All
April contests will stay within the division for first-year manager Kevin Boles’
pupils. The two Lehigh Valley series will sandwich a three-game bout with
Syracuse and eight engagements apiece with Buffalo and Rochester.
Dating
back to Sept. 1 and 2 of last season, Lehigh Valley is nursing a carry-over scoring
drought due to stingy Pawtucket defense. The PawSox blanked the Pigs 5-0 and
4-0 to sweep a two-game mini-series at the conclusion of the 2013 regular
season, although rain confined the first game to six innings.
IronPigs
third baseman Maikel Franco, who is the parent Philadelphia Phillies’ top
prospect in the eyes of Baseball America,
figures to make his Triple-A debut this weekend. He posted a .339 batting
average in 69 Double-A appearances for Reading last summer. Baseball America
also specifies Franco as the Philadelphia farm system’s “best power hitter” and
“best infield arm.”
Presumptive
PawSox starting pitcher Allen Webster (8-4) and Lehigh Valley counterpart David
Buchanan (4-2) carry identical career Triple-A winning percentages of .667 into
the season. Webster has no prior decisions against the Pigs while Buchanan
brooked a loss in the aforementioned 5-0 decision Sept. 1.
Seven
of the currently rostered IronPigs, including five members of the pitching
staff, saw MLB action with Philadelphia in 2013. Six others suited up for The
Show with other organizations.
Lehigh
Valley’s outfield is arguably its most seasoned sector. Leandro Castro and
Steve Susdorf are the team’s only returnees who made 100 or more appearances
last season while Clete Thomas played 92 games for the Minnesota Twins and 36
for Rochester.
This
is the first time the Lehigh Valley franchise (established in 2008) will have
entertained Pawtucket’s home opener.
The
PawSox will seek their ninth consecutive opening-day victory, home or away.
