PAWTUCKET -- In his PawSox debut, Brett Evert , 25, looked sharp early, but struggled in the third and fifth innings in Pawtucket's 12-2 loss to Syracuse yesterday.

"I thought Evert battled his butt off," Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said.

Evert was signed by the Red Sox on Thursday after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers (Huntsville Double A) on July 15 and became the 29th new PawSox player to appear for the club after Opening Day.

Evert was 0-4 with a 2.65 E.R.A. in 14 games (all relief) for Huntsville this season. He also spent the first two months of this season with Nashville (Triple A), where he was 1-1 with a 6.55 E.R.A. in 13 games (1 start). Evert was originally drafted in the seventh round by the Atlanta Braves (1999). He pitched for Richmond (Triple A) in 2004, and spent time with Triple-A Tacoma (Seattle) in 2004 and 2005. He finished last year in Nashville, going 2-2 with a 4.78 E.R.A. in 13 games. He was a N.Y.-Penn League All-Star in 2000 after going 8-3 with a 3.38 E.R.A. in 15 starts for Jamestown.

Two on the mend

Pawtucket pitchers Dave Pauley (1-3, 5.54 E.R.A.) and Phil Seibel (2-0, 1.50 E.R.A.) are both going to Florida for rehab treatment. Pauley has had pain in his forearm, while Seibel, recovering from Tommy John's surgery, felt tightness in his elbow and left the PawSox game on Saturday after facing only three batters in Pawtucket's 3-0 loss to Syracuse.

Now he's on a roll

Tyler Minges ended a 0-for-14 slump with a hit against Syracuse Saturday night. Yesterday he went 2-for-4 with a double and he is 3-for-5 in his last five at-bats. It appears that his hitting woes are a thing of the past.

Machado's hot

With a double to lead off the bottom of the third inning, Pawtucket infielder Alejandro Machado has now hit safely in 14 of his last 18 games, batting .351 (20-for-57) with two doubles, two triples, and six RBI.

Hoping the end's in sight

PawSox slugger Ron Calloway, who entered yesterday's game ranked seventh in the International League with a .303 batting average, is hoping that last night's performance will end his recent hitting slump. He went 2-for-4 yesterday, but has only six hits in his last 34 at bats (.171).

He went 5-for-18 in the PawSox series with Syracuse, with two doubles, a triple, and an RBI.

Playing it safe

David Murphy (.277, 19 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs, 38 RBI), who is 0-for-9 in his last nine at-bats, sat out of the PawSox last two games for precautionary reasons with a sore back. Murphy is tied for fifth in the I.L. with five triples.

It's usually a good month

August has been Pawtucket's best month over the past several years. The PawSox went 17-13 last August; 17-14 in August 2004; and 19-13 in August 2003. But Pawtucket is 3-3 so far this August. Giving up 12 runs yesterday is not going to help PawSox pitchers' earned-run averages. They entered last night's game with a 3.40 E.R.A. (17 earned runs, 45 innings pitched).

Pawtucket is hitting .250 as a team (46-for-184) this month compared to .280 last month. Pawtucket's final 30 games will all be against International League North opponents.

They're coming in droves

The PawSox have certainly come a long way under owner Ben Mondor. The PawSox have had 82,347 fans attend its last nine games. The first year that Mondor owned the team, Pawtucket's total attendance for the entire 1977 season was 70,354.

roblee@projo.com / (401) 277-7340