 3 of 4 to Charlotte).  Pawtucket suffered their first series loss in six weeks from June 4-6 as the visiting Charlotte Knights took an abbreviated set from the Sox, 2 games to 1 (the finale on June 7 was rained-out).  Pawtucket had not lost a series in any of their previous 9 attempts (3 wins and 6 splits) since they dropped 3 of 4 in Buffalo from April 23-26.  Then from June 8-10 in Syracuse the Sox dropped another abbreviated set to the Chiefs, 2 games to 1.  Pawtucket is now 6-4-8 in their first 18 series of the season (6 series wins, 4 series losses, and 8 series splits).

Comeback Kids – 11 of Pawtucket’s last 17 victories since May 19 have been of the come-from-behind variety.  On the season, 22 of their 41 victories this year have been in come-from-behind fashion.

It’s Not How You Start But How You Finish – The opponent has scored first in 38 of Pawtucket’s 69 games this season but somehow the PawSox have managed to win as many games as they lose when the opposition jumps to an early lead (Sox are 19-19 in such games).  To put that record into perspective, the PawSox were just 25-44 in games when the opponent scored first last year.  Pawtucket is 22-9 when they score first in a game this season.  Last year they were 54-21 in that category.

Two is Too Many – The PawSox have still not lost more than two games in a row all season and they have not lost three straight since last August 16-18 (two in Scranton/WB and one at home to Buffalo).  They have had seven different losing streaks of more than two games last year.  Pawtucket has had just seven 2-game losing skids thus far (April 15 & 16, April 18 & 20, April 25 & 26, May 4 & 5, May 12 & 13, May 15 & 16, June 3 & 4, and June 6 & 8).

Staying in Tune in June – The PawSox are past the halfway mark in the month of June with an 8-6 mark.  They are hitting .254 in June (119-for-469) and are 8-6 with a 3.85 ERA (53 ER in 124 IP).  The Sox are coming off a terrific month of May as they finished 18-11 in May for the most wins of any team in the International League.  Pawtucket’s Team ERA in May of 3.39 was the best in the league by far (Indy was next at 3.79). Sox batters were 5^th in the league in May with their .263 average.

Hometown Heroes – Pawtucket has won 8 of their last 12 home games including a 4-game home winning streak on May 21 and May 31 – June 2 which was their longest since they opened the season by winning their first four games at McCoy (a 4-game sweep of Rochester from April 11-14).  They have not won 5 in a row at home since the 2011 season (July 3 and then July 9-15 of 2011).  Pawtucket is 20-15 at home – again a season-high 5-games over .500 at McCoy (also on June 2 and June 14).

Home/Road Results – The PawSox are 20-15 at home compared to 21-13 on the road.  Their road numbers are better than home both offensively and on the mound.  Pawtucket’s home ERA is 3.86 (138 ER in 322 IP) while their road ERA is 3.51 (112 ER in 287.1 IP).  The Sox are hitting .252 at home (290-for-1150) and .266 on the road (303-for-1141).  The PawSox have hit 34 HR in 35 games at McCoy compared to 28 HR in 34 away games.

PAW SOX CLOSE OUT MAY WITH THE CHIEFS

MAY 31^st                     SYRACUSE (23-30)    at    PAWTUCKET (32-22)      7:05 pm   

 

Chiefs RHP Yunesky Maya (1-4, 5.07) vs Pawtucket Red Sox LHP Chris Hernandez (3-2, 3.58)   

Making Hay in May – The Pawtucket Red Sox close out a successful month of May tonight when they play the opener of a 4-game wrap-around weekend series with the Syracuse Chiefs at 7:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox are 17-11 this month with the May finale on tap for this evening.  Their 17 wins in May are the most of any team in the International League – Durham, Indianapolis, and Norfolk are next with 16 victories apiece.  Pawtucket’s Team ERA in May of 3.30 is the best in the league by far (Norfolk is next at 3.89) as Sox pitchers have allowed 91 ER in 248.1 IP this month.  The PawSox ended the month of April with a 15-11 record and in 2^nd-place, -3 GB.  They come into play tonight in 1^st-place, +3-games.  Last year the PawSox had their winningest month of the season in May going 18-12 (they are 17-11 this May).  Pawtucket has now posted 10 winning full months (along with one .500 month) in their last 13 months of action dating back to August of 2010 through May of 2013.

