This Week In Paw: North Division Champs!

By Scoop Fox

Good day to some and good evening to others. Welcome to another edition of PawSox updates on 990WBOB. Big news: PawSox have clinched the IL North Divisional title for the second time in three years and everybody around McCoy is thrilled. With that being said, let's get things started.

---

Where They Stand

The PawSox are 2013 IL divisional champions at  with a 78-62 (.554). This will mark the 7th time in franchise history that the PawSox won their division (they won it back in 1977, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2003, and 2011). 

Interestingly enough, the years that the PawSox won the Governors’ Cup (1973, 1994, 2012) they did so as the wildcard.

---

Just the Stats Jack

Bryce is the '13 PawSox Sultan of Swat

This will be the 2nd to last 'Just the Stats Jack' segment before the big season finale update. For those eager to know, this is for you.





At the Plate:

• OF Bryce Brentz leads the team in home runs (17). He is tied with C Dan Butler for team lead in slugging percentage (.476) Brentz is also tied with 1B/OF Mark Hamilton for team lead in RBIs (56)

• OF Jeremy Hazelbaker leads the team in games played (119), at-bats (422), hits (110), strikeouts (122), total bases (160), stolen bases (37), and runs scored (61)
• INF Drew Sutton leads the teams in walks (58)
• OF Mitch Maier leads the team in OBP (.431)
• OF Alex Hassan also leads the team in batting average (.315) and OPS (.887)

Starting Rotation:

• RHP Allen Webster leads all starters in wins, (8) strikeouts (117), opponent batting average (.192), WHIP (1.11), and hit batters (16). 

• RHP Steven Wright leads all starters in innings pitched (130.1), complete games (2), complete game shutouts (2), hits allowed (127), walks allowed (63), runs allowed (64),  and games started (23)
• RHP Rubby De La Rosa  leads all starters in games played in (24)
• RHP Anthony Ranaudo leads all starters in ERA (2.97)
  

In the Bullpen:

• LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith leads the PawSox bullpen in wins (7) , and WHIP (0.99)
• RHP Brock Huntzinger leads the bullpen in ERA (1.53)
• RHP Jose De La Torre leads the bullpen in opponent batting average (.189)
• RHP Chris Carpenter leads the bullpen in walks allowed (29) and runs allowed (27). He is also tied with RHP Chris Martin for team bullpen lead of hit batters (3)
• RHP Anthony Carter leads the bullpen in games appearances (52), innings pitched (62.1), strikeouts (79), hits allowed (56), and saves (24). In fact Carter's 24 saves ties a PawSox record set by Travis Hughes back in 2007.

---

Player Movement

With just one month away in the Major Leagues, the rosters are going to be expanding from 25 to the full 40. This means that there’s going to be a few call ups from Pawtucket. How will that affect the PawSox going into the playoffs, we don’t know. All we know is that should one PawSox player get called up to Boston, another will step in.


8/25

• Sent C Alberto Rosario to Double-A Portland
• Activated OF Bryce Brentz from Disabled List

8/26

• Transferred RHP Alfredo Aceves to GCL Red Sox for rehab assignment 

8/27

• Trade: RHP Clayton Mortensen to Kansas City Royals for OF Quintin Berry
• Received RHP Brayan Villareal from Boston

8/28

• Received INF Brandon Synder from Boston for 20-day rehab assignment

8/29

• Sent OF Tony Thomas to Double-A Portland
• Placed RHP Chris Carpenter on Temporary Inactive List
• Received SP Matt Barnes from Double-A Portland
• Received RHP Quintin Berry from Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals) to complete 8/27 trade

8/30

• Added RHP Clay Buchholz to roster to continue his injury rehab assignment from Short-Season Single-A Lowell
• Added RHP Alex Wilson to roster for 30-day rehab assignment from Boston

---

Young Arm, Big Possibilities

Earlier this month the PawSox brought up one of their young pitching prospects, Anthony Raunado from Double-A Portland. Just last Wednesday the PawSox brought up another young pitching prospect, Matt Barnes. According to Baseball America, Matt Barnes is the #1 pitching prospect and #3 prospect overall in the Boston Red Sox farm system. 

Barnes was drafted out of LSU with the 19th pick overall by Boston in 2011. He started his professional career in 2012, splitting time between Single-A Greenville and High-A Salem. In 25 games, Barnes went 7-5 in 119.2 IP. He struck out 133, walked 29, while giving up 97 hits, and had an ERA of 2.86

This year, Barnes started the year in Double-A Portland. In 24 games with the Sea Dogs, Barnes went 5-10 in 108.0 IP. He struck out 133 batters, walked 46, while giving up 112 hits, and had an ERA of 4.33 Then on August 29th, Barnes was brought up to Triple-A Pawtucket. In fact, he was named the starter that very same night against the Syracuse Chiefs. In his PawSox debut, Barnes went 5.2IP, allowing just 3 H, 2 BB, but allowed no runs and struck out 7 to get the win. 

Though it maybe at the tailend of the 2013 IL season, it may look like Barnes showed that he is ready to provide some heat for the PawSox as they go into the postseason. 

---

Finishing Strong

The PawSox finish up this Saturday at 6:05 p.m. against the Syracuse Chiefs for their last regular season at home. Then they travel to Allentown, PA to take on the Leigh Valley IronPigs for their last two games of the season on September 1st and September 2nd. 

Unfortunately the PawSox are 3-11 against the IronPigs this season, including 1-5 in Allentown. Hopefully they turn things around and end the 2013 on a solid note before going into the IL Postseason.

That’s it for your PawSox weekly update. This is Scoop Fox, signing off.

---