4/29 MiLB Gameday: Pawsox in the Morn

[Cuzittt]

Today's Games:

IL:Pawtucket (Anthony Ranaudo) @ Lehigh Valley (Barry Enright) [10:35 am]
EL: Portland (Keith Couch) vs. Reading (Mike Nessith)[6:05pm]
CL:Salem (Pat Light) vs. Winston-Salem (Tony Bucciferro) [7:05pm]
SAL: Greenville (Jamie Callahan) @ Greensboro (Sean Townsley) [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:

Mookie Betts has reached safely in 50 consecutive regular season games. He has reached safely in 55 consecutive games (including playoffs).

Sean Coyle left yesterday's game after aggravating his hamstring.

Bo Greenwell - South Atlantic League Player of the Week.


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

 

[WenZink]

Bryce Brentz hits a 2nd inning, 2-out, Grand Slam to give the PawSox a 7-0 lead over the Pigs.  It came off starter Barry Enright, whose name suggests he was involved in the '50s quiz show scandal.
 
Vazquez already 2/2 to raise his average to .300 even.

 

[Cuzittt]

Pawsox win 8-0 in a game ended in the 6th due to inclement weather.

Boxscore

Anthony Ranaudo went 5 innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks; striking out 7.

Christian Vazquez went 2/4. Brock Holt went 1/3 with a walk. Bryce Brentz went 1/3 with a Grand Slam. Daniel Nava and Alex Hassan also each went 1/3. Corey Brown went 0/1 with a walk and a SF. Justin Henry went 0/1 with 2 walks. Garin Cecchini went 0/2 with a walk. Brandon Snyder went 0/2 with a HBP.

 

[djhb20]

Bryce Brentz hits a 2nd inning, 2-out, Grand Slam to give the PawSox a 7-0 lead over the Pigs.  It came off starter Barry Enright, whose name suggests he was involved in the '50s quiz show scandal.
 
Vazquez already 2/2 to raise his average to .300 even.

 
Looking at Brentz's year so far, the most encouraging thing has to be the 12 walks he's taken so far, after taking only 20 in about 350 PAs last year at Pawtucket.

 

[Cuzittt]

Salem postponed by rain. Doubleheader May 21st.

 

[Cuzittt]

Mookie goes to 51. Single in the 3rd, HR in the 4th.

 

[Manzivino]

And another single in the 6th. But he was caught stealing in the first so that balances out.
 

 

[Merkle's Boner]

Oh by the way, the Seadogs are a real good team.

 

[Plympton91]

Marrero continues to hit. This is a very very good thing. Bogaerts in RF, Cecchini in LF, Marrero at SS, Middlebrooks at 3B, Betts at super sub. 2016.

 

[Cuzittt]

Seadogs win 10-2.

Boxscore

Keith Couch went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and a HBP; striking out 7. Noe Ramirez went 1 1/3 innings, striking out 3. Miguel Celestino pitched an inning, giving up a hit.

Mookie Betts went 3/4 with a HR and a CS. Deven Marrero and Travis Shaw each went 2/4; Marrero with a double, Shaw with a HR. Stefan Welch, Blake Swihart and Henry Ramos each went 1/4; Ramos and Swihart with triples, Welch with a HR. Shannon Wilkerson went 0/3 with a walk. Carlos Rivero went 0/3 with a HBP. Heiker Meneses went 0/4.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Marrero continues to hit. This is a very very good thing. Bogaerts in RF, Cecchini in LF, Marrero at SS, Middlebrooks at 3B, Betts at super sub. 2016.

Travis Shaw is hitting again too.

edit: I take that back.

 

[ScubaSteveAvery]

Marrero continues to hit. This is a very very good thing. Bogaerts in RF, Cecchini in LF, Marrero at SS, Middlebrooks at 3B, Betts at super sub. 2016.

 
I thought Imgran had made his grand return.  Bogaerts in RF.  Please give a scouting report on how he will be a good fit in Fenway's RF. 