One Series at a Time – The PawSox have gone the entire month of May without losing a series.  Their last series loss came in Buffalo from April 23-26 when they dropped 3 of 4.  Since then they have won 2 series and split 6 others.  Pawtucket is 4-2-8 in their first 14 series of the season (4 series wins, 2 series losses, and 8 series splits).

Smooth Road – The PawSox went 5-3 on their just-concluded roadtrip.  The Sox took 3 of 4 in Louisville last week/weekend and split a 4-game series in Indianapolis this week.  The PawSox batted .292 in the 8-games on the trip (81-for-277) with 15 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR and 36 runs scored to raise their team batting average from .254 to .260 (which is their highest since May 2 at .262).  Sox pitchers went 5-3 with a 3.71 ERA on the trip (29 ER in 70.1 IP) but if you throw out their first game on May 23 (a 10-0 loss at Louisville) they were 5-2 with a 3.03 ERA (21 ER in 62.1 IP).

Welcome Home - The PawSox return to McCoy Stadium tonight to begin yet another 8-game homestand (their fourth in as many homestands to begin the year).  They have gone 5-3, 4-4, and 4-4 on their first three homestands of the year.  This 4-game series against Syracuse will be Pawtucket’s first game against an IL North club since April 26.  The Chiefs are also the last division rival the Sox have yet to face this season.   The PawSox and Syracuse play tonight at 7:05 pm, tomorrow at 6:05 pm, Sunday at 1:05 pm, and Monday at 7:05 pm.   The Charlotte Knights will then make their first visit since last September’s Governors’ Cup Finals when they come to McCoy for a 4-game series next Tuesday – Friday (all at 7:05 pm) to finish the homestand.

Home Not So Sweet – Pawtucket has not won back-to-back home games since May 2 & 3 – going 10 straight games at McCoy without winning two in a row at home.  They did win the final game of their last homestand on May 21 (9-8 over Indianapolis) but have still dropped 6 of their last 10 home games.  As a result, Pawtucket is 13-11 at home this season.  The last time the PawSox have not been above .500 at home was April 10, 2012 when they finished their first homestand of last year at 3-3.

Road Warriors – The PawSox are in a virtual tie with Syracuse for the best road record in the International League as the Sox are at 19-11 while the Chiefs are 17-9.  The Sox won 11 of their 16 away games this month.

Home/Road Results – The PawSox are 13-11 at home compared to 19-11 on the road.  But their numbers are close both home and away.  Their home ERA is 3.64 (89 ER in 220 IP) while their road ERA is 3.59 (101 ER in 253.1 IP).  The Sox are hitting .254 at home (196-for-773) and .265 on the road (266-for-1004).  The PawSox have hit 21 HR in 24 games at McCoy compared to 23 HR in 30 away games.

Winning Ways – Pawtucket has won 5 of their last 7 games including a recent 4-game winning streak from May 24-27.  Prior to that the PawSox had gone win, loss, win, loss, win, loss in their previous six games from May 17-23.  Over a longer stretch they had dropped 7 of 11 games from May 12-23 following their season-high 6-game winning streak from May 6-11.  The recent 4-game winning streak matched their third longest of the year behind the aforementioned 6-gamer, a 5-game winning streak from April 9-14, and another 4-gamer from April 4-7.

