29 replies to this topic

[Cuzittt]

Today's Games:

IL: Pawtucket (Justin Germano) @ Columbus (Cory Kluber) [1:05pm]
EL: Portland (Chris Hernandez) vs. Reading (Tyler Cloyd) [1:05pm]
CL: Salem (Keith Couch) vs. Carolina (Michael Goodnight) [4:05pm]
SAL: Greenville (Matt Barnes) @ Lakewood (Ervis Manzanillo) [1:05pm]
NYPL: Lowell - Season Begins June 18th.
GCL GCL Sox - Season Begins June 18th.
DSL DSL Sox - Season Begins June 2nd.

Notes:

Heiker Meneses left yesterdays game after injuring his left arm while diving for a ball.

Jeremy Hazelbaker has a 9 game Hit Streak.

Xander Bogaerts has a 16 game On-Base Streak.

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

[jonasi]

Boxes and Logs

Team	Box	Log	Gameday
Pawtucket	Box	Log	Gameday
Portland	Box	Log	Gameday
Salem	Box	Log	Gameday
Greenville	Box	Log	Gameday

[StuckOnYouk]

Three of our best minor league SP's going today. Hopefully they keep rollin

[pokey_reese]

Barnes Ks 2 in the first inning. How much more of this do those poor low-A hitters have to suffer before he gets promoted?

edit: 2 more in the second.

Edited by pokey_reese, 29 April 2012 - 12:45 PM.

[mabrowndog]

Linares walks with 2 outs in the 4th. Tyler Cloyd had retired the first 11 men he'd faced with 6 Ks. Reynaldo Rodriuguez flies out to end the inning.

Hernandez gave up a cheap run in the first on a leadoff ground ball single up the middle, two advancing ground-outs, and another base hit to CF. He's yielded just 2 other singles and struck out 3 while walking none.

Cloyd walks 2 more with 2 out in the 5th, but a coaching visit settles him down and he gets Zach Gentile to end it.

Hernandez pulled after a pair of 2-out singles in the top of the 6th. 87 pitches (56 strikes), and he had an 11/2 G/F on the day. Caleb Clay on in relief and coaxes a flyout to end the threat.

Sea Dogs head to the last of the 6th still looking for their first hit trailing 1-0.

Edited by mabrowndog, 29 April 2012 - 01:27 PM.

[mabrowndog]

Barnes Ks 2 in the first inning. How much more of this do those poor low-A hitters have to suffer before he gets promoted?

edit: 2 more in the second.

Now at 7 through 4 innings, working a 2-hit no-walk shutout.

[mabrowndog]

Linares breaks up Cloyd's no-no on a single to right with 2 out in the 6th. Reynaldo Rodriguez goes down swinging to end the inning.

Still just a 1-0 game.

Edited by mabrowndog, 29 April 2012 - 01:35 PM.

[Detts]

Barnes Ks 2 in the first inning. How much more of this do those poor low-A hitters have to suffer before he gets promoted?

edit: 2 more in the second.

1 more game is all I'm asking (I want to see him Friday).

[mabrowndog]

Germano working a gem through five: 0 ER on 3 H with 5 Ks. Also yielded his first base on balls of the season -- on 8 pitches to Andy LaRoche to lead off the 5th -- after 27 walk-free innings.

He's got a 19/1 K/BB, a .821 WHIP, a 6.1 K/9 and a 1.29 ERA in 5 starts. I realize his stuff is less than spectacular, and that like Aaron Cook he pitches to contact. But all the hand-wringing over what to do with Cook just because he's got an opt-out date looming is a little perplexing given that Germano seems he'd be least as good an option right now.

EDIT - And right on cue, I jinx him. Cord Phelps solo HR leads off the 6th. Three singles tie the game 2-2, and Germano's done. Mortensen on in relief with runners on 1st & 2nd and 1 out.

Edited by mabrowndog, 29 April 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[mabrowndog]

An Oscar Tejeda solo shot to lead off the 7th ties it at 1-1 in Portland.

[mabrowndog]

Barnes is done. Gave up a leadoff single in the 6th before getting a whiff and a groundout. Hunter Cervenka in.

