PawSox Game Notes: July 15

JULY 15^th                         SYRACUSE (38-53)     at     PAWTUCKET (43-47)      1:35 pm         
Syracuse Chiefs RHP John Simms (2-4, 4.06) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox RHP Josh A. Smith (2-2, 6.30)
Sunday Series and Homestand Finale - The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Syracuse Chiefs (AAA-Washington) play the finale of their 4-game series this afternoon at 1:35 pm at McCoy Stadium (live on myRITV throughout RI and Bristol County, MA). After today the PawSox will have just 21 home games remaining among their final 48 games of the season. The regular-season ends seven weeks from tomorrow. The PawSox began this series (and 4-game homestand) with a 7-3 victory on Thursday…scoring their most runs in a game since an 8-1 win over Syracuse on June 24 (15 games ago). Friday night the Chiefs evened things with a 6-3 win. Last night the Sox took the lead in the series by blanking the Chiefs, 4-0 behind William Cuevas (7 IP, 2 H) and Williams Jerez (2 IP, 1 H). Today marks last-place Syracuse's final game of the season here at McCoy (the clubs do meet for a 4-game set in Syracuse from July 30 - August 2.  
Repeat After Me - Today the PawSox will attempt to win two in a row for the first time in about three weeks…since June 24 (8-1 vs. Syracuse) and June 25 (3-2 at Buffalo). Pawtucket has gone win, loss, loss, win, loss, win, loss, win, loss, win to get to 5-5 in July.
Brandon Phillips Makes Successful PawSox Debut - Veteran infielder Brandon Phillips, who is a 3-time Major League All-Star and a 4-time Gold Glove Award winner with the Cincinnati Reds, made his PawSox debut last night as the DH going 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored while making solid contact in all three at-bats. He is not in Pawtucket's starting line-up today. During his 16-year Major League career, the 37-year-old Phillips has a career averae of .275 with 210 HR & 949 RBI in 1893 games. Most of his career was spent with Cincinnati (2006-2016) along with Cleveland (2002-05) and last year with Atlanta (.291 in 120 games) and the Los Angeles Angels (.255 in 24 games). Brandon is trying to become one of only five 2^nd basemen in Major League history to have 2,000 hits (he has 1,981 as a second baseman), 200 HR (he has 204 HR as a second baseman) and 200 stolen bases (he has 209). The only four second baseman to do so thus far are Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Robbie Alomar, and Craig Biggio. Phillips, who was signed by the Red Sox as a free agent on June 27, most recently played for the Lowell Spinners (short-season A) for the past week and a half and hit .318 in 6 games (7-for-22) with 1 HR & 7 RBI playing 3 games at 2B and 3 as the DH.
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