View From Above – Pawtucket regained the lead in the IL North last Friday (May 24) for the first time since April 19.  Their current 3-game advantage is their largest of the season (and matches their largest 1^st-place lead since June 20 of last year).  The PawSox raced to a 9-1 start and a 2½-game lead atop the division through April 14.  However, Buffalo took over the division lead on April 20 and the PawSox fell a season-high -3 GB on April 26, 28, and 30 and May 5.  Pawtucket battled back into a virtual tie with Buffalo for 1^st-place in the IL North from May 9-12, the Bisons regained a 1-game lead on May 13 and May 16, but the teams were in a virtual tie for the top spot again from May 17-23.

Two is Too Many – The PawSox have not lost more than two in a row all season.  Pawtucket has had just six 2-game losing skids thus far (April 15 & 16, April 18 & 20, April 25 & 26, May 4 & 5, May 12 & 13, and May 15 & 16).  The PawSox have not lost three straight since last August 16-18 (two in Scranton/WB and one at home to Buffalo).

Running to the Top – The PawSox are 2^nd in the International League in Runs Scored with 279.  Durham is 1^st with 302. Pawtucket is 4^th in Team Batting (.260) and 2^nd in Team Pitching (3.61).

Defense Wins Championships – Pawtucket has played 5 straight errorless games (their longest stretch of the season) and they have made just 3 errors in their last 11 games since May 19.  As a result, they have moved into 2^nd-place in the league in Team Fielding Pct. at .980 (40 errors in 1974 total chances).  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is 1^st at .983.

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.

GOVS’ CUP: PAWSOX TAKE GAME 1

By: Mark Harriman, Senior Editor

PAWTUCKET (September 11)- The PawSox continued their September playoff run with a 7-2 victory over the Charlotte Knights in Game 1 of the 2012 Governor’s Cup series. Pawtucket was helped out by a combination of the long ball and a fluke first inning injury to Knights starting pitcher Charles Leesman.

Homers Make The Difference in a 7-2 Win

On the hill with a 1-0 lead under his belt in the bottom of the first, Leesman gave up back to back singles to leadoff hitter Nate Spears (2-5, 2 Runs) and Tony Thomas (2-4, HR), which brought J.C. Linares to the plate.

With his 11^th and final pitch of the night (7 strikes), Leesman induced a bouncer to Seth Loman at first. In the ensuing race for the bag, Leesman collided with Loman, who ultimately made the putout on Linares unassisted. Spears and Thomas moved up a base on the play.

But that collision sent Leesman (12-10, 2.47 ERA, 1.55 WHIP in 2012) sprawling to the ground, clutching his left knee. Down for several minutes , the lefty from Cincinnati, OH eventually struggled to his feet and left the field under his own power, though with the assist from two teammates.

Choosing to save his bullpen, Charlotte skipper Joel Skinner summoned his scheduled Wednesday starter Andre Rienzi (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 K, 3BB) from the bullpen. Given an unlimited warm-up time, the Brazilian righty took his time getting loose from several distances near the mound.

Given the delay and the total of two runs scored, it took 36 minutes to complete the first inning.

“It’s too bad for Leesman to have that happen to him,” said PawSox manager Arnie Beyeler after the game. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the league and to have something like that happen, that‘s no fun for anybody.”

Even less fun for Charlotte was the presence of Danny Valencia in the Pawtucket lineup. He greeted the Knights’ sudden long-relief man with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Spears and tied the game.

And it was Valencia who put the PawSox ahead to stay in his next at bat when he crushed an inside fastball from Rienzo over the Amica sign in left for a two run homer and a 3-1 lead.

The PawSox third baseman had been struggling in the playoffs thus far (2-15, .133BA), but he turned around his fortunes with his second homer of the playoffs and three RBI’s on the night.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright (1-0, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6K, 2 BB, 2.57 ERA) overcame a shaky first inning to retire 10 in a row before turning the ball over to Alex Wilson to start the 8^th. Josh Fields finished out the game for Pawtucket and smoked an 96 MPH 0-2 fastball by RF Brandon Short to end the game.

