PAW SOX BATTLE CHIEFS TONIGHT

JUNE 9th PAWTUCKET (36-26) at SYRACUSE (26-35) 5:00 pm

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Brandon Workman (NR) vs. Syracuse Chiefs RHP Matt Torra (0-2, 6.19)

Quick Trip TONY – The Pawtucket Red Sox continue a quick 4-game series (and roadtrip) to Syracuse, NY tonight against the Syracuse Chiefs at NBT Bank Stadium. The 1st-place PawSox and the last-place Chiefs play tonight at 5:00 pm, tomorrow at 7:00 pm, and Tuesday morning at 10:30 am. The Sox will then enjoy their only off-day in the entire month of June on Wednesday before returning for McCoy for a 4-game series (and homestand) against Buffalo next Thursday – Sunday (June 13-16).

Series Loss (to Charlotte and Mother Nature) – The PawSox were rained-out Friday in their series and homestand finale vs. Charlotte. The game will not be made-up as the Sox and Knights do not face each other for the rest of the season. Pawtucket was hoping to gain a split of that 4-game series on Friday, but instead suffered their first series loss in six weeks as the Knights took the abbreviated set, 2 games to 1. 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. Pawtucket is now 5-3-8 in their first 16 series of the season (5 series wins, 3 series losses, and 8 series splits).

Comeback Kids – The last 5 PawSox wins have been come-from-behind victories as the Sox have allowed 1st-inning runs to their opposition in all 5 of those wins. Furthermore, 10 of Pawtucket’s last 12 victories since May 19 have been of the come-from-behind variety. On the season, 21 of their 36 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 36 of Pawtucket’s 62 games this season but somehow the PawSox have managed to win more games than they lose when the opposition jumps to an early lead (Sox are 19-17 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 17-9 when they score first in a game this season. Last year they were 54-21 in that category.

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.

BUCKNER ON THE MOUND FOR PAW SOX TODAY

AUGUST 9^th                SYRACUSE (57-61)     at    PAWTUCKET (65-53)       12:05 pm    

Syracuse Chiefs RHP Jeff Mandel (2-4, 3.51) vs.Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Billy Buckner (4-5, 4.48)

 Weekday Matinee – The Pawtucket Red Sox, who fell into 2^nd-place (-½ GB of the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees) last night,  and the Syracuse Chiefs conclude their season-series against each other today with a matinee affair at 12:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox are 17-8 in day games this season and they have won their last 6 afternoon games in a row (since an 8-5 loss in LehighValley on July 1).  After today the Sox have just four more afternoon games for the remainder of the season – on Saturday, August 18 at Fenway and Sunday, August 19 at McCoy both vs. Buffalo; Sunday, August 26 in Charlotte; and the final regular-season game of the year on Labor Day Monday, September 3 vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at McCoy.

Until Next Year -  The PawSox and Syracuse are facing each other for the final time in 2012 today in what is their third series against each other in about a month span – all here at McCoy Stadium.  Syracuse took game one of this 2-game set last night,   10-2 (matching Pawtucket’s worst loss of the season) but the PawSox still have a 9-6 lead in the season-series vs. the Chiefs (5-2 here at McCoy) with the finale on tap for today. Syracuse was the last team to come to Pawtucket this season when they played their first game of the year at McCoy on July 7.  The PawSox swept that series on July 7-8.  They met again a week later for a 4-game set from July 16-19 at McCoy with the Sox taking 3 of 4 in that series.  And now they play their final game against each other today here at McCoy.  These two IL North rivals first met in 2012 for a 4-game series in Syracuse from April 16-19 with the PawSox sweeping that series.  Two months later from June 18-21, also in Syracuse, the Chiefs returned the favor by sweeping that 4-game set from the PawSox.

Win Some, Lose Some – In the last three weeks, the PawSox have not been able to win more than two in a row or lose more than two in a row.  Since a 3-game winning streak from July 15-17, the Sox have won back-to-back games four different times (including this past Sunday & Monday before last night’s loss) and they have lost back-to-back games only once (August 1 & 2).  Over a longer stretch the Sox have won 14 of their last 23 games and are 16-12 following a 4-16 tailspin from June 18 – July 6.

Home Improvement – The Sox have won 5 of 7 at home and Pawtucket has won 8 of their last 11 games at McCoy since July 15 after losing 11 of 15 at home from June 22 – July 14.

***If the Season Ended Today - Right now it would be Pawtucket as the IL Wild Card vs. Scranton/WB as the IL North Champ but that could change as early as tonight as the PawSox and Yankees are separated by just a ½-game in the IL North standings.  Both the Sox and Yanks have little breathing room in the wild card race as LehighValley is -1½ GB and Columbus is -2½ GB of the PawSox in the chase for the wild card.

