01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2005

BY DAN HICKLING
Journal Sports Writer

BUFFALO -- Inclement weather forced postponement of last night's planned series finale between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Buffalo Bisons.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader during the PawSox' next visit here on July 26.

Pawtucket, which dropped two of three starts to the Bisons, start a two-game series tomorrow in Rochester against the Red Wings. Right-hander Jeremi Gonzalez (0-1, 2.77) will start for the PawSox, while the Wings will counter with either right-hander J.D. Durbin (0-0. 5.11) or lefty Jimmy Anderson (0-0, 0.00).

The PawSox wrapped up the weekend with a 6-11 mark and occupy the cellar in the IL North Division.

Interestingly, only one of the wins has been garnered by a starter, that by LHP Abe Alvarez back on Apr. 13 at Louisville. The other wins have all come from the bullpen, three by Scott Cassidy and one each by Jack Cressand and Mark Malaska. According to Pawtucket skipper Ron Johnson, the statistical anomoly is a function of the early season pitch limits hung on the starting staff.

"It's a design," he said, "because we have some starters who are on pitch counts. When you have guys like Lenny (DiNardo ) and (Chris ) Narveson , who are on pitch counts, and they get up to the 60 and 70 range, that's not going to allow them to pitch deep into the game. So the pen is going to be a valuable commidity. We're very fortunate in that area, to have guys like Cassidy, Cressend, and (Jason )Kershner. I have confidence in all of them."

Kershner has collected the PawSox' lone save of the season in a 2-0 win over Syracuse on April 21.

Shoppach tied for tops

Slugging catcher Kelly Shoppach finished the week in a three-way tie for the IL home run lead with six.

The others are Mitch Jones (Columbus) and Indianapolis' Ryan Doumit , who slammed four of his against the PawSox in the season-opening series.

Shoppach collected two of his in the second inning of Saturday's 14-5 rout of Buffalo.

Also, former PawSox Brian Daubach , now with Norfolk, is leading the IL in RBI with 21.

Alvarez has faced the defending Governor's Cup champion Bisons twice in the last week and pitched well enough to win both games. Instead, all he has to show for those efforts is one loss.

Ex-Friar released

The Portland Sea Dogs, Pawtucket's Double-A brethren in the Boston organizattion, made two roster moves yesterday, releasing both RHP Talley Haines and OF/1B Mike O'Keefe. O'Keefe, one of a handful of former Providence College Friars still playing professional baseball, was batting just .175 (with 1 HR, 8 RBI) in 11 games with the Dogs. With Dogs left fielder Chris Durbin hitting .359 (third in the Eastern League), and bright 1B prospect Jeremy West batting a cool .345, O'Keefe's days in Portland were numbered.