“In the first inning I kinda got a little excited. A little amped up. Started rushing,” Wright said standing in front of his locker in his red tee-shirt. “And once I rush it (the knuckleball) starts to stay up….Once I kinda calmed down and stayed back I was able to keep the ball down in the zone.”

Tony Thomas (HR, 2 RBI) and J.C. Linares (2-4, HR, RBI, 1 Run) put the game out of reach when they connected for back-to-back homers on consecutive pitches in the 3 run seventh inning.

PAWSOX Notes:

-RF Bryce Brentz continued his torrid hitting pace, going 2-3 with a double, triple, walk and run scored. Brentz is now batting .471 (8-17) in the 2012 playoffs.

-The PawSox look to take a 2-0 lead in the 80^th Governor’s Cup series tomorrow night at home. The two teams will travel to Charlotte for Game 3 on Thursday. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, will be played on Friday and Saturday at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC.

-The winner of this series will face the winner of the Pacific Coast League finals (Reno Aces vs. Omaha Storm Chasers) in the Triple A National Championship game in Durham, NC on September 18 (NBS Sports Network).

-Pawtucket last grabbed The Cup in 1984 when Tony Torchia guided the team to a five game victory over the Maine Guides. There are 16 players on the current roster who were not yet born in 1984. But P Nelson Figueroa was. He was 10 years old back then. at 38, he is the current graybeard in the locker room (Now that Scott Atchison is up in Boston).

-The PawSox also won The Cup in its 1973 inaugural season in the International League. Hall of Famer Jim Rice and his teammates bested Charleston that year.

-With tonight’s win, Pawtucket won its first Governors’ Cup game in 28 years, having been swept in the finals in 1991 (Columbus) and 2003 (Durham). It also marked its first home win during the series since September 10, 1978, a span of 34 years. All three PawSox wins in 1984 came on the road.

-International League President Randy Mobley was on-hand at McCoy to take in the festivities. He’ll be spending the day in the office tomorrow rather than stick around for Game 2. He’ll make the trip to Charlotte for Game 3 on Thursday.

-The International League’s Governors’ Cup was launched in 1933 and sponsored by the Governors of Maryland, New Jersey and New York, as well as the Lt. Governors of the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The original Cup was retired to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. The “new” trophy has been in circulation for 24 years.

HERNANDEZ GOES FOR PAW SOX IN GAME 2

SEPTEMBER 6^th      GOVERNORS’ CUP SEMI-FINALS   GAME 2  7:05 pm

 

SCRANTON/WB     at     PAWTUCKET        Pawtucket Leads Series  1-0

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barrre Yankees RHP Ramon Ortiz (13-6, 3.45)

Pawtucket Red Sox LHP Chris Hernandez (1-4, 3.59)  

 

PawSox Playoff Baseball – The 2012 IL Wild Card Champion Pawtucket Red Sox play Game 2 of this best 3 out of 5 semi-final series vs. the IL North Champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees tonight at 7:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox won the series-opener last night, 7-4 as they scored 7 unanswered runs to rally from an early 4-0 deficit in taking a 1-0 series lead.  The victory last night marked the first time Pawtucket has won Game 1 of a playoff series since taking Game 1 of the 2003 IL semi-final series in Ottawa on September 3, 2003 by a 4-3 score in 11-innings.  Pawtucket won Game 2 of that series the next night in Ottawa, 6-2 but eventually needed five games to eliminate the Lynx, 3 games to 2.  The PawSox had lost their last three playoff series-openers prior to last night (at Durham in the 2003 Governors’ Cup Finals, vs. Scranton/WB in the 2008 semis, and at LehighValley last year in the semi-final round).