View From the Top – In eight days thus far this month, the PawSox have been in 2^nd-place (right now by a ½-game), alone in 1^st-place four times (last Friday and Sunday – Tuesday), and in a virtual tie for 1^st-place with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre three times on August 1, 2, and 4.  Their largest lead while in 1^st-place this month has been 1-game (the Sox are currently -½-game).  From July 17-31 the PawSox were either in 1^st-place and +½-game or in 2^nd-place and –½-game in the division every day during that stretch.

This Homestand – The PawSox are 3-2 on this 6-game homestand that concludes today.  Pawtucket took 3 of 4 from LehighValley over the wrap-around weekend.  After today’s game the PawSox will head to Rochester and will spend the wrap-around weekend in New York.  It will begin with a 2-game series in Rochester tomorrow and Saturday nights (both at 7:05 pm) before moving to Buffalo for 2-games on Sunday (6:05 pm) and Monday nights (7:05 pm – Live on NESN).  Pawtucket will be right back to McCoy for a huge 9-game homestand this coming Tuesday that will feature 5-games vs. Scranton/WB (including a make-up doubleheader on Aug. 15 at 5:35 pm) along with the Future’s at Fenway game on Saturday, August 18 vs. Buffalo at approximately 4:35 pm.  The homestand will last from August 14-21 after which the Sox will have just four regular-season home games remaining (August 31 – September 3).

ZACH STEWART LOOKS TO CLOSE OUT THE SERIES

JULY 19^th                  SYRACUSE (45-52)     at     PAWTUCKET (54-45)        12:05 pm   

 

Syracuse Chiefs RHP Tanner Roark (4-12, 5.54) vs.Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Zach Stewart (1-1, 3.74) 

Triple Figures – The Pawtucket Red Sox – who had their 3-game winning streak snapped last night – play Game #100 of the season this afternoon against the Syracuse Chiefs at 12:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox are 54-45 after 99 games this season.  Last year they were 56-44 after 100 games (July 22) and in 2^nd-place, -1 GB.  

Matinee Baseball – The PawSox – who have won 5 of their last 9 games following 4-16 tailspin – look to win a series outright when they play the finale of their 4-game set against Syracuse this afternoon.  Today marks the first of two weekday afternoon home affairs on what is hailed as Park & Recreation Day at McCoy (the other in three weeks on Thursday, August 9 at 12:05 pm also vs. Syracuse).  The PawSox have won 7 games in the month of July (going 7-9 thus far) and 4 of those have been against Syracuse in 5 tries.  Syracuse was the last team to visit McCoy this season when they came to town for a 2-game series (July 7 & 8) – swept by the PawSox by scores of 3-2 and 4-1.  The Chiefs returned to Pawtucket on Monday and so far Pawtucket has a 2 games to 1 lead…beating the Chiefs, 8-5 and 8-3 before Syracuse got on the board with a 5-1 victory last night.

Sweep Dreams – The PawSox and Syracuse have met for three different series this season and all three ended in sweeps, although this one will not.  Pawtucket swept a 4-game set in Syracuse from April 16-19, the Chiefs returned the favor when they swept 4-games in Syracuse from June 18-21, and the PawSox most recently swept a 2-game set at McCoy on July 7 & 8.  The Sox are up 2-1 in this current 4-game series.  After this series the clubs will meet for one more 2-game set on August 8 & 9 at McCoy to conclude the season-series.

This Homestand – From July 12 (just after the All-Star break) through Labor Day, September 3 the PawSox are playing their final 52 games of the regular-season in 54 days (3-4 thus far).  This 8-game home stand (3-4) concludes today and will end a stretch of 20 PawSox home games out of 26 games overall from June 22 – July 19.  After today the Sox will play 12 of their next 14 games on the road from July 20 – August 2.

The Race is On – The PawSox remained within a ½-game of the 1^st-place Lehigh Valley IronPigs and held onto their IL wild card lead by a ½-game over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as all three contenders lost last night. (The Sox had trailed by a ½-game in the wild card race from Saturday – Monday).  Until this past Saturday when they fell into 3^rd-place behind the Yankees, the PawSox had been either in 1^st-place or owners of the IL wild card since April 16.  Norfolk is next in the wild card chase and only –3 GB while Buffalo is -3½ GB and Rochester & Columbus are -4½ GB.  The PawSox have 45 games remaining in the regular-season as they bid to defend their IL North title from 2011.  Head-to-head match-ups between the three top teams in the division will go a long way in determining who emerges with a playoff spot(s) as the PawSox face Lehigh Valley 6 more times (4 home & 2 away) and Scranton/WB 12 more times (10 at home although the Sox will be the “away” team in 4 of those & 2 legit road games).

