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By BRENDAN MCGAIR Sports writer BOSTON – The theme is “Futures at Fenway,” but that doesn’t seem to mesh well with the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Pardon the PawSox if there’s a “been there, done that” vibe along the first base dugout, normally the spot reserved for the primary tenants of Fenway Park. They aren’t thumbing their noses; it’s just that the mystery of stepping on Fenway soil has all been removed for so many.
Those hardly new to Boston’s big stage include David Pauley and Joe Thurston. Pauley pitched seven superb innings of two-run ball while Thurston clubbed a solo home run in Pawtucket’s 5-2 win over Charlotte before a three-quarters full Fenway audience (the paid attendance was announced at 36,234).
At last count the active roster contains plenty of PawSox who have been Boston battle-tested either this season or in the past: Pauley, Thurston, Jeff Bailey, Jonathan Van Every, Chris Smith and Devern Hansack. Throw in Bartolo Colon (on rehab) along with Michael Bowden, Jeff Corsaletti and Dusty Brown, all of whom played in the 2007 “Futures” edition for Double-A Portland, and you could why novelty of playing at “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” isn’t as fresh as say, for the Single-A Lowell Spinners.
“If it is one extra game, one extra day up at this level; it doesn’t have the same affect for Lowell, but it doesn’t necessarily hurt,” offered BoSox farm director Mike Hazen. “That’s going to be beneficial for someone somewhere down the road.”
The idea behind “Futures at Fenway,” besides affording fans the chance to come out at a reduced ticket price, is to provide Red Sox farm hands a taste of what baseball life is like at the highest possible level. The experience can’t be created without the actual setting in place, meaning it’s best to take advantage whenever the opportunity knocks.
Pauley is schooled in toeing the slab at Fenway. He made an emergency start April 22, taking Josh Beckett’s turn against the Los Angeles Angels. Pauley, who allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings that April night, has been Pawtucket’s most consistent starter, meaning he is likely in line for a call-up when the rosters expand in a few weeks.
Pauley was once again brilliant en route to picking up his 13th win, which puts him in a share of first place for the team and league lead with Charlie Zink. He struck out four and walked two while getting nine groundball outs, his specialty.
“I think it took a little of the nervousness away,” said Pauley when asked if his Fenway “experience” played a role in him enjoyed a relatively pain-free outing. “There were no early-game jitters; it was another game to go out and pitch.”
Thurston snapped a 1-all game with his ninth homer in the third inning, a shot that manager Ron Johnson initially believed, standing in the third base coaches’ box, would be a double. Thurston’s ball ended up settling in the front row of the right field grand stand.
The PawSox tacked on four runs an inning later, the highlight a two-run double by Bailey, another player who has spent time with the parent club.
Hunter Jones and Smith, who returned to Pawtucket last week, followed Pauley with a scoreless inning apiece. The win enabled the locals to pull into a first-place tie with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Scranton was scheduled to host Syracuse.
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EXTRA BASES: The PawSox are trying to get by minus the services of slugging outfielders Chris Carter and Jonathan Van Every. Both are fighting through oblique strains. Carter says it occurred while taking a swing in Scranton last Wednesday and mentioned his status is “day to day,” though ruled out the possibility of a trip to the disabled list. Johnson said Van Every is feeling better with each passing day and believes it won’t be long before he’s back in the lineup. … Single-A Lowell made it a clean sweep for Red Sox affiliates with a dramatic 4-3 win over Hudson Valley, though the Spinners needed 12 innings and close to four hours. Will Middlebrooks singled home the winning run on a 3-2 pitch. … One Spinner note: shortstop Rafael Cabreja’s cousin is David Ortiz. … John Mollicone, a Cranston native and Bishop Hendricken High grad, is a catcher-turned first baseman for Hudson Valley. Mollicone was selected by Tampa Bay in the 27th round of the ’07 draft. … Pawtucket returns to McCoy Stadium today with Colon seeking to put further distance from his prior start. Colon didn’t get out of the first inning last Tuesday against Scranton, allowing three runs on four hits. He’s slated to work 35-40 pitches. Colon’s start means Michael Bowden will now start Monday … The first 3,000 female fans coming to the park today receive a PawSox T-shirt.
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