PawSox Notebook: On A Winning Streak

Ryan L. Fox

Welcome PawSox fans of all ages to WBOB’s PawSox Weekly Notebook, a weekly guide to all what’s happening with the Columbus Avenue Crew (aka, the Pawtucket Red Sox). April is in the books and now we turn to the month of May. Hopefully the rain is all but behind us as now we can focus on baseball. With the team has been dazzling on the mound, at the plate is a different story. Hopefully with the weather heating up, their bats will do the same. 

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A Week in Review
 
The PawSox continued their weekend series against the Gwinnett Braves at McCoy Stadium. The two teams ended up playing a doubleheader (the second game being a make-up game for last Sunday’s rainout game down in Lancasterville, Georgia, where the PawSox were the ‘away’ team). The McCoy faithful saw their team get swept in the doubleheader 2-1 in Game 1 and then 3-1 in Game 2 on a walk off homerun by Braves’ third baseman Rio Ruiz in the bottom of the 9th in Game 2. However in the final game of the series on Sunday, it was the PawSox turn for some bottom of the 9th magic with a game-winning 2-run homer by OF Bryce Brentz for the final score of 2-0.
 
After a day off on Monday, the PawSox hit the road to travel to Syracuse, New York, for a midweek 3-game series against their International North divisional rivals, the Syracuse Chiefs. Already sporting a 3-1 record against the Chiefs during the early goings of the season, the PawSox took the first two games of the series on the scores 3-1 on Tuesday and a 7-0 shutout on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the series finale was cancelled due to rain and was rescheduled for June 13.
 
However during this span, the PawSox lost two key players duh to injury. First they lost INF Ryan Court to a foot fracture on Tuesday. Then the team lost C Blake Swihart to a left finger contusion the following day. But with those two injuries to those players, it only meant that the next guy up would have to step up.
 
On Friday, the team continued their road trip through upstate New York, traveling westward to the city of Rochester to take on the Rochester Red Wings for a 3-game weekend series. The PawSox ended up taking the first game of the series with the final score of 7-2. PawSox SP Marcus Walden picked up his first win of the 2017 season as he went 6 innings, giving up only just 1 hit, 1 walk, while striking out 4.
 
The on Saturday, the two teams met for a midday matinee at 1:35 p.m., only for it to be postponed due to rain. The make-up game will be made up when the two teams play each other at Rochester on July 5 as part of a doubleheader.
 
Where They Stand
With the first week of May in the books, the PawSox are currently sitting at 5th place in the International League North with a record of 13-12 (.520). They are 2.5 games back behind the divisional leading Buffalo Bisons, who are sitting at 15-9 (.625). In the Wild Card Standings, the PawSox are 1.5 games behind the current Wild Card leaders, the Gwinnett Braves (15-11, .577)
 
Just the Stats Jack
The following statistics are from players currently playing on the PawSox Triple-A squad as of 4/28. This excludes players who were called up, traded, currently on the disabled list, or currently on the temporary inactive list.
 
At the Plate
(*=min. 45 at-bats)
- 1B/3B Matt Dominguez is tied with LF Bryce Brentz for team lead in games played (22).
- Dominguez & Brentz are tied with teammate OF Rusney Castillo for team lead in RBIs (9)
- Castillo leads the team in at-bats (83), runs scored (15), hits (25), total bases (38), stolen bases (3), and batting average (.301)
- Brentz leads the team in home runs (4)
- 1B/OF Allen Craig leads the team in on-base percentage (OBP) (.361)*
- Craig is tied with teammate 3B Jantzen Witte for team lead in walks drawn (10)
- Witte also leads the team in on-base plus slugging (OPS) (.894)*
- INF Ryan Court leads the team in slugging percentage (.464)*
 
Start You Pitchers
(*= min. 15.0 IP)
- SP Henry Owens leads the team in innings pitched (26.2), strikeouts (32), ERA (1.35)*, wins (3), opposing batting average (.175)*. He is tied with teammate SP Marcus Walden for team lead in games played (5) and games started (5)
- SP Shawn Haviland leads the team in complete games (1)
- SP Hector Velazquez leads the team in WHIP (0.70)*
 
Outta Da Pen
(*= min. 4 appearances)
- RHP Brandon Workman leads the bullpen in ERA (0.00)*, WHIP (0.25)*, opposing batting average (.042)*. He is also tied with teammate RHP Erik Cordier for team lead in holds (1).
-Both Workman & Cordier are tied with teammate RHP Noe Ramirez for team lead in saves (1).
- Ramirez leads the team in games finished (5)
- RHP Chandler Shepherd leads the team in strikeouts (16) and is tied with teammate RHP Kyle Martin for team lead game appearances (7)
- Martin leads the team in game appearances (6)
- LHP Edgar Olmos leads the team in bullpen wins (2)
 
 
Player Movement
 The following team transaction took place from April 29 to May 6
 
4/30/16
- Placed INF Ryan Court placed on 7-day disabled list with right foot fracture
- Reinstated C Tim Roberson from disabled list
 
5/1/16
-  Released OF Junior Lake
 
5/2/16
- Received OF Aneury Tavarez & INF Heiker Meneses from Portland (AA)
- Sent RHP Brandon Workman to Boston (MLB)
- Received RHP Erik Cordier from Lowell (Short Season-A)
- Placed C Blake Swihart on 7-day disabled list with left finger contusion (retro to April 30)
 
5/3/16
- Sent INF/OF Brock Holt to Boston (MLB) for injury rehab recall (retro to May 1) but will remain on Red Sox DL.
 
5/4/516
- Sent SP Kyle Kendrick to Boston (MLB)
 
5/5/16
- Sent INF Deven Marrero to Boston (MLB)
- Add INF Jose Rosario from Portland (AA)
 
Rehab Watch
Currently there are no Boston Red Sox players doing any sort of rehab assignment down in Pawtucket.
 
Upcoming Games
The PawSox will finish up their weekend series against the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday (5/7) at 1:35 p.m. (pending weather).  After the completion of Sunday’s game, the PawSox will be heading back home for a 7-game homestand. Up first is a 3-game midweek series against the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Railriders (5/8-5/10) and then a 4-game weekend series against the Rochester Red Wings (5/11-5/14).

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