Familiar Foes –Pawtucket is playing exclusively against their IL North rivals for the remainder of their home schedule (June 29 vs. Charlotte was their last home game of the year vs. a team from outside the North).  Their 30-21 record within the IL North is tied for the best of any team in the league inside their own division (Indy is 26-17 in the IL West).  The Sox do have road trips outside the division as they go to Louisville and Indianapolis of the IL West later this week from July 20-27 and later in the season travel to Charlotte and Gwinnett of the IL South from August 23-30.  

Three-peat – Pawtucket recently won 3 straight games from Sunday – Tuesday for the first time in a month…since a 5-game winning streak from June 12-17.  They could not make it 4 in a row as they fell to Syracuse last night.

Trying to Turn the Beat Around – The PawSox are 5-4 in their last 9 games but they have still lost 20 of their last 29 games since June 18 and have gone from 1^st-place and 5-games up in the IL North on June 17 (equaling their largest lead of the season) to 2^nd-place and a ½-game behind 1^st-place Lehigh Valley as a result.  Their 3-game deficit on July 3, 5, and 6 equaled the furthest they had been out of 1^st-place all season (also -3 GB on April 15 & 16).  They had been in either 1^st-place or 2^nd-place every day since April 13 until falling into 3^rd on Saturday.  They returned to 2^nd-place on Tuesday.  Pawtucket was alone atop the division from May 5 – June 25.

Series Setback - The PawSox had dropped a series 6-times in their last 7 tries since June 18 until this current series.  Their only winner in that span was a 2-game sweep of Syracuse on July 7 & 8.  They are up 2 games to 1 in this set vs. the Chiefs.

First and Last Were Fun – Pawtucket and Syracuse have met for a pair of 4-game series (those coming in Syracuse) and a 2-game set here at McCoy.  The first was a 4-game sweep for the PawSox from April 16-19 as the Sox won three close ones…4-3, 1-0, and 6-1 in 11-innings and then completed the sweep with an 11-7 victory on April 19.  Two months later, Syracuse returned the favor sweeping the Sox in a 4-game set from June 18-21.  The Chiefs won those four by scores of 11-7, 4-3, 6-5 (in 11-innings), and 3-1 to complete the sweep on June 21.  The teams will not play in Syracuse again this season.  Most recently, the PawSox swept a 2-game set here at McCoy with 3-2 and 4-1 wins on July 7 & July 8.  Pawtucket has taken an 8-5 lead in the overall season-series by virtue of their 8-5 and 8-3 wins to begin this series before a 5-1 defeat last night.

Stats vs. Chiefs – The PawSox are hitting .271 in the 13 games vs. Syracuse thus far (124-for-457) with 17 HR (4 by Tony Thomas, 3 by Ryan Lavarnway, 3 by Nate Spears, and 1 each by Alex Hassan, Mauro Gomez, J.C. Linares, and Mike Rivera among active PawSox).  Sox pitchers are 8-5 with a 3.53 ERA vs. the Chiefs (46 ER in 117.1 IP) with 10 HRA.  Pawtucket has out-scored Syracuse, 62-51.

When the Going Gets Tough – The PawSox had a 9-game losing streak (the third longest in club-history) from June 18-26 which was preceded by a 5-game winning streak (from June 18-26).  They have now lost 20 of their last 29 overall – including 8 of 10 on the road and 12 of their last 19 home games.

MATHIS ON THE MOUND FOR PAW SOX TONIGHT

SYRACUSE (44-51)     at     PAWTUCKET (53-44)        7:05 pm      

 

Syracuse Chiefs RHP Yunesky Maya (6-7, 3.68) vs.Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Doug Mathis (6-6, 4.23)   

Hail to the Chiefs – The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Syracuse Chiefs play game two of their 4-game series tonight at 7:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox have won 6 games in the month of July and three of those have been against Syracuse in three tries.  The Sox are 3-0 vs. the Chiefs this month but 3-8 against the rest of the IL thus far in July.  Syracuse was the last team to visit McCoy this season when they came to town just over a week ago for a 2-game series (July 7 & 8) – swept by the PawSox by scores of 3-2 and 4-1.  The Chiefs are back now for a longer stretch as the teams play a 4-game set continuing tonight and tomorrow at 7:05 pm and the finale on Thursday a matinée at 12:05 pm.  Pawtucket got the jump in this series by holding off the Chiefs, 8-5 last night.

