Pauley

PAWTUCKET — Pawtucket Red Sox manager Ron Johnson said he doesn’t do much scoreboard watching. Pawtucket’s record frankly isn’t his first priority.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m real excited we are where we are,” he said last night, prior to the PawSox’ 6-2 win over the Columbus Clippers at McCoy Stadium. “From a personal standpoint, it’s much more fun to win, and all these people get excited when we’re in first place, which we are. But I think the most exciting thing is (Chris Smith) is getting loose right now [up in the Fenway bullpen, as he prepared to relieve Daisuke Matsuzaka yesterday against St. Louis]. And I can say that sincerely. I’m just glad because I know that if we’re doing well, it means a lot of the players that were sent here to do well are doing well. Coming out of spring training, that’s what we’re looking for.”

Johnson includes David Pauley on the rather lengthy list of players who have performed well enough in Pawtucket to earn even brief trips up to Boston this season. In the middle of his second full year with the PawSox, the 25-year-old right-hander has been extremely consistent on the mound this season.

Coming into yesterday’s game against Columbus, Pauley — who last season led the PawSox both in starts (26) and innings pitched (153 2/3) and was second on the team in strikeouts with 110 — was 6-0 with a 4.18 ERA through his last eight starts.

Improving to 9-2 overall and lowering his ERA to 3.78, he went seven innings last night against the Clippers, leaving the game staked to a 4-2 lead after giving up five hits, striking out two and walking two.

“He’s a second-year, full-time Triple-A guy,” Johnson said. “And no matter what happens (last) night, he’s come to this level and had a good quality year, so he’s put himself in a position to be ready to go to the big leagues.”

As impressive as his numbers are, it is Pauley’s demeanor on the mound that has impressed Johnson most.

“I think the most pleasing thing with David is to see the maturity,” Johnson said. “He’s had his starts where he’s gone out there and scuffled a little bit, but I’ve seen him battle through innings this year in a professional manner that in the past, he would let the game speed up on him a little bit. There would have been innings that would have escalated, and he’s done a really good job this year in those situations of damage control.

“You saw it tonight,” Johnson continued. “A couple of balls, they weren’t hit that hard in the first inning. They’re kind of on the hands, but all of a sudden, now you’ve got two guys on, you’ve got runners in scoring position, and (Pauley) gives up a run. But that’s all. He keeps making pitches, and I’m just kind of watching him and his temperament, and you could tell. He came off the field. He got a towel. He sat down. He got his drink. He went out to pitch inning two. That’s when they become professionalized, and David’s really doing that right now. I’m really proud of him.”

Pauley says he has made a concerted effort this season to work on maintaining his composure.

“It’s one of the things I’ve had problems with in the past, letting the game speed up on me,” he said. “And I took it upon myself this year to really, when I got into those situations just slow the game down, get it back under control and just basically (go into) damage control. When there’s those long innings where you’re giving up second base hits, it’s just one of those things that I told myself this year, if I’m going to be at the next level, I’ve got to be able to do that.”

cthorn@projo.com