 

[meadow11]

Marrero continues to hit. This is a very very good thing. Bogaerts in RF, Cecchini in LF, Marrero at SS, Middlebrooks at 3B, Betts at super sub. 2016.

Or perhaps by 2016 the infield looks something like this....  
 
Swihart - C
WMB - 1B
Pedey - 2B
Marrero - SS
X - 3B 
Betts - SUB

 

[RoDaddy]

Oh by the way, the Seadogs are a real good team.

The whole damn system is good and winning right now! Let's never ever forget how good things are now, Minor league forum! One of the top rated systems in baseball on top of a championship team in Boston. And, IMO, the top prospects are off to an even better start to the new season that expected. Twenty years from now, we'll be referring back to these few years as the golden era of the Sox minor league system.

 

[Byrdbrain]

 
I thought Imgran had made his grand return.  Bogaerts in RF.  Please give a scouting report on how he will be a good fit in Fenway's RF. 

Yeah I don't see RF for X though he and Cecchini splitting LF and 3B in some manner and WMB at 1B could be a reality.

 

[Plympton91]

Yeah I don't see RF for X though he and Cecchini splitting LF and 3B in some manner and WMB at 1B could be a reality.

Middlebrooks at first would alleviate the logjam too. I don't see why Bogarts can't learn RF though. He's got a good enough arm and decent speed and plays popupa a lot better than grounder at this point. With an offseason and a spring training at Fenway south he could be as good out there as he's been at SS this month

 

[Byrdbrain]

A typical RF he would be fine in but I think we've been spoiled by having a second CF in RF and I don't think he'd have that kind of range.
Also since we are having a prospect wet dream where would Margot play if X was in RF?

 

[ScubaSteveAvery]

Middlebrooks at first would alleviate the logjam too. I don't see why Bogarts can't learn RF though. He's got a good enough arm and decent speed and plays popupa a lot better than grounder at this point. With an offseason and a spring training at Fenway south he could be as good out there as he's been at SS this month

 
Playing RF, especially at Fenway is much more than playing pop ups.  For one, he would be seeing balls from the opposite side of the field than he's used to. Second, do we even know how well he would take routes to batted balls? His arm may be decent from from SS to 1B, but what about RF to 3B?  Will it maintain the same accuracy? You are willing to say an offseason of RF training will get him game ready, but admit that minor league career at SS only got him so far.  Why do you think he only needs one offseason of training in RF to be ready? 
 
There is additional analysis of whether losing Bogaert's bat at SS would be made up by Merrero's defense at SS.  

 

[Cuzittt]

Drive lose in 11 innings, 4-3.

Boxscore

Jamie Callahan went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits (1 HR), 2 WPs and a walk; striking out 5. Joe Gunkel pitched 2 innings, hitting one and striking out 2. Raynel Velette went 3 innings, giving up a hit and 3 walks; striking out 2. Mike Adams got the first batter he faced out... then gave up a walk-off HR.

Manuel Margot went 2/3 with a double and 2 sacrifices. Wendell Rijo went 2/4 with a walk. Jordan Weems went 1/2 with 3 walks. Carlos Asuaje went 1/3 with a walk and a HBP. Tzu-Wei Lin and Jake Romanski each went 1/5; Lin with a double. Bo Greenwell, Jantzen Witte and Jesus Loya each went 0/5.

 

[Plympton91]

 
Playing RF, especially at Fenway is much more than playing pop ups.  For one, he would be seeing balls from the opposite side of the field than he's used to. Second, do we even know how well he would take routes to batted balls? His arm may be decent from from SS to 1B, but what about RF to 3B?  Will it maintain the same accuracy? You are willing to say an offseason of RF training will get him game ready, but admit that minor league career at SS only got him so far.  Why do you think he only needs one offseason of training in RF to be ready? 
 
There is additional analysis of whether losing Bogaert's bat at SS would be made up by Merrero's defense at SS.  

Does he have a stronger arm and more speed than Daniel Nava, who played 61 games in RF for a pennant winner?

