5/24 MiLB Gameday

[Cuzittt]

Today's Games:

IL:Pawtucket (Rubby de la Rosa) @ Syracuse (Ross Ohlendorf) [7:05pm]
EL: Portland (Henry Owens) vs. New Hampshire (Aaron Sanchez) [7:05pm]
CL:Salem (William Cuevas) vs. Potomac (Matthew Spann) [6:05pm]
SAL: Greenville (Trey Ball) vs. Augusta (Christian Jones) [7:05pm]
NYPL: Lowell - Opening Day - June 13th vs. Vermont
GCL: GCL Sox - Opening Day - June 20th vs GCL Twins
DSL: DSL Sox - Opening Day - May 31st

Notes:

Pawsox have lost 5 in a row. They have scored 1 run in their past 30 innings.

Sean Coyle off the DL, Michael Brenly stashed back on the DL.

Stephen Drew not expected to be in the lineup today.

Scoreboard:

Boston Red Sox Minor League Scores

Media:

MiLB TV
MiLB Radio

Local Media:

Pawsox:

Providence Journal
Pawtucket Times

Seadogs: Portland Press Herald

Salem: Roanoke Times

Greenville: Greenville Online

Lowell: Lowell Sun

 

[Cuzittt]

Portland scores 6 in the first... and are being no hit.

6 walks, a HBP, an error and a fielders choice (no outs recorded) help the SeaDogs.

 

[JakeRae]

Betts is 2/2 with a double, 2 walks, and a steal after 3 innings. I would say it's time for him to be promoted. But, instead, I'm wondering if it is just time for him to get called up instead. 

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Travis Shaw with 11. Hmm

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Henry Owens thru 5, 4h 1bb 4k. 63 pitches, 41 strikes. Nice.

 

[Cuzittt]

Salem walks off in the 10th with a 7-6 victory.

Boxscore

William Cuevas went 6 innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits (1 HR), 3 walks, 2 WPs and a HBP; striking out 3. Kyle Kraus went 4 innings, allowing an unearned run on 3 hits, 2 walks and a HBP; striking out 5.

Kevin Heller went 3/4 with 2 HRs (including a walk off 2-run HR) and a walk. Jayson Hernandez went 2/3 with 2 doubles and a walk. Matty Johnson went 1/3 with a triple and a HBP. Bo Greenwell, Reed Gragnani, and Mario Martinez each went 1/5. Aneury Tavarez went 0/3 with a walk. Dreily Guerrero went 0/4. Jonathan Roof went 0/5.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

Portland scores 6 in the first... and are being no hit.
6 walks, a HBP, an error and a fielders choice (no outs recorded) help the SeaDogs.

All against Aaron Sanchez, one of the top RHP prospects in baseball. Sanchez credited with 0 IP on the night.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

16 runs and everyone but Mookie has a RBI. What a loser... he can change that though.
And Greenville... well...

Edit: Sac Fly Rbi.

 

[Cuzittt]

Pawsox score their 2nd run in the last 39 innings... but lose 4-1.

Boxscore

Rubby de la Rosa went 6 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 walks and a WP; striking out 5. Jeremy Kehrt got one out, allowing 4 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. Tommy Layne went 1 2/3 innings, striking out 2.

Ryan Roberts went 2/4. Carlos Rivero went 1/3. Garin Cecchini, Ryan Lavarnway and Corey Brown each went 1/4; Brown with a 9th inning HR. Brandon Snyder went 0/3 with a HBP. Mike McCoy went 0/2 before being replaced by Alex Hassan who also went 0/2. Justin Henry went 0/3. Christian Vazquez went 0/4.

 

[Cuzittt]

Seadogs score 2 TDs, a field goal... and since they were playing the Toronto affiliate, add a rouge to top off the scoring. Portland wins 18-0.

Boxscore

Henry Owens went 7 innings, giving up 4 hits and a walk; striking out 6. Michael Olmsted pitched 2 innings, striking out one.

Sean Coyle went 3/5 with a double, HR, SB and a HBP. Peter Hissey went 3/6 with a SB. Mookie Betts went 2/3 with a double, SB, SF and 3 walks. Stefan Welch went 2/4 with a HR and 2 walks. Travis Shaw went 2/5 with a HR and a walk. Shannon Wilkerson went 2/6 with a double and a triple. Deven Marrero went 1/3 with 3 walks. Blake Swihart went 1/4 with 2 walks. Heiker Meneses went 0/4 with a walk and a SF.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Owens probably done. 89 pitches, 61 strikes.

7ip 4h 1bb 6k

 

[Cuzittt]

Drive lose 14-0.