This Playoff Series – Pawtucket finished 5-games behind Scranton/WB in the IL North division, but had the 4^th best record in the league to qualify for the post-season as the Wild Card.  In the league’s predetermined playoff format the Wild Card winner always plays the IL North winner in the first round of the playoffs – thus the PawSox and Yankees meet for the right to play for the coveted Governors’ Cup.  The division rivals play Game 2 tonight in Pawtucket.  After the game the teams will head to Rochester, NY where the series will shift tomorrow night to Frontier Field in Rochester (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s predominant home away from home this season) for Game 3 at 7:05 pm.  Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) would also be played in Rochester on Saturday at 7:05 pm and Sunday at 6:05 pm.

The Playoff Schedule – Best 3 out of 5 series for the right to advance to the Governors’ Cup Finals (from Sept. 11-15):

PawSox                                                                  Scranton/WB

Game 1      Wed.   7:05 pm in Pawtucket           Pawtucket wins, 7-4     WP Zach Stewart    LP John Maine    SV Jose De La Torre

Game 2      Thur.   7:05 pm in Pawtucket           LHP Chris Hernandez (1-4, 3.59)        vs.           RHP Ramon Ortiz (13-6, 3.45)

Game 3      Fri.       7:05 pm in Rochester           RHP Billy Buckner (8-6, 3.91)             vs.           LHP Michael O’Connor (3-6, 3.73)

Game 4*   Sat.       7:05 pm in Rochester           RHP Nelson Figueroa (12-5, 3.89)      vs.           LHP Vidal Nuno (NR)

Game 5*   Sun.      6:05 pm in Rochester           RHP Steven Wright (0-1, 3.15)           vs.           LHP Matt Tracy (1-0, 1.80)

* if necessary

***PAWSOX PLAYOFF TICKETS ON SALE***

Tickets for all possible 2012 PawSox playoff games at McCoy Stadium are on sale at the Box Office at McCoy.  Fans can also charge tickets with any major credit card by calling the PawSox at (401) 724-7300 or visiting the PawSox website at www.pawsox.com.  The PawSox are playing Game 2 of the Governors’ Cup semi-finals at McCoy tonight at 7:05 pm vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  If the PawSox go on to beat the Yankees, they will face either Charlotte or Indianapolis in the Governors’ Cup Finals with Games 1 and 2 of that championship series to be played at McCoy on September 11 and 12 both at 7:05 pm.

***POST-SEASON NOTES***

Post-Season Returns –While Pawtucket came up short this year in their attempt to capture back-to-back IL North regular-season titles for the first time in franchise-history, the PawSox did indeed qualify for the International League Playoffs for the second straight season.  The Sox, who won the IL North title in 2011, have been in the post-season in back-to-back years four other times in club-history…1977-78, 1986-87, 1991-92, and 1996-97.  They have never made the playoffs in three straight seasons.  Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler becomes just the third manager to ever lead the PawSox to the post-season in consecutive years following Joe Morgan in 1977-78 and Ed Nottle in 1986-87.

Let’s Try it Again – Prior to this season, the PawSox had last earned the IL Wild Card playoff berth in 2008 when they lost in the 1^st round of the playoffs to IL North Champion Scranton/WB.  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, meanwhile this season, won their 6^th IL North title in the last 7 years. They won five straight North Division crowns from 2006-2010 before the Sox broke that streak last year.  The Pawtucket and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchises are facing each other in the post-season for the third time.  The PawSox lost to the Scranton/WB Red Barons in 1992 and the Scranton/WB Yankees in 2008 (both series – which were in the semi-finals – finished 3 games to 1 in favor of Scranton/WB).

A Not So Happy Anniversary – Tomorrow night will mark the 4^th Anniversary of Pawtucket’s last playoff game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, prior to this week.  That game took place on September 7 of 2008 in Moosic, PA.  Shelley Duncan of the Yankees drilled a walk-off 2-run HR off PawSox reliever Edgar Martinez in the bottom of the 10^th-inning to end a terrific pitching duel between Phil Hughes of the Yanks and Bartolo Colon of the Sox and give the Yankees a 2-0 series-clinching victory to eliminate the PawSox, 3 games to 1 in the IL semi-finals.  Scranton/WB went on to win the 2008 Governors’ Cup.