Final line: 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 8 Ks, 0 BB

[SoxScout]

26.2 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 42 K

[SoxScout]

Cervenka shits his pants, Barnes' first run scores. Awful.

Edited by SoxScout, 29 April 2012 - 02:10 PM.

[mabrowndog]

A pair of walks by Caleb Clay in the top of the 8th bite him in the ass as Michael Spidale doubles both runner home. Linares guns him down trying to stretch it into a triple, ending the inning.

Reading leads 3-1

[mabrowndog]

Cervenka shits his pants, Barnes' first run score. Awful.

GameDay is frozen at the point Cervenka entered the game. Any details on what transpired?

[mabrowndog]

Mortensen walks his first batter to load the bases, but gets a K and a GO to end the 6th in Columbus.

PawSox batting in the 7th as RHP Cody Allen relieves Corey Kluber.

[SoxScout]

GameDay is frozen at the point Cervenka entered the game. Any details on what transpired?

Sorry, I was listening. It was like HBP, BB, Hit, WP, Hit... or something along those lines.

[mabrowndog]

Tim Britton of Projo reports there was a swinging bunt that allowed the first run to score. They ended up plating 6 more that inning, all charged to Cervenka.

Sean McAdam tweets him back: "Is that Exene's younger brother?"

Edited by mabrowndog, 29 April 2012 - 02:31 PM.

[Byrdbrain]

1 more game is all I'm asking (I want to see him Friday).

Chris Mellen ‏ @ChrisMellen
Hearing rumblings that RHP Matt Barnes' next start will be with Salem. If so, lines up for Friday or Saturday in High-A. #redsox



You might be out of luck.

Edited by ptremb, 29 April 2012 - 03:06 PM.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

JBJ today: 1 H, 1 BB, 2R so far, as of the 3rd inning.

Today is the 7th game in a row he's gotten on base at least twice. And 19 of 20 games that he's gotten on base at least once.

Time for another lap around in the bandwagon!

[OttoC]

Salem has six stolen bases through the 3rd.

[Eric Van]

26.2 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 42 K

Later tonight I make check his GB%* -- today it was 10 on 12 balls in play (2 flies).

*And even though I'm a month behind, I still intend to build my spreadsheet with all my ml pitching numbers, so I can just look this stuff up. I'm curious as to what his MLE would be, too ...

[Plympton91]

Hopefully, Barnes only needs a month in Salem and then heads to Portland.

Likewise, i have to think JBJ heads from Salem to Portland soon, barring a slump in the near term.

[templeUsox]

Had a chance to watch Barnes today. Here are my impressions:

Overall: Clearly is not challenged by the low-A competition. He could probably cruise using his fastball alone. Facing the 1st batter in the 3rd inning, he threw 3 straight fastballs down the middle (91 mph then 93 mph then 94 mph) for three straight swinging strikes. When hitters were able to make contact, they mostly pounded weak groundballs into the ground. Of the three singles off him, 1 was a seeing-eye single up the middle, one was a broken-bat blooper into RF, and the other was a hard hit line drive which came on a get-me-over two-seamer on the first pitch of the 6th inning. He has a clean and easy delivery reminiscent of Luke Hochevar.

Fastball: Sat 94-96 in the first 2 innings and 92-95 over the rest of the game. He also showed a limited 2-seamer which he used as a show-me pitch in the first pitch of some AB's. He showed good control, the ability to hit the catcher's mitt and throw to both sides of the plate. 3 times in the game he should have struck a batter out on a good cross-arm fastball which wasn't called a strike. His fastball didn't have much movement and he rarely threw it down in the zone. He has a tendency to throw his fastball on one plane. That wasn't a problem today and obviously this season, since his velocity is enough where he can still blow it by hitters. But more advanced hitters will drive those balls he leaves up. Nevertheless, sitting 94-96 is impressive enough in its own right. Exhibiting above average control with that type of velocity clearly has been the ticket to his early success.

Current Grade/Future Grade: 60/65

Curveball: His curve was erratic for the entire game. His curveball velocity sat in the mid-70's. Yes, he snapped off a couple curveballs with nice depth. One of them should have been a called strike three, but it fooled the umpire. Other than those handful of curves, Barnes was having tremendous difficulty locating the pitch. He has a tendency of flying open early, which causes drag on his throwing arm and slows it down. The result were several tumblers with little deception and a lot of curveballs spiked in the dirt. I don't know if this has been a tendency for him all season, but his curveball looked below average to me today.

