PAWTUCKET –– Reliever Rocky Cherry came face-to-face with the business end of the game last week, when he was released by the Red Sox organization with less than three weeks left in the minor-league season. The release came despite Cherry’s 2.57 ERA this season, second-best in the Pawtucket bullpen at the time he was released. The 6-foot-5 reliever used his sinker and slider effectively this season, and was a prime part of what was, for much of the season, a nasty bullpen.

“I felt that I threw the ball well, and I didn’t deserve to be released, obviously,” Cherry said. “The worst part about it is the time that they did it –– the timing really puts me in a spot where I can’t find another job.”

Cherry was released during a two-week stretch of frantic roster moves by the parent club, where players were being called up to Boston and then sent back to the minors almost daily. Cherry was released in order to clear a roster spot for Enrique Gonzalez, who had been called up the week before to help an overworked Boston bullpen.

No minor-league teams want to add a new veteran at this time of year, preferring instead to call up Double-A players to give them a shot at the next level. Cherry’s agent has been calling around, but the reliever hasn’t found any leads yet.

PawSox manager Ron Johnson clearly felt bad about Cherry’s release, but said these are the kinds of unfortunate things that happen in the business of baseball.

“There’s nothing you want to do less than to have to release guys with two or three weeks left in the season. But it is a business, and it comes down to numbers –– not numbers as far as what you’re doing on the field, but numbers as far as how many you can have here to play,” Johnson said.

Cherry, who has a 5.77 ERA in 40 major-league games in 2007 and 2008, said the release was discouraging. But he enjoyed this season, and intends to stick around and pitch next season, hoping to latch on with another team.

The question is no longer academic. Cherry turns 30 on Wednesday, and this is the time in his career when he has to think about how much longer he wants to keep plugging, or whether he should hang it up and work for his family’s commercial painting company in Dallas.

“Right now, my plan is to play next year,” he said. “Is someone going to offer me a good-enough deal? You never know what’s going to happen. I would think that after this year, that people would be interested and want to give me a shot, but you never know.”

Cherry has had some highlights in his major-league time, including the distinction of being the last opposing player to pitch in the old Yankee Stadium, throwing the eighth inning of the park’s final game in 2008. Pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, Cherry got Derek Jeter to ground out for the final out by a Yankee, and then Mariano Rivera came on to pitch the top of the ninth for the victorious Yankees.

PawSox struggling

The Pawtucket Red Sox returned home on Tuesday for an 11-game homestand, and and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Pawtucket came into Tuesday night’s game having lost six in a row, and hasn’t won a series since June. Pawtucket has lost 32 of 42 games since July 3.

The mood around the clubhouse, some days, is bleak. But Johnson does his best to keep things light, despite the standings.

“We have struggled, obviously, with the wins and the losses,” he said. “But it’s not fair to these guys who are trying to develop to go in there and make it like it’s a morgue every day. Who wants to do that? I enjoy what I do for a living. I like coming to the ballpark. Yes, it does get frustrating. Yes, I do come in some days and snap. We’re all human. But every day is a new day. Every day is a fresh start.”

One side benefit of such a miserable Triple-A season is that the organization has been able to give Double-A players extended time in Pawtucket, calling up seemingly half the Portland team. Aaron Bates, Bubba Bell, Mark Wagner, Adam Mills, Josh Reddick and T.J. Large are all developing prospects who are seeing extensive time at the Triple-A level. To a man, all are struggling (though Reddick and Mills haven’t seen much action yet), but the experience, long term, is expected to be a great benefit to them.

“The experience these guys are gaining for next year, is just going to be invaluable,” Johnson said.

Byrd gets a look

The PawSox play a day-night doubleheader Wednesday, and the night game will feature an important start by a longtime major-leaguer working his way back to the majors. Paul Byrd is expected to pitch about five innings in his second start this year for the Boston organization since coming out of quasi-retirement.

Byrd, 38, was signed by the Sox on Aug. 5 after sitting out the first half of the season to spend time with his family. He joined Boston down the stretch last season, then retired with the hope of pitching a half-season for a contender. After the trade deadline, the Red Sox called, Byrd showed off his stuff, and the Sox signed him.

It’s still not clear what role he’ll play on the major-league club, which has a wealth of options for the back end of the rotation. Clay Buchholz, Brad Penny and Junichi Tazawa are all starting, and Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield are close to returning from the disabled list.

If Byrd can turn himself into a viable big-league option, it could mean some interesting choices for the Boston front office in the final month.

dbarbari@projo.com