On Deck: Hens vs. Pawtucket

7/21/2003

When: Today, 7 p.m.; tomorrow, noon; Wednesday & Thursday, 7 p.m.

TV: None

Radio: 1470 AM

Affiliation: Pawtucket, Boston Red Sox.

Pitching probables (Hens listed last): today, RHP Bronson Arroyo (8-5, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Pat Ahearne (2-1, 3.02); tomorrow, RHP Paul Stewart (6-5, 3.91) vs. LHP Nate Robertson (5-6, 3.63); Wednesday, LHP Bruce Chen (2-3, 5.21) vs. RHP Shane Loux (10-6, 3.10); Thursday, RHP Dicky Gonzalez (5-6, 3.96) vs. RHP Gary Knotts (1-2, 5.28).

Red Sox yarns: Pawtucket entered play yesterday having won five in a row and 10 of its last 12. As a result, the Red Sox are tied for first in the IL's North Division and have a 31/2-game lead in the wild card race. ... 1B Andy Abad leads the league with 68 RBIs. ... OF Anton French , a former Tiger farmhand, is second in the league with 27 stolen bases. ... 3B Earl Snyder, a former Indian, is fifth in the IL with 14 home runs. ... Today's starter, Bronson Arroyo, is second in the league with 110 strikeouts and has walked just 19 in 1072/3 innings. ... Among the former Hens on the roster are LHPs Scott Aldred and Kevin Tolar as well as 2B Trace Coquillette ... Former Indian Rudy Seanez has received most of the PawSox save opportunities recently.

Hen happenings: Toledo split a four-game series with Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium in June. ... The Mud Hens won five of the eight meetings between the two teams last season, including three of four at Fifth Third Field. ... SS Danny Klassen hit .412 against the PawSox in that four-game series with a home run, while OF Hiram Bocachica batted .357 against them. ... RHP Pat Ahearne made his first Hens start this season against the Red Sox and finished with a one-hit shutout. ... The Hens trail the Red Sox by 81/2 games in the wild-card race - and the Hens, who are tied with Scranton in that race, have two more teams between them and Pawtucket. ... Since 2B Kevin Jordan returned from a sore hamstring he has hit .333 with three runs scored. ... C Brandon Inge has a seven-game hitting streak that includes hits in 14 of his last 15 games. In that span he has three home runs, seven RBIs and nine runs scored.

Special events: Today's game is billed as “Battle of the Sexes Night,”with special on-field contests between innings. ... Tomorrow's contest features a noon start; magician Greg Carson will perform in the concourse between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ... Wednesday's game will be a Dr. Seuss theme event called “Green Eggs & Ham Night.” The Hens also will host a three-day baseball camp between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. beginning Wednesday. ... On Thursday the first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive the second strip in a four-part series of Mud Hens baseball cards.

Next home series: vs. Richmond, July 25-28.