Sweep Dreams – The PawSox and Syracuse have met for three different series this season and all three ended in sweeps… Pawtucket swept a 4-game set in Syracuse from April 16-19, the Chiefs returned the favor when they swept 4-games in Syracuse from June 18-21, and the PawSox most recently swept a 2-game set at McCoy on July 7 & 8.  The Sox – up 1-0 in this current 4-game series – will have to win the next three games in a row this week to post yet another sweep.  After this current series the clubs will meet for one more 2-game set on August 8 & 9 at McCoy to conclude the season-series.

This Homestand – From July 12 (just after the All-Star break) through Labor Day, September 3 the PawSox are playing their final 52 games of the regular-season in 54 days (2-3 thus far).  This 8-game home stand (2-3) continues through Thursday afternoon and will end a stretch of 20 PawSox home games out of 26 games overall from June 22 – July 19.  After Thursday the Sox will play 12 of their next 14 games on the road from July 20 – August 2.

The Race is On – The PawSox remain -1½ GB of the 1^st-place Lehigh Valley IronPigs and for the third straight day Pawtucket trails Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by a ½-game in the wild card race.  Until this past Saturday when they fell behind the Yankees, the PawSox had been either in 1^st-place or owners of the IL wild card since April 16.  Norfolk is next in the wild card chase and only –2½ GB while Buffalo is -4 GB and Columbus -5 GB.  The PawSox have 47 games remaining in the regular-season as they bid to defend their IL North title from 2011.  And head-to-head between the three top teams in the division will go a long way in determining who emerges with a playoff spot(s) as the PawSox face Lehigh Valley 6 more times (4 home & 2 away) and Scranton/WB 12 more times (10 at home although the Sox will be the “away” team in 4 of those & 2 legit road games).

Familiar Foes –Pawtucket is playing exclusively against their IL North rivals for the remainder of their home schedule (June 29 vs. Charlotte was their last home game of the year vs. a team from outside the North).  Their 29-20 record within the IL North is tied with Indianapolis for the best of any team in the league inside their own division (Indy is 26-17 in the IL West).  The Sox do have road trips outside the division as they go to Louisville and Indianapolis of the IL West later this week from July 20-27 and later in the season travel to Charlotte and Gwinnett of the IL South from August 23-30.  

Repeat Performance – Pawtucket has presently won back-to-back games for only the second time in a month’s time.  The Sox beat Buffalo, 5-4 in 13-innings on Sunday and bested Syracuse, 8-5 last night.  The Sox also won two in a row on July 7 & 8 here at home vs. Syracuse before the break.  Those mark the only two times they have won back-to-back games since a 5-game winning streak from June 12-17.

Trying to Turn the Beat Around – The PawSox – despite being 4-3 in their last 7 games – have still lost 19 of their last 27 games since June 18 and have gone from 1^st-place and 5-games up in the IL North on June 17 (equaling their largest lead of the season) to 3^rd-place and 1½-games behind 1^st-place Lehigh Valley as a result.  Their 3-game deficit on July 3, 5, and 6 equaled the furthest they had been out of 1^st-place all season (also -3 GB on April 15 & 16).  They had been in either 1^st-place or 2^nd-place every day since April 13 until falling into 3^rd on Saturday.  Pawtucket was alone atop the division from May 5 – June 25.

Series Setback - The PawSox have dropped a series 6 times in their last 7 tries since June 18.  Their only winner in that span was a 2-game sweep of Syracuse on July 7 & 8.  They are up 1 game to 0 in this set vs. the Chiefs.

First and Last Were Fun – Pawtucket and Syracuse have met for a pair of 4-game series (those coming in Syracuse) and a 2-game set here at McCoy.  The first was a 4-game sweep for the PawSox from April 16-19 as the Sox won three close ones…4-3, 1-0, and 6-1 in 11-innings and then completed the sweep with an 11-7 victory on April 19.  Two months later, Syracuse returned the favor sweeping the Sox in a 4-game set from June 18-21.  The Chiefs won those four by scores of 11-7, 4-3, 6-5 (in 11-innings), and 3-1 to complete the sweep on June 21.  The teams will not play in Syracuse again this season.  Most recently, the PawSox swept a 2-game set here at McCoy with 3-2 and 4-1 wins on July 7 & July 8.

Stats vs. Chiefs – The PawSox are hitting .266 in the 11 games vs. Syracuse thus far (105-for-394) with 16 HR (4 by Tony Thomas, 3 by Ryan Lavarnway, 2 by Nate Spears, and 1 each by Alex Hassan, Mauro Gomez, J.C. Linares, and Mike Rivera among active PawSox).  Sox pitchers are 7-4 with a 3.53 ERA vs. the Chiefs (39 ER in 99.1 IP) with 8 HRA.  Pawtucket has out-scored Syracuse, 53-43.

