After
two full off days, the Chiefs and RailRiders exchanged shutouts in a Sunday doubleheader,
making up at least one of their postponements. Syracuse claimed the early tilt
by a 3-0 final before dropping a 5-0 decision.
With
Monday night’s series opener, a former Red Sox minor-league manager will see
meaningful action at McCoy Stadium for the first time in his career. First-year
Syracuse skipper Billy Gardner never donned PawSox garb, but did work under
Boston auspices with Lowell, Michigan, Augusta, Trenton and Sarasota from 1996
to 2002.
Gardner
was the inaugural manager of the Lowell Spinners in 1996 and led the Augusta
Greenjackets to the South Atlantic League title in 1999. He won the 2007
Southern League crown with the Montgomery Biscuits.
Former
PawSox pitcher Manny Delcarmen, now in Washington’s system, made his Syracuse
debut with one inning of relief against the RailRiders this past Thursday. The
Chiefs are Delcarmen’s fifth Triple-A employer since he left the Red Sox late in
the 2010 campaign.
Baseball Prospectus ranks Syracuse centerfielder Brian Goodwin third among Nationals
prospects. Baseball America has Goodwin in the same echelon plus fellow Chiefs
outfielder Steve Souza at No. 10.
Both
players are seeing their first doses of International League action this month
and off to unflattering starts. Goodwin struck out six times over nine at-bats in
the Scranton series while Souza boasts a Blutarsky batting average, though he
has walked in three of his first 10 plate appearances, translating two of those
into runs.
Another
Triple-A newbie, Blake Treinen, is expected to toe the rubber for the Chiefs in
Monday night’s series opener. Counterpart Chris Hernandez is on tap to make his
24th start and 33rd career appearances with the PawSox.
The
Sox edged the Chiefs in last year’s season series, 9-7, claiming three out of
four games in each of Syracuse’s two visits to McCoy.