I'm fully aware of al the caveats, kthxbye

 

[gammoseditor]

With 2B not an option the best case and very possible scenario for Betts is CF.  His bat is potentially too good for the super sub role. 

 

[ScubaSteveAvery]

Does he have a stronger arm and more speed than Daniel Nava, who played 61 games in RF for a pennant winner?

I'm fully aware of al the caveats, kthxbye

 
I see. More drive by posting from you. 
 
If you are going to post ridiculous lineups, expect to defend them.  Your response to defending putting Bogaerts in a position that he's never played before is...Nava? 

 

[Manzivino]

Travis Shaw is hitting again too.

edit: I take that back.

 
I posted about him as my Early Faller for the system when he was hitting .114/.295/.114 ten games into the season, before the Great Crash ate my post and gave me an opportunity to save face. In the ten games since then he's gone a tidy 17/43, 2B, 4 HR, 6 BB (1 intentional), 2 K to raise his season line to a very respectable .269/.380/.436. Very encouraging rebound.

 

[Drek717]

Marrero continues to hit. This is a very very good thing. Bogaerts in RF, Cecchini in LF, Marrero at SS, Middlebrooks at 3B, Betts at super sub. 2016.

If all goes perfectly offensively I'd expect something more like this by 2016:
Vazquez - C
Middlebrooks - 1B
Pedroia - 2B
Bogaerts - 3B
Marrero - SS
Bradley - RF
Betts - CF
Cecchini/Brentz platoon - LF
 
Cecchini isn't sticking at 3B over WMB if they both hit, he's just not as quick laterally.  That said, if Bogaerts gets moved off SS he's taking 3B from WMB because the gap he has over WMB at 3B is likely at least as big as the one WMB has over Cecchini.  Therefore WMB's power and solid athleticism would acquit itself well by moving straight across the diamond.  Betts could be a plus CF but his arm likely won't pass in RF, so swapping him and Bradley (who does have the arm) fixes that.  Cecchini and Brentz have both flashed serious splits at points in their mL career, but they pair off each other perfectly well in that regard.
 
With Swihart being the #2 C, DH, backup 1B/2B/3B/LF/RF thanks to that much hyped athleticism.  Swihart has real value as a C capable guy but he's not Vazquez defensively.  A situation where he takes about 60 games a year off Vazquez behind the plate while filling in for WMB, an aging Pedroia, Bogaerts (including when X spells Marrero at SS), and both corner OF spots is the real super sub dream to chase if you ask me.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

The whole damn system is good and winning right now! Let's never ever forget how good things are now, Minor league forum! One of the top rated systems in baseball on top of a championship team in Boston. And, IMO, the top prospects are off to an even better start to the new season that expected. Twenty years from now, we'll be referring back to these few years as the golden era of the Sox minor league system.

Records through last night:
Pawtucket 16-11
Portland 15-7
Salem 14-10
Greenville 13-9
 
Who knew the World Champions would be bringing the organization down!

 

[LondonSox]

The amount of money this farm system could free up for the few positions the kids aren't likely to fill should be a bit scary to the rest of the league.
 
If these kids are as good as they look then you have 1B and corner outfield to fill (and the outfield might be fillable from the likes of Betts etc.
 
I think this is why we don't need to play these kids out of position because why play Betts in LF when you have 50mm in spare payroll.

 

[Cuzittt]

STORIES

PAWSOX

Game Story

Bryce Brentz hit a grand slam home run to highlight a seven-run second inning and Anthony Ranaudo tossed a five-inning complete game shutout as the PawSox blanked the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, 8-0, in a rain-shortened game on Tuesday afternoon at rainy and windy Coca-Cola Park to finish a four-game series win.

Ranaudo (2-2) limited the Iron Pigs to only two hits and four total baserunners in earning the first complete game and first shutout of his professional career. He finished the effort by striking out the side in the fifth inning on nine total pitches right before the rain delay began.

Pawtucket (16-11) finished the month of April with wins in four of its last five games to move a season-high five games above .500. Brentz, whose grand slam against Lehigh Valley starter Barry Enright was his second homer in as many nights, drove in nine runs during the four-game series.