When the Going Gets Tough – The PawSox had a 9-game losing streak (the third longest in club-history) from June 18-26 which was preceded by a 5-game winning streak (from June 18-26).  They have now lost 19 of their last 27 overall – including 8 of 10 on the road and 11 of their last 17 home games.

PAW SOX HOPE DUCKWORTH CAN STOP SLIDE

JULY 15^th     BUFFALO (49-45)     at     PAWTUCKET (51-44)        1:05 pm      

 

Buffalo Bisons RHP Colin McHugh (1-2, 4.56) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Brandon Duckworth (8-2, 3.45)   

Sweep Apnea – The Pawtucket Red Sox hope to avert a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Buffalo Bisons when they play the finale of their 4-game set today at 1:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.  The PawSox have given up 8 runs in each of the first three games of the series suffering 8-5, 8-2, and 8-2 defeats the past three nights.  Pawtucket will be trying to avoid payback from the Bisons today as the Sox swept a 4-game set in Buffalo just over a month ago (June 14-17) and this afternoon Buffalo can accomplish that same feat here at McCoy.  The PawSox were swept in back-to-back series at Syracuse and home vs.Louisville from June 18-25.  The sweep by Louisville here at McCoy from June 22-25 wasPawtucket’s first 4-game sweep suffered at McCoy in almost seven years (since July 2-5 of the 2005 season vs.Charlotte).

Always a Battle vs. Buffalo - The all-time series between Pawtucket and Buffalo has gone back and forth of late and now it  is Buffalo with a 2-game advantage – 118 victories to 116.  These two rivals have battled for 14½ years now since the Bisons returned to the IL in 1998.  The PawSox are 62-55 at McCoy vs. the Bisons but 54-63 in Buffalo since ’98.  After today these teams will meet again for a 2-game set in Buffalo on August 12 & 13 and then later that week play another 2-game series featuring the Future’s Game at Fenway Park on August 18 and a game at McCoy the next day in the final meeting between the clubs this season.

This Series and Homestand - Starting this past Thursday night the PawSox are playing their final 52 games of the regular-season in 54 days through Labor Day September 3.  This 4-game series against Buffalo concludes this afternoon at 1:05 pm. The 8-game home stand (0-3 thus far) will continue tomorrow with a 4-game series against the Syracuse Chiefs (the first three games on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday all at 7:05 pm with the series and home stand finale on Thursday at 12:05 pm).

Wild One No More – The PawSox remained -2½ GB of the 1^st-place Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, butPawtucket’s lead in the IL wild card is no longer as they now trail Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by a ½-game in the wild card race. Buffalo (winners of 7 in a row – the longest current winning streak in the IL) is next in the wild card chase and only –2 GB while Norfolk is -2½ GB

Familiar Foes –Pawtucket is playing exclusively against their IL North rivals for the remainder of their home schedule (June 29 vs.Charlotte was their last home game of the year vs. a team from outside the North).  Their 27-20 record within the IL North is no longer the best any team in the league has inside their own division.  The Sox do have road trips outside the division as they go to Louisville and Indianapolis of the IL West from July 20-27 and to Charlotte and Gwinnett of the IL South from August 23-30.  

Three Down – The PawSox have presently lost three straight for the first time since their 9-game losing streak from June 18-26. Pawtucket won two in a row last weekend vs.Syracuse before the break, but they have lost all three games following the break.  Their modest 2-game winning on July 7 & 8 marked the first time in exactly three weeks that they won back-to-back games (since a 5-game winning streak from June 12-17).

Series Setback – The PawSox have already lost this series to Buffalo no matter the outcome today so they have dropped a series for the 6^th time in their last 7 tries.

Buffalo Was Beautiful – The PawSox rolled into Buffalo about one month ago and left on June 17 riding high after a 4-game sweep of the Bisons put them a season-high 20-games over .500 (45-25) and with a season-high 5-game lead atop the division.  Since that point, however, the PawSox are 6-19 and have lost 7½-games in the standings. Pawtucket is now 6-5 vs. the Bisons this season (5-1 in Buffalo but 1-4 here in Pawtucket).

Stats vs. Bisons – The PawSox are hitting .276 in the 11 games vs.Buffalo thus far (108-for-391) with 8 HR.  Sox pitchers are   6-5 with a 4.08 ERA vs. the Bisons (45 ER in 99.1 IP) with 13 HRA. Pawtucket has out-scored Buffalo, 59-53.