Current Grade/Future Grade: 40/50

Changeup: Barnes' changeup was his most surprising pitch to me. It was between 85-87 mph for most of the game. He used it exclusively against LHH's, but he seemed much more comfortable throwing it than his curve. He started out several AB's with his changeup and one time threw it for the first two strikes of the AB. He overthrew it once which led to him pounding it into the dirt on the cross-arm side of the plate. But every other time he kept it on the outside third of the plate and it either led to swings and misses or weak contact. He doesn't get a tremendous amount of fade, but enough to miss the sweet spot of bats.

Current Grade/Future Grade: 55/60

Conclusion: He seems to be adjusting well to the 5-man rotation.

Edited by templeUsox, 29 April 2012 - 04:58 PM.

[LostinNJ]

Sorry, I was listening. It was like HBP, BB, Hit, WP, Hit... or something along those lines.

Crvenka came in with two outs and a runner on first. Then: HBP, BB, RBI single, WP (run scores), double (2 runs score), single, double (2 more runs), RBI single, strikeout. Only near the end of the sequence did they start another pitcher warming. It's too bad Barnes lost his perfect ERA in this fashion.

[Cuzittt]

Pawsox lose 3-2.

Boxscore

Justin Germano went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits (1 HR) and a walk; striking out 5. Clayton Mortensen went 1 1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on a hit and 2 walks; striking out one. Will Inman went 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out one.

Nate Spears went 3/5 with a double. Mauro Gomez went 2/4 with 2 doubles. Josh Kroeger went 2/5 with a double. Che-Hsuan Lin and Tony Thomas each went 1/4; Lin with a CS. Alex Hassan and Mike Rivera each went 0/3 with a walk. Will Middlebrooks went 0/4. Jose Iglesias went 0/5 with a SB.

[Cuzittt]

Seadogs lose 4-2.

Boxscore

Chris Hernandez went 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run on 6 hits; striking out 3. Caleb Clay went 2 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks; striking out one. Josh Fields went an inning, allowing a run on 2 hits; striking out one.

Oscar Tejeda and Ronald Bermudez each went 2/4; Bermudez with a double and a SB, Tejeda with a HR. Juan Carlos Linares went 1/2 with 2 walks. Matt Spring went 1/3 with a walk. Zach Gentile went 1/4. Ryan Dent went 0/2 with a walk and a SF. Jeremy Hazelbaker went 0/4 with a walk. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 0/4. Derrik Gibson went 0/5.

[Cuzittt]

Salem wins 8-3.

Boxscore

Keith Couch went 6 1/3 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs on 4 hits, 2 walks and a Balk; striking out 5. Andrew Jones went 1 2/3 perfect innings. Ruben Flores pitched the final inning, giving up a HR and striking out one.

Sean Coyle went 3/5 with a double and 2 SBs. Jackie Bradley and Brandon Jacobs each went 2/4 with a walk, Bradley adding 2 SBs. Shannon Wilkerson went 1/3 with a walk and a SB. Drew Hedman went 1/4 with a double, walk and a SB. Xander Bogaerts went 0/2 with 2 walks before being replaced by James Kang who was hit by a pitch. Carson Blair went 0/3 with a walk. Adalberto Ibarra and Michael Almanzar each went 0/4.

[Cuzittt]

Drive lose 7-3.

Boxscore

Matt Barnes went 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits; striking out 8. Hunter Cervenka went 1/3rd of an inning, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits, a walk and a HBP; striking out one. Tyler Lockwood went 2 innings, giving up a hit and striking out one.

Matthew Marquis went 3/4. Nick Natoli went 2/4 with a SB. Keury de la Cruz went 2/4 with a triple and a SB. Cody Koback went 1/3 with a walk. Garin Cecchini went 1/4 with a double. Bryan Johns went 0/4 with a walk and a SB. Blake Swihart went 0/4 with a SF. David Renfroe and Lucas LeBlanc each went 0/4.

