AUGUST 31st PAWTUCKET (65-70) at SCRANTON/WB (70-64) 7:05 pm Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Chandler Shepherd (7-9, 3.93) vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders RHP Erik Swanson (2-2, 4.09) August Finale to Start Final Four – The Pawtucket Red Sox will try to play the role of spoiler and put the finishing touches on a fine month of August (17-12) when they meet the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA-Yankees) for the final four games of the regular-season beginning tonight. The home and home series features a pair of games at PNC Field in Moosic, PA (tonight at 7:05 pm and tomorrow at 6:35 pm) and then two games at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket on Sunday at 6:15 pm(with post-game fireworks) and Labor Day Monday at 1:35 pm. That will be it for the PawSox who were eliminated from post-season consideration on Wednesday evening while Scranton/WB still has their sights set on yet another post-season berth. The RailRiders are currently less than a pct. point ahead Indianapolis (although in a virtual tie) for the IL Wild Card race with four games remaining for each team (SWB at .52238 while IND at .52205). Because Scranton/WB had two games cancelled due to weather (one in June and on in July) they will only play 138 games while Indy will play 140…hence those two teams can not end the season in a tie. House of Horrors - PNC Field has been more like PAIN Field for the PawSox in recent times as the Sox have lost 15 of their last 18 games in Moosic. The Sox are 2-3 this year at PNC (splitting a 2-game set from May 5-6 and dropping 2 of 3 from June 29 – July 1). Pawtucket went 1-10 last year at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre – their only win at PNC in 2017 coming June 24, 8-0 – and dropped their final two games at PNC in August of 2016 so it adds up to 3-15 in their last 18 in Moosic. Overall last season the Sox went 5-13 vs. the RailRiders (1-10 in Pennsylvania but 4-3 in Pawtucket). Series Matters - The PawSox are coming off a tough series loss (2 games to 1) against the International League Northern Division Champion Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA-Philadelphia) the past three nights at McCoy Stadium. The IronPigs won both of their games by scoring unearned runs in the top of the 9th inning (1 run last night for a 5-4 win and 6 unearned on Tuesday in the series opener for a 9-3 victory. The PawSox won the middle game, 5-3. It was Pawtucket’s first series loss in four tries since August 14 & 15 when they dropped 2 of 3 at home to Norfolk. The PawSox are 16-21-6 in their 43 series this season (16 wins, 21 losses, and 6 splits) with two series results still pending (2-game sets at Scranton/WB and vs. Scranton/WB). Wait ‘Til Next Year – On Wednesday, Pawtucket was officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 4th year in a row. The PawSox had qualified for post-season play in four straight years (2011-14) but now have four consecutive non-playoff years (2015- 18). It marks Pawtucket’s longest playoff drought since a five year stretch from 1998-2002 when they failed to make the IL Playoffs. Wild Race Indeed - Lehigh Valley, who clinched their first-ever IL North division title at home last weekend with a walk-off winner vs. Scranton/WB, can’t make any post-season travel arrangements quite yet as they must still await their playoff foe for a semi-final series that will begin next Wednesday at the eventual wild card winner. The first two games will be played in either Scranton/WB, Indianapolis, Toledo, Norfolk, or Gwinnett - before the best of 5 series shifts to Allentown for the final three game as necessary over the weekend. The IL wild card race is among the best in all of baseball right now as Scranton/WB currently leads Indianapolis by less than a pct. point followed by Toledo who is just a ½-game behind and then Norfolk and Gwinnett who are both -2½ GB. Look Out Below - The PawSox – who have won 4 of 6 and 13 of their last 22 games – can not finish at or above .500 this season as they are 65-70 with four games remaining. The Sox were 67-75 last season so this will mark the first time since 2009 & 2010 that they have finished below .500 in consecutive years. NEXT ON TAP - The probable pitching match-ups for the