Trying to Turn the Beat Around – The PawSox have lost 19 of their last 25 games since June 18 and have gone from 1^st-place and 5-games up in the IL North on June 17 (equaling their largest lead of the season) to 3^rd-place and 2½-games behind 1^st-place Lehigh Valley as a result of this tailspin.  Their 3-game deficit (on July 3, 5, and 6) equaled the furthest they had been out of 1^st-place all season (also -3 GB on April 15 & 16).  They had been in either 1^st-place or 2^nd-place every day since April 13 until now (after being temporarily tied for 3^rd on April 12).  The Sox trail 2^nd-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by a ½-game for the IL wild card. Pawtucket had been alone atop the division from May 5 – June 25.

When the Going Gets Tough – The PawSox had a 9-game losing streak (the third longest in club-history) from June 18-26 which was preceded by a 5-game winning streak (from June 18-26).  They have now lost 19 of their last 25 overall – including 8 of 10 on the road and 11 of their last 15 home games.

Crunching the Numbers – Since June 18, PawSox pitchers are 6-19 with a 4.15 ERA (104 ER in 225.2 IP) while the Sox are hitting .256 (222-for-867) with 19 HR.  As a result, Pawtucket’s Team ERA has gone from 3.49 on June 17 to 3.67 (it was a season-high 3.68 on June 26) while the Team Batting Average has gone from .275 to .270 (it was .269 on July 2 & 3 – their lowest since May 31 at .267).  Pawtucket has been out-scored during their last 25 games by a 123-89 margin

PAW SOX LOOK TO TURN IT AROUND

JULY 2^nd                     ROCHESTER (38-45)     at    PAWTUCKET (47-38)      6:15 pm     

Rochester Red Wings RHP Samuel Deduno (1-1, 2.57) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Zach Stewart (1-0, 1.59)  

Home for the Holidays (Almost) – The Pawtucket Red Sox return to McCoy Stadium (after a quick weekend in Lehigh Valley that featured a sensational Saturday but a sobering Sunday) to play the Rochester Red Wings in a pair of pre-holiday games tonight and tomorrow night both at 6:15 pm with fireworks to follow each game.  These two nights represent the start of a 5-game home and home series between the PawSox and Red Wings as the clubs will head toRochester,NY for three more games this Wednesday (July 4) through Friday nights at Frontier Field.  The PawSox will be right back at McCoy after that for a 2-game weekend series against the Syracuse Chiefs on Saturday (6:05 pm) and Sunday (1:05 pm) leading to the Triple-A All-Star break (July 9-11).

Headed in the Wrong Direction – The PawSox – losers of 13 of their last 15 games since June 18 – have gone from 1^st-place and 5-games up in the IL North on June 17 (equaling their largest lead of the season) to 2^nd-place and 2-games behind 1^st-place Lehigh Valley as a result of this tailspin.  It represents the furthest they have been out since April 17 when they were also –2 GB.   Pawtucket’s largest 1^st-place deficit of the season was 3-games on April 15 & 16.  They have also been in 1^st-place or 2^nd-place every day since April 13 and were tied for 3^rd on April 12.  The Sox only have a ½-game lead on 3^rd-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  The good news is the PawSox still own the IL wild card. Pawtucket had been alone atop the division from May 5 – June 25.

Don’t Leave Home Without It –Pawtucket is coming off a busy weekend inAllentown,PA as they dropped 2 of 3 games againstLehighValley in just over 24 hours.  When last they left McCoy (on Friday night), the PawSox were reeling following a difficult 8-game homestand that saw them get swept in a 4-game series by Louisville and then drop 3 of 4 against Charlotte.  The Sox went 1-7 on the homestand – their worst since July 9-19 of 2009 when they also went 1-7 during an 8-game stand.  Beginning tonight, the PawSox will be home for 12 of their next 15 games through July 19.

North Bound –Pawtucket has the best record within their division of any team in the International League.  The PawSox are 23-14 vs. their IL North rivals.  The next 15 PawSox games are all vs. IL North rivals through July 19 as the Sox playRochester (5),Syracuse (2),Buffalo (4), andSyracuse again (4) before traveling toLouisville on July 20.

Season Series vs. Red Wings Thus Far –Pawtucket leads the season-series over the Red Wings by a 5-2 margin.  These two teams met for a 3-game series inRochester from April 11-13 with the PawSox taking 2 of 3 (losing the opener 2-1 but winning 10-1 and 4-3).  One month later the clubs played a 4-game set at McCoy Stadium from May 7-10 withPawtucket winning 3 of 4 at home (4-0, 5-2, and 7-6 with a 3-1 loss in game two mixed in).  The teams will play five straight games against each other this week.

