SEPTEMBER 2nd PAWTUCKET (66-71) at SCRANTON/WB (71-65) 6:35 pm Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Josh A. Smith (5-5, 4.16) vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders RHP Adonis Rosa (2-1, 3.71) It Takes Two to Tango – The Pawtucket Red Sox play their penultimate game of the 2018 season when they begin the back half of this important home and home series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA-Yankees) tonight at 6:15 pm at McCoy Stadium (live on myRITV). The regular-season will conclude tomorrow with a Labor Day matinee at 1:35 pm at McCoy. The past two nights in Moosic, PA, the clubs split a 2-game set as the RailRiders held the Sox to 3 hits in a 3-1 victory on Friday but the PawSox gained the split by blanking Scranton/WB last night, 3-0 behind four pitchers…Josh D. Smith, winner Travis Lakins, Fernando Rodriguez, Jr., and save to Marcus Walden along with a 2-run HR by rehabbing 3B Rafael Devers. The Amazing Race - The RailRiders remain ever so slightly ahead in the IL wild card race as Scranton/WB (.5220) is 3 ten- thousandths of pct. points in front of both Columbus and Indianapolis (.5217). Scranton/WB will play two less games (138) than both Columbus and Indy (who will play the full 140) as the RailRiders had two games cancelled due to weather (one each in June & July). Thus, SWB can not end in a tie with any club for the wild card…even currentl IL West leader Toledo (by a ½-game over Columbus & Indianapolis) will only play 139 games. For Scranton/WB to clinch the wild card tonight they must beat the PawSox, have Toledo defeat Columbus (4:05 pm start), and have Indianapolis lose at Louisville (6:00 pm). Otherwise, the wild card berth will not be determined until the final day tomorrow. King for a Day (Maybe) – Former Bishop Hendricken standout pitcher Michael King will get the starting assignment for Scranton/WB tomorrow afternoon here at McCoy – unless the RailRiders clinch the wild card tonight (then it will be TBA for tomorrow). King, 23, has been impressive for Scranton/WB since joining the club in August going 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his first 5 starts. In 12 games with Double-A Trenton he went 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA after starting the year with Single-A Tampa (1-3, 1.79 in 7 GS). Originally drafted by Miami out of Boston College in the 12th round of the 2016 June draft, Michael was acquired by the Yankees in a trade on November 20, 2017. His father Jim King is a former news anchoes at WPRI TV-12 in Providence and is currently a Branch Sales Manager for Hershey’s Ice Cream which he distributes here at McCoy Stadium. Christmas Morning for Call-Ups – The traditional September 1st roster upheavel included 12 PawSox player moves yesterday. The Boston Red Sox recalled RHP William Cuevas (10-7, 3.39 in 23 GS), lefty relievers Bobby Poyner (0-0, 3.14 w/ 6 SV in 33 RA) and Robby Scott (3-3, 1.86 w/ 3 SV in 46 RA), INF/OF Tzu-Wei Lin (.307/5/25 in 68 games) and Sam Travis (.258/8/43 in 97 games) and made injury rehab recalls of RHP Steven Wright and catcher Christian Vazquez. Pawtucket added three pitchers from Double- A Portland in relievers RHP Trevor Kelley (1-1, 1.69 in 12 RA for the PawSox and 1-2, 3.82 in 28 RA for Portland), LHP Josh Taylor (acquired from Arizona for INF Deven Marrero just before the season – he was 2-5 with a 3.79 ERAS in 33 RA for the Sea Dogs), and RHP Jordan Weems (who appeared in one game for the Pawsox back on Jluyu 29 – 1 R in 3 IP – and in 34 RA for Portland was 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA). The PawSox yesterday also reinstated two players from the disabled list 1B Mike Ohlman (DL on August 15 with a left calf strain) and OF Cole Sturgeon (DL on August 23 with a left foot contustion). 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. The End of the Road - Pawtucket finished 31-38 on the road compared to their current 35-33 mark at home. The PawSox have actually hit better on the road this season winding up with a .252 road average (613-for-2432) with 51 HR compared to .248 (533-for- 2146) with 49 HR at home thus far. Sox pitchers have fared better at McCoy, however, with a 3.40 ERA at home (226 ER in 599 IP) while finishing with a 3.44 ERA on the road (231 ER in 603.2 IP). NEXT ON TAP - The probable pitching match-up for the series and season-finale vs. Scranton/WB at McCoy Stadium: Mon. 1:35 pm RHP Michael King (3-0, 1.09) or TBA vs. RHP Mike Shawaryn (3-1, 4.06) Look Out Below - The PawSox – who have won 5 of 8 and 14 of their last 24 games – can not finish at or above .500 this season as they are 66-71 with two 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. Rafel Devers Remaining Red Sox Rehabber – On 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 Thursday night going 0-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Friday night at Scranton/WB he was 1-for-3 with an error playing 3B. And last night he played the full game at 3B and was 1-for-4 with a 2-run HR. 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. Devers, who at the age of 21 is one of the youngest players in all of Minor League Baseball, was indeed the youngest active player in the majors when he made his big league debut on July 25 of last season in Seattle. That promotion came after a quick and successful 9-game stint with the PawSox when he hit .400 with 2 HR after joining the PawSox that July 14th. He made an immediate impact with Boston belting 8 homers in his first 20 Major League games to become the first player ever to do so before turning 21-years-old. Devers was selected as a league All-Star in each of his first four pro seasons from 2014-2017 before earning the call-up to Boston. August Moon – Pawtucket posted some fine numbers in August. Officially, the Sox batted .280 in 29 games during the month (281- for-1005) with 18 HR & 130 runs scored (4.5 runs/game). The PawSox hit .233 in April, .227 in May, .258 in June, and .251 in July. Sox pitchers in August were 17-12 with a 3.09 ERA (87 ER in 253.1 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 3.42 while Rochester currently leads with their 3.38 ERA. Pawtucket has also gone on a big upswing offensively and they are now 10th in the IL with their Team Batting average of .250 (they were 7th for the final week of August with a season-high average of .252). 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 1202 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 4 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.