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Surging PawSox Sweep IL Weekly Awards

July 25, 2011 - International League (IL1) News Release


The International League announced today that Pawtucket catcher Ryan Lavarnway and pitcher Brandon Duckworth have been named the League's Batter and Pitcher of the Week for the period from July 18-24. The last International League team to sweep a pair of weekly awards was the Richmond Braves during the week of August 18-24, 2008 (Corky Miller and James Parr). The last time Pawtucket won both awards was the week of April 24-30, 1994 (Andy Tomberlin and Gar Finnvold).

RYAN LAVARNWAY, Pawtucket Red Sox IL BATTER OF THE WEEK

Since making his Triple-A debut in mid-June, PawSox catcher Ryan Lavarnway has torched International League pitching to the tune of a .372 average with 13 homers and 36 RBI in 36 games. His numbers were bolstered by another outstanding week during which he hit .409 and led the IL with four home runs, 11 RBI, eight runs scored, and a 1.091 slugging percentage. Lavarnway had a pair of hits in four different games this week, each of which included a home run and three of which also included a double. His hot hitting has helped Pawtucket pull out in front of the Wild Card race and to within 1.0 game of the IL North Division lead.

23-year-old Ryan Lavarnway was selected by Boston in the 6th round of the 2008 draft. Last season he was named the Red Sox co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. He began the 2011 campaign with Double-A Portland, where he hit .284 with 14 homers and 38 RBI in 55 games before being promoted to Pawtucket. Lavarnway is a native of Burbank, California.

BRANDON DUCKWORTH, Pawtucket Red Sox IL PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Another major contributor to Pawtucket's recent success has been right-hander Brandon Duckworth. He was the League's only starting pitcher to win twice this week, doing so without allowing a run. Duckworth worked 5.0 scoreless innings Monday against the 1st place Lehigh Valley IronPigs, scattering four hits and a walk to lead this club to an important 4-1 victory. Then on Saturday night at Buffalo, he tossed 6.2 frames, allowing six hits and a walk as the PawSox picked up another 4-1 win. Duckworth, who had gone two months without a victory before the All-Star break, has now won three straight outings.

35-year-old Brandon Duckworth is in his 14th season as a professional pitcher. He is a veteran of 134 games in the major leagues with the Phillies, Astros, and Royals. In 2001 he was named the International League's Most Valuable Pitcher after going 13-2 with a 2.63 ERA for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Duckworth is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah.


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