Stats vs. the Wings – Pawtucket is hitting .262 in the 7 games vs. Rochester this season (60-for-229) with 3 HR (Lin, Middlebrooks, and Nava – the latter two now in Boston).  PawSox pitchers are 5-2 with a 2.32 ERA vs. the Wings (16 ER in 62 IP).  Pawtucket has outscored Rochester, 32-17 thus far.

When the Going Gets Tough – The PawSox had a 9-game losing streak (the third longest in club-history) from June 18-26 which was preceded by a 5-game winning streak (from June 18-26).  They have now lost 13 of their last 15 overall – including 6 of 7 on the road and 7 of their last 8 home games.

BUCKNER LOOKS TO STOP DROUGHT

JUNE 21^st      PAWTUCKET (45-28)     at     SYRACUSE   (35-37)        7:00 pm      

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Billy Buckner (1-1, 10.54) vs. Syracuse Chiefs LHP John Lannan (5-6, 4.91)   

 

Sweep Apnea – The Pawtucket Red Sox – who have lost three straight games for the first time in a month (since a 4-game losing streak from May 17-20) – look to avert a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Syracuse Chiefs when they play the series and roadtrip finale tonight at 7:00 pm at Alliance Bank Stadium.  The PawSox have been faced with this similar situation twice before this season and both times come up with victories in a series finale to avoid a 4-game sweep.  The first came on April 30 inColumbus when the Sox won, 6-4 after losing the first three games to the Clippers.  The very next series the Sox again lost the first three games this time inToledo but they came up with a 5-2 win in the series finale on May 4. Pawtucket needs a win tonight to avoid suffering their first 4-game sweep in just over two years…since they were swept in a 4-game series inIndianapolis from June 8-11 of 2010.  The PawSox have swept three different 4-game sets this season and ironically one came in their other visit toSyracuse earlier this season as they swept the Chiefs in four straight games back on April 16-19.

Series Loss – No matter the outcome tonight, the PawSox have already suffered just their third series loss all season (in 21 tries) as they have been beaten by the Chiefs, 11-7, 4-3, and 6-5 in 11-innings the past three nights to begin this series.  Prior to this, the PawSox had dropped just two series all season and those came from April 27-30 inColumbus (losing 3 of 4) and May 1-4 inToledo (also dropping 3 of 4).  The Sox are now 10-3-8 in their 21 series played to date…10 winners, 3 losers, and 8 splits.

Turn the Beat Around – These three defeats – which come on the heels of a 5-game winning streak – mark the first time the Sox have suffered a 3-game losing skid since May 17-20 when they dropped four in a row.  The PawSox have had two season-high 4-game losing streaks – from April 25-29 and May 17-20.

This Trip – The PawSox are 4-3 on this 8-game roadtrip as they swept a 4-game series in Buffalo to begin the trip this past Thursday – Sunday but have lost the first three games here in Syracuse.  Despite losing the three games in Syracuse, Pawtucket is still 13-5 in New York this season.  They are in the final stage of their third trip to New York already this season.  The Sox will return to upstate NY in two weeks for a 3-game series in Rochester from July 4-6.  Pawtucket went 7-2 on their first trip to upstate New York from April 11-19 (2-1 in Rochester, 1-1 in Buffalo, and 4-0 in Syracuse).  They made a quirky visit to New York on the weekend of May 5 and 6^th when they swept a 2-game series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre – playing the first game inBatavia,NY and then the next day inRochester,NY.  They are 4-3 thus far inBuffalo (4-0) andSyracuse (0-3) last week and this.

What Have You Done for Me Lately –Pawtucket has lost three in a row but they have still won 5 of their last 8 games, 11 of their last 17, and 6 of their last 9 road games.  Until Monday & Tuesday inSyracuse, they had not lost back-to-back away games since a 4-game road losing streak from May 17-20.  They have also won 15 of their last 22 home games dating back to May 9. Pawtucket is 29-15 overall since May 4.

Still the Best - The Sox have maintained the best record in the International League at 45-28 (1½-games better thanIndianapolis) for the better part of the past month.

North Bound –Pawtucket, by far and away, has the best record within their division of any team in the International League.  The PawSox are 22-11 vs. their IL North rivals including a stellar 15-6 mark at IL North cities.  The PawSox are playing 26 of 34 games vs. IL North rivals from June 14 – July 19…the only exception in this stretch occurs during their upcoming homestand tomorrow through June 29 (four games each vs.Louisville andCharlotte).

