on 07-03-2009 03:19

By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

 PAWTUCKET – For Clay Buchholz, Thursday’s start against first-place Scranton Wilkes-Barre was like three outings neatly compacted into one.
The dominant hurler held the Junior Yankees hitless through the first three innings, retiring nine straight. Then came the fourth inning, which saw Scranton pin four runs on the right-hander. Buchholz was able to regain his footing over the final three frames, all of which were scoreless.
“To go back out (after the fourth) and put up a couple of zeros and give this team a chance, that’s key,” said Buchholz.
What Buchholz did in Pawtucket’s 4-3 victory over Scranton, witnessed before 10,423, was provide a textbook case of not resting on his laurels. The promising pitcher looked every ounce of the International League All-Star he his, an honor bestowed upon him earlier in the day.  The other PawSox All-Star, closer Fernando Cabrera, remains perfect in save chances (17-for-17) after pitching a scoreless ninth.
Afterwards Buchholz was asked about being selected to pitch in the Triple-A Midsummer Classic. He said all the diplomatic things one would expect, yet he already knows that a cross-country flight to Portland, Oregon, site of the contest, is not in his future.
“I’m pitching the last game before the break (July 12), so I’ll be chilling out in Providence or Pawtucket. I’ll take some time off and stay on the East Coast,” said Buchholz, who struck out seven and walked one en route to picking up his sixth win. “It’s always good to get off to a good start for the first half of the season. It’s definitely an honor, but it’s sort of bad that I don’t get to go out there and actually participate in the game.”
It was a game of mixed results for Paul McAnulty. The leftfielder gave the PawSox a 1-0 lead in the first inning, courtesy of his team-leading 10th home run. McAnulty followed with a double in his next trip in the fourth, scoring Pawtucket’s second run when Bubba Bell reached on an error by Scranton second baseman Kevin Russo (Russo, by the way, saw his 25-game hitting streak snapped).
The fourth saw McAnulty lose a ball in the lights, which wound up sailing over his head for a RBI double by catcher Juan Miranda. That was the fourth consecutive base hit surrendered by Buchholz. Things grew worse when McAnulty got hit by a pitch in the fifth and later limped off the field.
“You get mad about it, but those things kind of things happen,” said Buchholz about McAnulty’s misadventure. “It hard to beat up anybody over that because that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
“He’s sore, but he should be fine,” said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson about McAnulty.
Buchholz, who saw his ERA rise from an I.L.-best 1.90 to 2.06, was right about giving his teammates a chance. Pawtucket trailed 3-2 heading into the last of the sixth before Bell tied things up with a RBI double. Catcher Dusty Brown delivered what turns out was the game-winning run on a groundout.
It was up to Pawtucket’s bullpen to preserve the razor-thin margin. Marcus McBeth was first up in the eighth, striking out Scranton cleanup hitter Shelley Duncan (league-best 21 home runs) with two on and two outs. Cabrera started the ninth by walking the potential tying run. A sacrifice bunt pushed Jose Molina to second, which was followed by Cabrera’s second free pass of the inning.
A deep fly to center resulted in the second out and allowed Molina to mosey on over to third. The Scranton catcher remained there thanks to a soft grounder to second by Eric Duncan.
“One of the attractive things about Fernando is that he never backs off (when he gets in trouble),” said Johnson.
The win places Pawtucket (42-36) in second place and just 2 ½ games in back of Scranton’s pace.   
***
Scranton/WB    000 300 00 – 3-6-1
Pawtucket    100 102 00 – 4-6-0
Sergio Mitre (L, 2-1), Mark Melancon (6) and Jose Molina. Clay Buchholz (W, 6-1), Marcus McBeth (8), Fernando Cabrera (9, S, 17) and Dusty Brown. 2B: Juan Miranda, Paul McAnulty. HR: Paul McAnulty.

