Governors’ Cup Finals: Game 1 Preview

Governors’ Cup Finals
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
McCoy Stadium | Pawtucket, Rhode Island | 7:05 p.m.

For the first time since 2003, the Pawtucket Red Sox are back in the Governors’ Cup Finals, looking for their first championship since 1984.

In order to win the 2012 Governors’ Cup, Pawtucket will need to win three games against the South Division champion Charlotte Knights (White Sox). At 83-61, the Knights finished the regular season with the third-most wins in the I.L. and recently defeated the best team in the league, Indianapolis, in four games to advance to the finals.

Pitching has been the constant for the Knights this season. They finished tied for first with Indianapolis for the best ERA in the league at 3.15. Furthermore, as a staff they were second in fewest home runs and hits allowed, tied for second in WHIP (1.26), third in strikeouts, and allowed fewer earned runs than anyone else.

After being acquired at the deadline this year from Cleveland for Lars Anderson, Steven Wright makes his first playoff start of the year. (Kelly O’Connor)

Against the PawSox this year, Knight’s pitchers have gone 5-3, 1.85 ERA (15 ER/73.0 IP) while allowing just two homers in eight regular season games.

The PawSox can pitch a little, too. In the last three playoff games, Pawtucket starters have combined for a 1.33 ERA (3 ER/20.1 IP) with four walks and 20 strikeouts. Tuesday night’s PawSox starter is knuckleballer, Steven Wright, pitching for the first time in seven days. Wright’s only loss of the season (in four starts) came in Charlotte where he allowed one earned run over four innings in a 2-1 loss.

If you can’t make it to McCoy tonight, you can always join us on the broadcast along the PawSox Radio Network, or by listening online. Pre-Game coverage begins tonight at 6:50.

-AG

@aaronmgoldsmith
agoldsmith@pawsox.com