PAWSOX UPDATE
By Eddie Pannone
Pawtucket currently has seven players in Boston. This is good or bad, depending on how you look at it. It is good because many of the players have filled in nicely for the injured Red Sox. They would certainly be out of contention if it wasn’t for the Navas and McDonalds of the world. But, it is a bad thing because Pawtucket is rapidly falling out of the playoff race. They are currently 11.5 games behind the first place Yankees. What factors have contributed to this? Well, the call ups have been the biggest thing. Without McDonald, who’s been up pretty much the entire season, and Daniel Nava, the PawSox lack a consistent power hitting threat. This leads into their second issue, hitting. Pawtucket is one of the worst hitting teams in the I.L. They have hit the third least homeruns and are last in runs and in average. Down years for Aaron Bates, Josh Reddick, and the trading on Angel Sanchez have triggered this. The last thing Pawtucket will have to do is start winning on the road. They have the worst road record in the league at 14-30, something that obviously needs to improve. If you just look at home record, the PawSox are really good, with a winning percentage of .595. Unfortunately, Pawtucket still has a little under half of its games on the road, so they will really need to improve in order to have any shot at the playoffs.
It is looking like the PawSox will be giving up another player. Pitcher Michael Bowden looks like he will soon be summoned to Boston, as he has been moved to the bullpen. This is not a demotion. Bowden has been outstanding of late, winning 3 of his last 4 starts and putting his early season struggles behind him. But with an ailing Red Sox team, it is likely Boston will need him in their bullpen. So, they want him to feel comfortable in that role. So far, so good for Bowden. In his first relief appearance, he went 2 IP, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout. Another PawSox player that might be Boston bound is recently acquired Rich Hill. The lefty has 5 years of major league experience with the Cubs and the Orioles and it wouldn’t surprise me if he became a lefty specialist out of the Sox bullpen.
International League All-Stars have been announced and Pawtucket has two representatives, Bubba Bell and Robert Manuel. Bell has had a great year for Pawtucket. The outfielder is hitting an even .300, second on the team in batting. He has come a long way this year, being a guy not starting on opening day to an All-Star. Manuel, who is currently in Boston, shared closer duties with Fernando Cabrera. He has the lowest ERA on the PawSox (1.54) and leads Pawtucket in appearances. Possibly All-Star bound next season for Pawtucket is Ryan Kalish. Kalish, the #5 prospect in the Red Sox system has been very good since being promoted. In 19 games, he is batting .304, with 1 HR and 11 runs scored. It is a promising sign to see him doing well at AAA.
In other PawSox news, 2007 ALCS MVP Josh Beckett will be pitching at McCoy Stadium Sunday at 1:05. Beckett is currently on a rehab assignment and this will be his first start. It is unknown how many rehab starts he will make for Pawtucket.
