Brandon Moss, rounding the bases after his first major-league home run on Opening Day in Japan, wants to have another good stint with the PawSox to earn a ticket back to Boston.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

PAWTUCKET — Don’t remind Brandon Moss it’s April.

The Pawtucket Red Sox outfielder/first baseman has it in his head that this is a voodoo month for him. The Georgia native is quite familiar with playing baseball in springtime in New England. He’s played for Double-A Portland and is now playing his second season with the PawSox. So he knows how it feels when the bat stings your hands when he hits a ball during the early part of the season.

Moss has said in past seasons that he starts off slow, but once the spring turns into summer it’s an entirely different ball game.

The PawSox split a doubleheader against the Indianapolis Indians yesterday at McCoy Stadium and during Pawtucket’s 6-2 victory in the first game, Moss proved to be a key contributor. He went 2-for-2 with a triple and a double, and two runs scored. He went 0-for-2 in an 8-0 loss in the nightcap. Moss also provided an RBI double in the season-opener on Thursday.

“It’s only three games in,” said Moss. “A fast start or a slow start, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to be pretty close to where you are as long as you stay consistent with your approach. Right now I’ve had a few good pitches to hit the last few days and I haven’t missed them. With April in the Northeast, it’s just about surviving. You need to survive the first month and then after that everything gets a little bit better. This month you just try to hang on, get good at-bats and do the best you can.”

Moss compiled an impressive .327 average in June last summer after a slow April and May. He finished the season with a .282 average, with 41 doubles, 16 homers and 78 RBI.

Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson doesn’t believe Moss is your prototypical slow-starting player.

“I’ve heard that in the past, but I didn’t see that last year,” Johnson said yesterday. “Watching him on a baseball field and driving the ball like he did today doesn’t surprise me.”

It was much of the same for Moss in 2006 with the Sea Dogs. He hit only.242 in the first 48 games with Portland before finishing with a .324 average over the final 85 games.

It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.

Moss began to hit the ball very well in the middle of last season and earned his first call-up to Boston. He made his major-league debut on Aug. 6 at Anaheim.

He had two different stints with Boston and played 15 games for the Red Sox with a .280 average in 25 at-bats.

The Red Sox players and management were impressed with his work ethic and professionalism and because of that he went along for the ride as a nonroster player during the postseason last October. Now his goal is to get back to Boston as soon as possible.

“The hunger is still there because I want to get back,” he said. “You don’t want to be down here, but at the same time this is a good place to play. I don’t think any of us here want to be here; we all want to be in Boston. I have it a little bit more because I’ve tasted it, and I’ve been around those guys. I know how much fun it is to be there.”

When Moss made his major-league debut, it triggered an entirely new thirst.

“I wanted it bad, but I didn’t know how bad I wanted it,” he said. “Now that I’ve been there I want to get back so bad.”

Moss had a solid spring training and earned a spot on the roster as the Red Sox begin the season in Japan against the Oakland Athletics. When J.D. Drew was a last-minute scratch due to a sore back, Moss was given the start in right field on Opening Day. That’s when he belted his first major-league home run, a solo shot that tied the game and forced extra innings. Boston eventually won and Moss had his moment he’ll never forget.

An outfielder by trade, the Red Sox want Moss to play more first base this season and that’s exactly what he’s done in the first three games for Pawtucket. Johnson and Moss will work out for an extra 30 minutes a day prior to the team’s batting practice with his defense just so he can become more comfortable at his new position. Already he looks smooth.

“I’m trying to feel that way,” he said. “I’m trying to give off that persona. I feel comfortable. It’s just a matter of playing games there and the repetition. In my head I’m telling myself to be comfortable and allow my instincts to take over. I’m going to commit an error one day, but that’s baseball.”

Johnson said he feels Moss is doing a solid job at first base. It should be an interesting season for Moss and it has started out on a positive note. It will get better on Tuesday when he receives his World Series ring.

“I can’t wait,” he said.

This is turning out to be one April he’ll definitely want to remember.

jmcdonal@projo.com