PAW SOX LOOK TO END SKID

JUNE 20^th                   PAWTUCKET (45-27)     at     SYRACUSE (34-37)        7:00 pm      

 

Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Justin Germano (8-3, 2.49) vs. Syracuse Chiefs RHP Mitch Atkins (5-5, 4.31)     

Chiefs Choice – The Pawtucket Red Sox – who have lost back-to-back games for only the third time in a month’s time – look to get on the board in this series when they play game three of their 4-game set against the Syracuse Chiefs tonight at 7:00 pm at Alliance Bank Stadium.  The PawSox have been beaten by the Chiefs, 11-7 and 4-3 the past two nights and need a victory tonight to avoid a 3-game losing skid for the first time since May 17-20 when they dropped four in a row.  They have lost two straight just three times since then…May 31 & June 2, June 8-9, and now June 18-19.  The defeats the past two nights come on the heels of a 5-game winning streak (June 12-17). Pawtucket andSyracuse play tonight and tomorrow night to conclude this series andPawtucket’s roadtrip.

This Series and Trip – The PawSox are 4-2 on this 8-game roadtrip as they swept a 4-game series inBuffalo to begin the trip this past Thursday – Sunday but have lost the first two games here inSyracuse. Pawtucket needs to win tonight and tomorrow night to gain a split of the set and avoid only their third series loss all season.  The PawSox have dropped just two series all season and those came from April 27-30 inColumbus (losing 3 of 4) and May 1-4 inToledo (also dropping 3 of 4).  The Sox are 10-2-8 in their 20 series played to date…10 winners, 2 losers, and 8 splits.

We Love New York – Despite losing the past two games in Syracuse, Pawtucket is still 13-4 in New York this season.  They are in the final stages of their third trip to New York already this season.  The Sox will return to upstate NY in two weeks for a 3-game series in Rochester from July 4-6.  Pawtucket went 7-2 on their first trip to upstate New York from April 11-19 (2-1 in Rochester, 1-1 in Buffalo, and 4-0 in Syracuse) and then made a strange but true sojourn to New York on the weekend of May 5 and 6^th when they swept a 2-game series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre – playing the first game in Batavia, NY and then the next day in Rochester, NY.  They are 4-2 thus far inBuffalo (4-0) andSyracuse (0-2) last week and this week.

What Have You Done for Me Lately –Pawtucket has lost two in a row but they have still won 5 of their last 7 games, 11 of their last 16, and 6 of their last 8 road games.  Until Monday & Tuesday inSyracuse, they had not lost back-to-back away games since a 4-game road losing streak from May 17-20.  They have also won 15 of their last 22 home games dating back to May 9. Pawtucket is 29-14 overall since May 4.  The Sox have maintained the best record in the International League at 45-27 (2½-games better thanIndianapolis) for the better part of the past month.

North Bound –Pawtucket, by far and away, has the best record within their division of any team in the International League.  The PawSox are 22-10 vs. their IL North rivals including a stellar 15-5 mark at IL North cities.  The PawSox are playing 26 of 34 games vs. IL North rivals from June 14 – July 19…the only exception in this stretch occurs during their upcoming homestand from June 22-29 (four games each vs.Louisville andCharlotte). Pawtucket returns to McCoy on Friday night for that 8-game homestand as they will play 12 of their final 18 games before the All-Star break at McCoy starting this Friday through July 8.

Offensive Surge – The PawSox had scored at least 4 runs in each of their first 16 games in June (since being shutout byNorfolk, 2-0 on May 31) before losing toSyracuse, 4-3 on Tuesday night.  The PawSox have scored 104 runs in 17 games in June (6.1 runs per game).  The Sox have reached double figures in hits in each of their last 5 games and are batting .301 in those 5 games (55-for-183) with 10 HR.

Lead the Way -Pawtucket leads the league with 663 hits, 377 runs scored (next closest team isColumbus with 331), and 83 HR, while their team batting average (.275) is the best in the IL by 14 points over Scranton/WB (.261).  The Sox on-base pct. (.350) and slugging pct. (.447) are also tops in the IL by a wide margin.  PawSox batters also lead the IL with 28 sacrifice flies.

Sneak a Peak – The PawSox reached their season-high of 20-games above .500 (at 45-25) on Sunday but are now 18-games over (45-27).  Pawtucket peaked at 20-games above .500 last year on the final day of the regular-season as they finished 2011 with an 81-61 record (two games were cancelled due to weather).  The Sox also owned their largest 1^st-place lead of the season (+5-games) from Friday – Sunday but now lead by 4-games.

Home Sweet Home – After this current roadtrip, the PawSox will play 20 of their next 26 games at home at McCoy Stadium. The PawSox recently completed a stretch that had them playing 16 home games in 20 days from May 24 – June 12 (going 12-8 in those). Pawtucket has the 3^rd best home record in the league at 24-12 behindLehighValley (26-9) andIndianapolis (24-9).