Chchchchanges – Only 7 members of Pawtucket’s 2012 Opening Day (active) roster are still with the club in the post-season.  They are pitchers Will Inman, Tony Pena, Jr., Alex Wilson, INF Nate Spears, and outfielders Che-Hsuan Lin, Jason Repko, and Alex Hassan.  INF Tony Thomas, who is currently on the PawSox playoff roster, was on the Pawtucket disabled list to begin the year.  Furthermore, only 5 players who were on Pawtucket’s 2011 playoff roster are on the 2012 playoff roster – Pena, Wilson, catcher Dan Butler, Lin, and Thomas.

PAW SOX TAKE ON SCRANTON IN GAME 1 TONIGHT

SEPTEMBER 5^th      GOVERNORS’ CUP SEMI-FINALS            GAME 1  7:05 pm 

SCRANTON/WB (84-60)    at    PAWTUCKET (79-65)               Series Tied 0-0 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barrre Yankees RHP John Maine (8-5, 4.97) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Zach Stewart (3-5, 3.94)  

 

PawSox Playoff Baseball – The International League’s 80^th Annual Governors’ Cup Playoffs begin tonight when the 2012 IL Wild Card Champion Pawtucket Red Sox play Game 1 of this best 3 out of 5 semi-final series vs. the IL North Champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at 7:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox (79-65) finished 5-games behind Scranton/WB (84-60) in the IL North division, but in the league’s predetermined playoff format the Wild Card winner always plays the IL North winner in the first round of the playoffs – thus the PawSox and Yankees meet for the right to play for the coveted Governors’ Cup.  The division rivals play tonight and tomorrow night in Pawtucket for Games 1 and 2 (both at 7:05 pm) before the series shifts to Frontier Field in Rochester (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s predominant home away from home this season) on Friday night for Game 3 at 7:05 pm.  Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) would also be played in Rochester on Saturday at 7:05 pm and Sunday at 6:05 pm.

Post-Season Returns –While Pawtucket came up short this year in their attempt to capture back-to-back IL North regular-season titles for the first time in franchise-history, the PawSox did indeed qualify for the International League Playoffs for the second straight season.  The Sox, who won the IL North title in 2011, have been in the post-season in back-to-back years four other times in club-history…1977-78, 1986-87, 1991-92, and 1996-97.  They have never made the playoffs in three straight seasons.  Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler becomes just the third manager to ever lead the PawSox to the post-season in consecutive years following Joe Morgan in 1977-78 and Ed Nottle in 1986-87.

Let’s Try it Again – Prior to this season, the PawSox had last earned the IL Wild Card playoff berth in 2008 when they lost in the 1^st round of the playoffs to IL North Champion Scranton/WB.  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, meanwhile this season, has won their 6^th IL North title in the last 7 years. They won five straight North Division crowns from 2006-2010 before the Sox broke that streak last year.  The Pawtucket and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchises will be facing each other in the post-season for the third time.  The PawSox lost to the Scranton/WB Red Barons in 1992 and the Scranton/WB Yankees in 2008 (both series – which were in the semi-finals – finished 3 games to 1 in favor of Scranton/WB).

A Not So Happy Anniversary – This Friday night will mark the 4^th Anniversary of Pawtucket’s last playoff game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre which took place on September 7 of 2008 in Moosic, PA.  In that game Shelley Duncan of the Yankees drilled a walk-off 2-run HR off PawSox reliever Edgar Martinez in the bottom of the 10^th-inning to end a terrific pitching duel between Phil Hughes of the Yanks and Bartolo Colon of the Sox and give the Yankees a 2-0 series-clinching victory to eliminate the PawSox, 3 games to 1 in the IL semi-finals.  Scranton/WB went on to win the 2008 Governors’ Cup.