Boxscore

Trey Ball went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits (1 HR), 2 walks and a HBP; striking out 4. Sergio Gomez went 2 1/3 innings, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 8 hits (3 HRs), 3 walks and a HBP; striking out one. Raynel Velette went 1 2/3 innings, striking out one.

Manuel Margot went 2/3 with a SB. Zach Kapstein went 1/3. Jantzen Witte went 0/2 with a walk before being replaced by Aneudis Peralta who went 0/1. Forrestt Allday, Tzu-Wei Lin and Jimmy Rider each went 0/3 with a walk; Lin with a PO/CS. Kendrick Perkins was hit by a pitch and then replaced by Carlos Asuaje who went 0/2. Jordan Weems went 0/3. Wendell Rijo went 0/4.

 

[WenZink]

Seadogs have 28 baserunners in their 18-0 rout of NH.  16 hits and 12 walks.  The top 6 of the Portland lineup reached base safely a total of 22 times.
 
Oh the humanity!

 

[Plympton91]

Christian Vazquez's slash line is ... not pretty.

Shakes head.

 

[Plympton91]

Why didn't Drew play yesterday?  Something inside me is saying he pulled or tweaked something.  Irrational?

 

[Cuzittt]

Why didn't Drew play yesterday?  Something inside me is saying he pulled or tweaked something.  Irrational?

Irrational indeed. He was scheduled off. Will play today and tomorrow... one of them as a DH.

 

[someoneanywhere]

Betts is 2/2 with a double, 2 walks, and a steal after 3 innings. I would say it's time for him to be promoted. But, instead, I'm wondering if it is just time for him to get called up instead. 

 
The discussion in his adoption thread has taken the same turn. To me, there is no question they are looking at him in the OF -- note not just CF, which would suggest a longer development path, but at the corners -- to see where he is out there. It would not surprise me to see him make the jump if he shows he can handle a spot. I don't think it's necessarily ideal, but you have two forces converging here: the guy pushing his own timetable, on the one hand, which of course you want your best guys to do, and some glaring needs on the other. As a hitter he's shown that he is ready to be challenged again. The questions are whether the challenges (at the plate and in the field) are unfair to him, and whether you risk him taking on what may be unfair challenges in what may be a lost season for the big club.
 
All the more a pain to weigh because they've dropped a bajillion in a row yet are still alive in what promises to be a flat division. If the big league club has a pulse in the second half, you may see him in Boston sooner rather than later. 

 

[Cuzittt]

STORIES

PAWSOX

Game Story

Syracuse batted around and scored four runs in the seventh inning to snap a scoreless tie and Pawtucket barley averted being shut out for the third time in the last four games as the Chiefs beat the PawSox, 4-1, Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium to hand the PawSox their sixth consecutive loss.

Pawtucket (25-25) had been held scoreless for 22 consecutive innings before Corey Brown drilled a two-out home run in the top of the ninth. Still, the PawSox have been limited to only two runs in their last 39 innings at-bat dating back to Monday night's contest against Scranton (spanning five games).

With Syrcause (26-22) taking the first three games of the set, the PawSox have now dropped three straight series and nine of their last 11 games overall. The Chiefs won their fifth consecutive game.

Syracuse starter Taylor Hill (6-1) tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only five hits and one hit-batsman. He struck out four and extended his personal scoreless innings streak to 16 straight.

Ryan Mattheus (eighth inning) and Mike Gonzalez (ninth inning) combined to finish the win, with Gonzalez allowing Brown's sixth home run of the season to dead centerfield.

Pawtucket's Rubby De La Rosa matched Hill pitch for pitch over the first six innings, also allowing no runs and four hits while walking two and striking out five. De La Rosa, who threw a season-high 104 pitches, retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced.

SEADOGS

Game Story

The Portland Sea Dogs scored six runs in the first inning without a hit and came within one run of the franchise scoring record Saturday night as they pounded the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 18-0 in an Eastern League game.

The Sea Dogs finished with 16 hits and benefited from 12 walks on the way to their seventh straight victory.

Travis Shaw, Stefan Welch and Sean Coyle homered, and Coyle and Peter Hissey each had three hits and three RBI.

Mookie Betts reached base five times, going 2 for 2 with three walks and a sacrifice fly.

Staked to a big lead before throwing his first pitch, Portland left-hander Henry Owens (5-4) cruised through seven innings, allowing four hits, striking out six and walking one. He retired his final 10 batters.

Fisher Cats starter Aaron Sanchez failed to record an out, walking four of the first six batters and hitting another. He was charged with six runs, three earned.

Portland added a run in the second on an RBI single by Hissey. Shaw hit a two-run homer in the third and Welch followed with a solo shot to make it 10-0.

Shannon Wilkerson belted a two-run triple in the sixth and scored on Deven Marrero’s single. The Sea Dogs stretched their lead to 17-0 with four more runs in the seventh before Coyle capped the scoring with a home run in the eighth.