on 07-03-2009 03:18

By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

 PAWTUCKET – It was fitting that two pitchers from arguably one of the top staffs in all of Triple-A were named to the Midseason All-Star Game on Thursday. Clay Buchholz, the ace for the Pawtucket Red Sox, and Fernando Cabrera, the club’s top reliever, were selected to represent the International League.
“Both are very well-deserving,” said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. “It doesn’t really come as a surprise to me.”
The All-Star contest, which pits the I.L.’s best against the top talent from the Pacific Coast League, takes place July 15 in Portland, Oregon (10:05 p.m. first pitch on ESPN2). The teams are determined by league managers and coaches, media and on-line balloting.
Buchholz, 24, went into Thursday night's start against Scranton/Wilkes Barre as the I.L. leader in earned run average, at 1.90. He has a 5-1 record in 14 appearances, striking out 75 in 80 2/3 innings. The spindly right-hander has produced two lengthy streaks this season, one consisting of 24 scoreless frames (April 27-May 19) and 23 1/3 innings without issuing a walk (May 19-June 9).
Buchholz, who was the overall vote getter in the online portion, was selected to the Eastern League All-Star Game in 2007. Instead he wound up pitching in San Francisco as part of the Futures Game. The chances of the author of a major league no-hitter actually pitching in Portland appear slim given Buchholz is tentatively slated to pitch the final day prior to the three-day break (July 12 at home against Syracuse).
Cabrera, 27, is currently tied for the league lead in saves (16), having converted every single one of his opportunities since taking over for Daniel Bard in early-May. This marks Cabrera’s second trip to the Triple-A All-Star Game (2005 with Buffalo).
“It really goes back to when I took over the role as the club’s closer,” said Cabrera when asked to pinpoint why success has come so fluidly for him in 2009 (36 strikeouts in 35 innings).
Cabrera was signed by the Red Sox last December after spending most of last season with Baltimore. He has appeared in 125 major league games, spanning Cleveland (2004-07) and Baltimore (2007-08).
Cabrera praised the group charged with getting him the ball, noting Rocky Cherry (2.08 ERA), Marcus McBeth (three saves, 1.91 ERA), Billy Traber (five wins, 2.23 ERA) and Jose Vaquedano (4-1, 2.27 ERA) were also deserving.
Other notables in this year’s gathering of Class AAA stars is Columbus third baseman Andy Marte (sent from Boston to Cleveland in exchange for Coco Crisp) and Omaha’s Lenny DiNardo (pitched for Pawtucket from 2004-06).  DiNardo is currently with the Kansas City organization.
***
A little tidbit regarding Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s Austin Jackson, rated by Baseball America as the Yankees’ top prospect: the outfielder was recruited to play college basketball at the University of Texas by Rick Barnes, the former Providence College coach.
Jackson is a native of Denton, Texas. He was about to sign a letter of intent to play hoops at Georgia Tech before deciding to concentrate solely on baseball. The 22-year-old has 22 multi hit games for Scranton. He will join Buchholz and Cabrera in Portland as one of three All-Stars representing Scranton.
***
It certainly hasn’t been an easy few weeks for McCoy Stadium field superintendent Matt McKinnon and his staff, what with all the rain that has plagued the region. Thursday was no different as the tarp remained on the field until an hour before first pitch. That meant neither Scranton nor Pawtucket took batting practice outdoors.
“A lot of headaches, that’s the best way I can put it,” said McKinnon. “We are really earning our money this year.”   

on 07-03-2009 03:17

By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

PAWTUCKET – Judging by the vast array of baseball activities that Jed Lowrie participated in on Thursday, the beleaguered shortstop is on the cusp of resuming his rehab assignment with the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Lowrie’s busy day consisted of running, throwing and taking some swings indoors, all designed to test out his problematic left knee. He speculated he could resurface with the PawSox, most likely as the club’s designated hitter, as soon as tonight. Those plans hinge on how Lowrie feels when wakes up this morning.
“Hopefully (this evening),” said an optimistic Lowrie, who wasn’t sporting a bandage, which he was doing so earlier in the week. “I went out to run to see how (the knee) feels. Hopefully it responds well, and the only way I’ll be able to tell is when I wake up.”
Lowrie’s rehab has been on hold since Sunday, when he was removed in the fifth inning after two at-bats. The bruised knee served as the culprit, an ailment that stems from getting plunked with a pitch on June 23 in Norfolk.
“With something like this, you can only take so much,” said Lowrie. “All I can do is come in every day and hope it gets better. I’m just trying to get myself back in the lineup.”
The knee setback has pushed aside the primary reason why Lowrie is here in the first place. The 2005 supplemental first round selection came to Pawtucket with a firm purpose of testing out his surgically-repaired left wrist. Lowrie underwent surgery on April 21 after starting the season with Boston.
“The wrist isn’t even being mentioned. It’s not even in the scope of things right now,” said Lowrie, who batted .056 (1-for-18) with the Red Sox before going under the knife. “I think that’s one of the most frustrating parts, trying to balance the two (ailments).
“The knee is a short term thing, but it’s holding me back from playing,” continued Lowrie. “The only way that my wrist is going to get better is if I play. I’m in a Catch-22 where one injury is holding me back from getting the other one better.”
Asked if his patience has been tested through this ordeal, Lowrie responded, “I think that would be the understatement of the year. I’ve been as diligent and as hard working as I can be.”
Lowrie spent Wednesday in Boston, getting examined by team physical therapist Scott Waugh. “He apparently sees this type of (knee) injury all the same. He said it looked nasty and asked if I had been playing hockey,” said Lowrie, mustering a chuckle. “He told me to keep going day by day and see how it feels and reacts.”
The stifling of Lowrie’s rehab means in all likelihood he won’t be cleared to return to Boston until sometime after the All-Star break.
“If I can play, I’ll be out there. This is not a matter of me milking this or trying to sit around,” Lowrie said. “I’m trying to rehab my leg without hurting my wrist.”  

on 07-02-2009 02:56

By BRENDAN McGAIR
Sports writer
PAWTUCKET – Freddy Guzman was blessed with the gift of being fleet of foot long before joining up with the Pawtucket Red Sox. It wasn’t, however, until recent that the speedy 28-year-old learned the importance of harnessing his skill for the club’s sake.
“I have natural speed,” said Guzman matter-of-factly. There’s no arguing that claim since he’s authored two 56-steal seasons (2007 with Oklahoma and last year with Toledo).
A recent conversation with PawSox skipper Ron Johnson helped bring everything into perspective. Pitchers know Guzman, who had 422 career minor-league steals coming into this season, is thinking stolen base whenever he straggles off of first base. What can make the centerfielder even more of a base-stealing threat, according to Johnson, is if Guzman takes more liberties with his leads.