The PawSox sent ten batters to the plate in the second against Enright (0-2), beginning with a walk to Garin Cecchini and a single by Alex Hassan that put runners on the corners. Corey Brown's deep sacrifice fly to right plated the first run of the contest.

Justin Henry then walked and Brock Holt reached when Enright made a poor throw to second on a comebacker to the mound for an error that loaded the bases. Christian Vazquez and Daniel Nava followed with back-to-back RBI singles that made the score 3-0.

After Enright then struck out Brandon Snyder, Brentz delivered his grand slam on an 0-2 pitch deep into the bullpen in left field. It was his fourth home run of the season and first grand slam for a Pawtucket player this season.

Holt's RBI single against reliever Brad Lincoln in the third completed the scoring. The umpires waited 45 minutes after the tarp was pulled onto the field to call the game.

Ranaudo struck out a season-high-matching seven and walked a pair of batters in his five innings of work. Enright allowed seven runs (only two earned) on five hits in two innings of work.

SEADOGS

Game Story

Take notice of unbeaten starter Keith Couch (4-0), who had a perfect game for 52/3 innings Tuesday night in the Portland Sea Dogs’ 10-2 win over the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field.

Travis Shaw is garnering attention lately. He homered and singled Tuesday night.

Shortstop Deven Marrero went 2 for 4 and is batting .306.

Then there was Betts, the 21-year-old second baseman who is in his first season in Double-A baseball. Betts went 3 for 4, with a three-run homer over the left-field wall in the fourth inning.

Betts has a 16-game hitting streak and an on-base streak of 51 games, dating to last year.

Betts is also batting .422 with four home runs and a .471 on-base percentage through 21 games.

“Same approach each and every day,” Betts said.

Portland Manager Billy McMillon said Betts “is in a good place right now. Swinging the bat real well and he’s really confident. It’s fun to watch.”

Betts’ and Shaw’s blasts, along with a Stefan Welch homer were among the big hits.

Blake Swihart and Henry Ramos also tripled in the seven-run fourth inning.

The runs were plenty for Couch. He located his 90 mph fastball on the corners and mixed in sliders and change-ups. No Reading player reached until Edgar Duran’s ground-ball single to center field with two outs in the sixth.

Couch said he didn’t realize that was the first hit.

“Then I got applause and I looked back (at the scoreboard) and I knew why,” Couch said.

DRIVE

Game Story

Nine innings weren't enough time for the Greenville Drive (13-9) and Greensboro Grasshoppers (13-11) to come away with a victory on Tuesday night. It took two more innings for Greensboro to send the fans home happy, as Kentrell Dewitt's walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th gave the Grasshoppers a 4-3 win.

New Drive reliever Mike Adams (0-1) got the first out of the eleventh, but Dewitt smacked a solo homer to right field to propel Greensboro to victory. CJ Robinson (2-1) received the win after throwing a scoreless top half of the eleventh.

Trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth, the Drive came back and tied the game against Casey McCarthy. Carlos Asuaje drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a Wendell Rijo single. Manuel Margot laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, and after an intentional walk to Jordan Weems, Jake Romanski lined a single to left field to knot things up.

The Drive jumped out to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second against Greensboro starter Domingo German. Tzu-Wei Lin doubled with one out in the first and later scored on Jantzen Witte's RBI groundout. In the second, Rijo walked leading off the frame and eventually scored when Weems lined a single to right.

Greensboro scored a pair of runs in the third against Drive starter Jamie Callahan. Chad Wallach led off the inning with a solo homer to right, and an RBI single later in the frame by Austin Dean tied the game.

Wallach drove home another run in the fourth to give the Grasshoppers the lead, as his groundout scored Avery Romero, who doubled to lead things off.

Margot and Rijo collected two hits apiece for the Drive. Joe Gunkel and Raynel Velette combined to hurl five shutout innings of relief from the sixth through the tenth. Dewitt and Justin Bohn had two hits each for Greensboro.