remainder of the series in Moosic, PA vs. Scranton/WB and then back at McCoy: Sat. 6:35 pm @ SWB LHP Nestor Cortes (6-5, 3.63) vs. RHP William Cuevas (10-7, 3.39) Sun. 6:15 pm @ PAW (myRITV) RHP Adonis Rosa (2-1, 3.71) vs. TBA Mon. 1:35 pm @ PAW TBA vs. TBA Red Sox Rehabbers Status TBD – Three key members of the Boston Red Sox, all currently on the Red Sox disabled list, began injury rehab assignments with the PawSox this week. Pitcher Steven Wright, who has been on the DL since June 23 with left knee inflammation (related to his knee surgery a year ago May), started for Pawtucket Tuesday night and tossed 2 hitless innings. Wright is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 games (4 starts) for Boston this season (from May 15 – June 22) and is 0-0 with a 4.30 ERA in 4 games (2 starts) during a rehab assignment with the PawSox from April 20 – May 11. Rehabbing Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez was behind the plate for the PawSox Tuesday night going 0-for-3, was the DH on Wednesday (2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored), and caught the entire game last night (1-for-4 with a walk). He has been on the Sox DL since July 8 with a fractured right pinky finger suffered on a head-first slide while stealing 2nd base on July 7 in Kansas City. Vazquez, who went 1-for-2 with a SF while catching rehabbing Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez on Monday night in Portland, was hitting .213 in 60 games (59 as catcher) for Boston with 3 HR & 14 RBI. He was coming off a fine June, however, when he batted .298 during the month. Wednesday the Red Sox sent 3B Rafael Devers to Pawtucket. Wednesday night batting second and playing third he went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. He was the DH last night going 0-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Devers has had three stints on Boston’s disabled list this season with this most recent coming on August 16 when he was placed on the DL with a recurring left hamstring strain. Rafael has also been on the DL from July 11-21 with left shoulder inflammation and from July 29 – August 8 with the left hamstring strain. In 102 games for the Red Sox this season (100 at 3rd base) he is batting .242 with 22 doubles, 16 HR & 55 RBI. He also rehabbed for one game with (short-A) Lowell on August 6 and went 1-for-4 with a 2-run HR in that game and then rejoined the Red Sox on August 8 for six games before going back on the DL. August Moon – Pawtucket has posted some fine numbers in August with the finale on tap for tonight. Officially, the Sox are batting .285 in 28 games this month (278-for-975) with 18 HR & 129 runs scored (4.6 runs/game). The PawSox hit .233 in April, .227 in May, .258 in June, and .251 in July. Sox pitchers in August are 17-11 with a 3.08 ERA (84 ER in 245.1 IP). Pitching in for Offense – Back in early-August, Pawtucket took over the International League lead in Team Pitching when they surpassed Rochester. The PawSox had remained on top of the league until the last weekend in August when the Red Wings moved back ahead. The Sox are now 2nd at 3.45 while Rochester currently leads with their 3.42 ERA. Pawtucket has also gone on a big upswing this month offensively and they are now up to 7th in the IL with their Team Batting average of .252 (a season-high). Records are Made to be Broken – PawSox pitchers have already established a new franchise-record for Most Strikeouts in a season as Sox hurlers have 1189 strikeouts on the year (previous record was 1118 SO in 2011). Two other club-records to keep an eye on come in the “fewest” category. Pawtucket has hit 10 triples this season…their record for fewest triples is 12 in 2015. And PawSox pitchers have just one complete game this season (Mike Shawaryn a 7-inning CG on August 14 in G2 vs. Norfolk). The team mark for fewest CG is 1 set in both 2005 & 2011. Battling for a Batting Title – PawSox All-Star outfielder Rusney Castillo currently has a 5 point lead in the International League batting race as he looks to become the first Pawtucket player to win the IL Batting Title in 37 years…since Wade Boggs hit .335 in 1981. Rusney, who is hitting .322 on the season, has the lead in the race over Joey Meneses of Lehigh Valley who is at .315 with five games remaining for both players.