If you're an outfield prospect in the Boston Red Sox system, injuries in the big leagues have turned the 2010 season into one interesting year. Pawtucket center fielder Josh Reddick is one of several players who has been in the middle of it.

     All the maladies at Fenway Park have given Reddick and former PawSox like Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava and Ryan Kalish chances with the big club. Reddick is still a work in progress but the 23-year-old is finding a groove as the season winds down and looking like he deserves another shot in September.

     Reddick went 5 for 5 with his third home run in two ganes Tuesday as Pawtucket held off the Buffalo Bisons, 7-3, before 7,230 in Coca-Cola Field.

     The PawSox (57-74) have damaged the Bisons' playoff push by going 3-2 here in the first five games of this series. The Bisons remain two games behind Columbus in the International League wild-card race.

     Reddick has been a particular problem, as he's gone 8 for 9 and belted three home runs the last two days. He's 10 for 20 in the series. For the season, he's at .260 with 14 homers and 54 RBIs.

     "He's been on fire," Pawtucket manager Torey Lovullo said. "What happens is that he's on that wave every hitter looks for. He's worked so hard to get to this point, so hard to get that swing to where it is today. It's fun for us to watch."

     Reddick had a huge spring for Boston, batting .390. But when he started the year in Pawtucket, he quickly lost his edge and was batting just .178 on June 1. And in two brief call-ups to Boston, he was just 4 for 25.

  "I had the opportunity to prove myself and stay up there all year and I didn't do that," Reddick said. "They got rid of me and found someone who did [McDonald]."

       Reddick finally turned things around by batting .301 for Pawtucket in July and has really heated up in August (.356). With Tuesday's decision by Johnny Damon to not accept Boston's waiver claim, there should be more at-bats available for outfielders come September.

     The Red Sox are almost certain to look again at Reddick, their 17th-round draft pick in 2006.

  "I'm trying not to worry about that stuff right now," he said. "In Triple-A, it's the end of the year and you already worry about that stuff enough as it is. I'm trying to keep my mind off it. But it's been hectic, I'll admit."

     Reddick belted a two-out solo homer to right in the fifth Tuesday off Herd starter Michael Antonini (1-2). He singled in the first, fourth, eighth and ninth. The final hit provided some insurance in a three-run rally that quickly countered a three-run eighth by the Bisons.

     "Guys like him realize they're one turn away. If they get hot and something good happens, they have a chance to get called up," Lovullo said. "He was a classic case of that last send-down in spring training .‚.‚. he comes down and thinks it's going to be an easy road for him. But it's not really paved yet at Triple-A."

     Pawtucket starter Adam Mills Ñ who entered the game just 2-9 with a 5.31 earned run average in 22 starts Ñ threw six shutout innings as his team built a 4-0 lead.

     The Bisons got their runs in the eighth off ex-Herd reliever Chad Paronto. Nick Evans' double to left scored two and he scored on Kirk Nieuwenhuis' double to make it 4-3. Buffalo eventually loaded the bases but Mike Cervenak popped out.

     The series and homestand end Wednesday night (7 p.m., Radio 1520 AM). It will be Fernando Martinez Bobblehead Night. The first 4,000 fans through the Swan Street gate receive the likeness of the Buffalo outfielder.

mharrington@buffnews.comnull