Mookie Moving Soon?

With Mookie Betts tearing up the Eastern League as a leadoff hitter, some Red Sox fans wonder why he isn’t rushed up to Boston, which obviously needs a little offensive help.

“Too early” came the answer from reasonable voices.

But maybe it’s time for the Portland Sea Dogs to say goodbye to Mookie, who looks ready for at least the next level.

Betts, 21 and with only 45 games of experience in Double-A, may be headed to Triple-A Pawtucket based on how the Red Sox handle their top prospects.

And Betts should not be the only one promoted. He’s just the biggest name of the bunch.

First baseman Travis Shaw could be packing up his gear, maybe even starting pitcher Keith Couch. And a handful of relievers could go at any time.

How do the Red Sox decide when a player is ready to go? The organization doesn’t announce its timetable but we can see a pattern of promotions based on two categories.

One group includes special prospects.

The second contains players who have consistently shown they are ready to move up.

Betts is part of the first group, special players that can impact a team with their talent, regardless of age.

Previous special players have included Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Garin Cecchini.

Look at how many games they played for the Sea Dogs: Pedroia (66), Ellsbury (67), Bogaerts (79), Bradley (61) and Cecchini (66).

So the guess here is Betts has less than three weeks left with the Sea Dogs – maybe much less based on how he’s consistently excelling: .361 average, .443 on-base percentage, 1.015 OPS (combined on-base and slugging averages), six home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Betts is a marvelous second baseman but his occasional games played in center field (because he isn’t playing second base in Boston with Pedroia there) shows the Red Sox are getting him ready to move on.

SALEM

Game Story

CROWD PLEASER: When the largest crowd of the season flocked to Salem Memorial Ballpark on Saturday, Kevin Heller made sure everyone went home buzzing.

Heller blasted a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, rallying the Salem Red Sox past the Potomac Nationals 7-6 in front of an announced throng of 6,116 — just short of a sellout.

“Guys had great energy all game, and that goes back to the crowd,” Heller said after being mobbed at home plate. “We finally had the home fans behind us, and it paid huge dividends.”

BIG NIGHT: The home run — a no-doubt blast to left on an 0-1 slider — was Heller’s second of the game. He hit an opposite-field shot in the fourth inning as part of a 3 for 4, four-RBI performance.

One of Salem’s leading hitters in April, Heller had cooled off in May but still maintained the fourth-highest on-base percentage in the Carolina League thanks to 26 walks in 43 games.

“You can always help the team getting on base, attacking your pitches,” said Heller, who’s been working with hitting coach U.L. Washington on maintaining his balance on breaking balls like the one he crushed in the 10th. “I just hit a cold streak there for a while. It’s going to happen. It’s just about staying level-headed and riding it out and staying consistent with your swing, consistent with your approach. Days like today will happen eventually.”

TAKE YOUR PICK: The Nationals scratched across an unearned run in the top of the 10th and still had the bases loaded with one out. Kyle Kraus (2-0) got Narciso Mesa to bounce into an inning-ending, 5-2-3 double play that featured a fantastic scoop by first baseman Mario Martinez on a low throw.

“When we hit that little losing streak, we got a little sloppy on defense,” Heller said. “We’ve really worked on it. Martinez is a guy this year that was starting at third, and now he’s making web gems over at first base.

“That inning had a chance to get away from us. Instead, a great play picks us up.”

DRIVE

Game Story

What began as a quiet offensive game on both sides turned into a blowout in a hurry, as the Augusta GreenJackets' (23-25) bats awoke in the middle innings and allowed them to run away with a 14-0 win over the Greenville Drive (24-22) on Saturday night.

Greenville's Trey Ball (1-3) and Augusta's Christian Jones both kept their opponents off the scoreboard for the first four innings, but the GreenJackets broke through against Ball in the fifth. Ty Ross smacked a double to left-center, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Rafael Rodriguez's RBI single. John Polonius followed with a two-run homer over the Green Monster in left to make the score 3-0.

The offensive onslaught began in the sixth, as the GreenJackets tagged Drive reliever Sergio Gomez for 11 runs in two and one-third innings. Ross belted a three-run homer in the sixth to push the lead to 6-0, and the score went to 8-0 after a two-run homer by Ryder Jones in the seventh.

Gomez retired only one batter in the eighth and gave up six runs. The big blows in the frame were Jeremy Sy's two-run double and Tyler Horan's three-run homer to right-center.

 

[Drek717]

Trey Ball's numbers are pretty hideous.

He had a few strong innings early, which compared to his most recent starts makes this Sunday's game one of meaningful improvement.  He's super young so it pays to focus on the positives while he grows up in the org.