A Prelude to a Championship – After their best 3 out of 5 series this week, one of these teams will advance to the Governors’ Cup Championship next week.  If it’s the PawSox they will be in search of their 3^rd Cup but their first since 1984 while Scranton/WB would be going for their 2^nd Cup after capturing the Governors’ Cup for the only time in 2008.

PAW SOX PLAYOFFS BEGIN TONIGHT

FOR SEPTEMBER 5^th      GOVERNORS’ CUP SEMI-FINALS   GAME 1  7:05 pm

 

SCRANTON/WB (84-60)    at    PAWTUCKET (79-65)               Series Tied 0-0

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barrre Yankees RHP John Maine (8-5, 4.97) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Zach Stewart (3-5, 3.94)  

 

PawSox Playoff Baseball – The International League’s 80^th Annual Governors’ Cup Playoffs begin Wednesday night when the 2012 IL Wild Card Champion Pawtucket Red Sox play Game 1 of this best 3 out of 5 semi-final series vs. the IL North Champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at 7:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox (79-65) finished 5-games behind Scranton/WB (84-60) in the IL North division, but in the league’s predetermined playoff format the Wild Card winner always plays the IL North winner in the first round of the playoffs – thus the PawSox and Yankees meet for the right to play for the coveted Governors’ Cup.  The division rivals play Wednesday & Thursday nights in Pawtucket for Games 1 and 2 (both at 7:05 pm) before the series shifts to Frontier Field in Rochester (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s predominant home away from home this season) on Friday night for Game 3 at 7:05 pm.  Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) would also be played in Rochester on Saturday at 7:05 pm and Sunday at 6:05 pm.

Post-Season Returns –While Pawtucket came up short this year in their attempt to capture back-to-back IL North regular-season titles for the first time in franchise-history, the PawSox did indeed qualify for the International League Playoffs for the second straight season.  The Sox, who won the IL North title in 2011, have been in the post-season in back-to-back years four other times in club-history…1977-78, 1986-87, 1991-92, and 1996-97.  They have never made the playoffs in three straight seasons.  Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler becomes just the third manager to ever lead the PawSox to the post-season in consecutive years following Joe Morgan in 1977-78 and Ed Nottle in 1986-87.

Let’s Try it Again – Prior to this season, the PawSox had last earned the IL Wild Card playoff berth in 2008 when they lost in the 1^st round of the playoffs to IL North Champion Scranton/WB.  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, meanwhile this season, has won their 6^th IL North title in the last 7 years. They won five straight North Division crowns from 2006-2010 before the Sox broke that streak last year.  The Pawtucket and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchises will be facing each other in the post-season for the third time.  The PawSox lost to the Scranton/WB Red Barons in 1992 and the Scranton/WB Yankees in 2008 (both series – which were in the semi-finals – finished 3 games to 1 in favor of Scranton/WB).

A Not So Happy Anniversary – This Friday night will mark the 4^th Anniversary of Pawtucket’s last playoff game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre which took place on September 7 of 2008 in Moosic, PA.  In that game Shelley Duncan of the Yankees drilled a walk-off 2-run HR off PawSox reliever Edgar Martinez in the bottom of the 10^th-inning to end a terrific pitching duel between Phil Hughes of the Yanks and Bartolo Colon of the Sox and give the Yankees a 2-0 series-clinching victory to eliminate the PawSox, 3 games to 1 in the IL semi-finals.  Scranton/WB went on to win the 2008 Governors’ Cup.

A Prelude to a Championship – After their best 3 out of 5 series this week, one of these teams will advance to the Governors’ Cup Championship next week.  If it’s the PawSox they will be in search of their 3^rd Cup but their first since 1984 while Scranton/WB would be going for their 2^nd Cup after capturing the Governors’ Cup for the only time in 2008.