BOSTON -- Saturday's "Futures at Fenway" game against Pawtucket was easily one of the neatest days in the Bisons' four-year run with the New York Mets. It would have been pretty easy for a last-place team that rode busses overnight (Really, International League? Really, Bisons?) to just mail this one in but Wally Backman's club didn't.
(An aside: Pawtucket bussed late-night from Scranton. Shouldn't the IL make sure the teams in the annual Fenway event are at McCoy Stadium on Friday night so this absurd travel doesn't produce bad baseball? But I digress).
The Bisons, believe it or not, are 62-66 and still have an outside shot at a .500 season. At least it's something. You watched Saturday's 2-0 win and wondered what could have been if this team played better defense much of the season. They looked Gold-Gloveish, rare for a club with 119 errors that rank them second-last in the IL.
Great pitching from Collin McHugh, who deserves a few September innings in the big leagues. Relievers Robert Carson and Elvin Ramirez will certainly get some too. I'd like to see some for 30-year-old Fernando Cabrera, who has 21 saves but that seems less unlikely.
Josh Rodriguez was positively giddy about homering over the Green Monster and Matt Tuiasosopo was a fiend with the glove at third.
Good night all around. Let's see how things go tomorrow in Pawtucket -- and then Monday at home against Scranton after this team turns around and makes the long trip back to Buffalo.
Here's the audio of postgame interviews with Backman and several players.
Wally Backman
Collin McHugh
Matt Tuiasosopo
Fernando Cabrera
Josh Rodriguez
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