[Cuzittt]

STORIES

PAWSOX

Game Story

The PawSox dropped a fourth consecutive ball game on Sunday, losing at Columbus, 3-2. The Sox jumped out to an early lead, 2-0 after 3 innings, but were unable to do any further damage against the Clippers. Nate Spears, making his return to the Pawtucket lineup, had three hits and scored the first run. Spears came around when Mauro Gomez reached on an error. Another error in the second, committed by Russ Canzler opened the door for Jose Iglesias to score on a ground rule double by Mauro Gomez. Pawtucket stranded ten base runners.

Justin Germano started against his former team. Germano lasted 6 and a third innings and didn't figure in the decision. Clayton Mortensen (2-2) notched the loss, allowing an unearned run in an inning and a third.

SEADOGS

Game Story

The Reading Phillies scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to beat the Portland Sea Dogs 4-2 before 5,957 at Hadlock.
Portland got a tying home run from Oscar Tejeda in the seventh inning off reliever Tyron Brummett.
But Sea Dogs reliever Caleb Clay (1-2) allowed two walks and then a two-out double in the eighth.
Josh Fields gave up a run in the ninth.
Portland scored once in the ninth and loaded the bases with two outs before Derrik Gibson flied out to center.
Reading starter Tyler Cloyd (1.80 ERA) stymied the Sea Dogs, keeping Portland hitless until Juan Carlos Linares' soft line drive to right field with two outs in the sixth inning.
Cloyd began the year as a fill-in in Triple-A. He pitched six perfect innings and then was sent back to Double-A, where he has shined.
Sea Dogs left-hander Chris Hernandez pitched well, allowing six hits and one run over 52/3 innings. He walked none and struck out three.
Neither pitcher fired 90 mph fastballs, but they mixed pitches and threw strikes.
"Their pitch-ability was pretty good," Sea Dogs Manager Kevin Boles said. "They both throw strikes and go right after hitters."
Hernandez, who induced 11 groundouts, dropped his ERA to 1.69.
"Early on, I didn't have all my pitches," Hernandez said. "But I found the curveball and the change-up."

SALEM

Game Story

PANTS POWER: The Legend of the Lucky Game Pants continues to grow. The Red Sox won their fifth straight game behind another quality start from a pitcher wearing the community britches, as Salem beat the Carolina Mudcats 8-3 on Sunday in front of 2,106 at Salem Memorial Ballpark.
SCORE 1 FOR SUPERSTITION: Keith Couch pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing two unearned runs on four hits to earn the win. He was wearing the same pants (washed, of course) that Drake Britton, Brandon Workman, Miguel Celestino and Ryan Pressly sported while shining on the mound the previous four nights.
"Everyone was like, 'We wore 'em, we won,'" Couch said with a smile. "Guess I'll wear 'em too. Keep it going."
FIND A WAY: The sartorial craze started with Britton, who borrowed Workman's pants after his zipper broke during Wednesday's game. Britton, who had perhaps his best outing in two seasons in Salem, is scheduled to pitch again tonight at Wilmington - a road game that typically means gray pants will be issued.
"We're trying to talk 'em into letting us wear the white ones," Britton said. "Or we might just wear 'em underneath our gray pants."

DRIVE

Game Story

Lakewood erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Sunday as the BlueClaws rallied for a 7-3 win over the Greenville Drive.
Blake Swihart’s sacrifice fly gave the Drive a 1-0 lead in the third inning.
Greenville increased its lead an inning later on back-to-back RBI-singles by Matthew Marquis and Nick Natoli.
The Drive was cruising behind another stellar performance by starter Matt Barnes, who had not allowed a run this season coming into the game.
But with two out and a man on first in the sixth, Barnes departed the game. Seven consecutive Lakewood batters then reached base off Greenville reliever Hunter Cervenka. The big blows in the inning were a pair of two-run doubles by Lakewood’s Bob Stumpo and Jon Hill, respectively.
Barnes finished with one run allowed on three hits in 52/3 innings. He had no walks and eight strikeouts.
Barnes now has an 0.34 ERA in 262/3 innings. He’s allowed 12 hits and four walks, while piling up 42 strikeouts.
Marquis had three hits to lead Greenville.