4/7/19 MiLB Gameday: Afternoon Tilts

[Cuzittt]

Today's Games:

International League Pawtucket Red Sox (Josh Smith) @ Syracuse Mets [NYM] (TBD) [1:05pm]
Eastern League Portland Sea Dogs (Darwinzon Hernandez) vs. Reading Fightin Phils [PHI] (Bailey Falter) [1:05pm]
Carolina League Salem Red Sox (TBD) @ Wilmington Blue Rocks [KCR] (Jackson Kowar) [1:35pm]
South Atlantic League Greenville Drive (Chris Machamer) vs. West Virginia Power [SEA] (Oliver Jaskie) [3:05pm]
New York Penn League Lowell Spinners - Season Begins June 14
Gulf Coast League GCL Red Sox - Season Begins TBD
Dominican Summer League DSL Red Sox 1 - Season Begins TBD
Dominican Summer League DSL Red Sox 2 - Season Begins TBD

Notes:

Scoreboard

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]

PawSox downed 6-5.

Boxscore

Josh Smith surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits, four walks, and a hit by pitch over 4 2/3 innings; whiffing seven. Bobby Poyner was poked for one run on two hits, a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch over 1 1/3 innings; striking out a pair. Josh Taylor allowed one run on two hits and a wild pitch over the final two frames; striking out four.

Mike Miller managed two singles in four at-bats. Rusney Castillo and Sam Travis each contributed two hits in five trips; Castillo with a double. Cole Sturgeon stung a single and drew a walk in four sessions. Josh Ockimey doubled and walked in five opportunities. Gorkys Hernandez hit a triple in five attempts. Michael Chavis contributed a sacrifice fly and a walk in five matchups. Sandy Leon walked once in four appearances. Tony Renda reached on a base-on-balls in five treks.

 

[Cuzittt]

Sea Dogs shut out Reading, 6-0.

Boxscore

Darwinzon Hernandez gave up two hits, four walks and two wild pitches over five frames; striking out ten. Andrew Schwaab surrendered one hit and whiffed four in two innings. Durbin Feltman struck out one in the eighth. Matt Gorst whiffed a pair in the ninth.

Bobby Dalbec and Jantzen Witte each delivered three hits in four jaunts; each with a homer. Jhon Nunez notched a single, a double, and a walk in four appearances. Luke Tendler thumped two singles in four trips. Joseph Monge managed a single and was hit by a pitch in four matchups. CJ Chatham contributed a double in four contests. Tate Matheny and Brett Netzer each had a single in five at-bats. Josh Tobias was unable to reach in four junkets.

 

[Cuzittt]

Salem suffers a 2-1 loss to Wilmington.

Boxscore

Enmanuel De Jesus yielded two runs on three hits and an intentional walk over 5 2/3 innings; striking out five. Dominic LoBrutto allowed a hit and struck out one in 1 1/3 frames. Jake Thompson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.

Garrett Benge banged a single and drew a base-on-balls in four battles. Isaias Lucena lined a single in three at-bats. Jarren Duran and Michael Osinski each had a single in four opportunities. Jagger Rusconi and Jerry Downs each reached on a walk in four junkets. Deiner Lopez struck out in each of his two at-bats before being pinch-hit for by Ryan Fitzgerald in the seventh, Fitzgerald grounded out. Victor Acosta was unable to reach in three ventures. Tanner Nishioka notched four fruitless forays.

 

[Cuzittt]

Drive walk off with a 6-5, 10 inning victory.

Boxscore

Chris Machamer was knocked for one run on five hits and two walks over five innings; striking out two. Oddanier Mosqueda was mauled for three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks over 1 1/3 frames; whiffing a pair. Logan Browning allowed a run on three hits and a walk over 2 2/3 innings; striking out a trio. Rio Gomez pitched a 1-2-3 tenth; whiffing one.

Kervin Suarez slapped a single and a double while drawing a walk in five sessions. Brandon Howlett and Juan Carlos Abreu each had a single and a double in four at-bats; Abreu was caught stealing. Triston Casas contributed a single. a walk, and a sacrifice fly in five trips. Tyler Esplin thumped a double and drew a walk in five excursions. Kole Cottam notched a double in five contests. Grant Williams walked three times in four appearances; picking up a stolen base and was also picked off/caught stealing. Devlin Granberg walked once in four excursions; stealing a base and then being picked off. Dustin Pedroia walked once in five plate appearances.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Darwinzon a bit wild, but still pretty dominant.

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Sea Dogs shut out Reading, 6-0.

Boxscore

Darwinzon Hernandez gave up two hits, four walks and two wild pitches over five frames; striking out ten. Andrew Schwaab surrendered one hit and whiffed four in two innings. Durbin Feltman struck out one in the eighth. Matt Gorst whiffed a pair in the ninth.

Bobby Dalbec and Jantzen Witte each delivered three hits in four jaunts; each with a homer. Jhon Nunez notched a single, a double, and a walk in four appearances. Luke Tendler thumped two singles in four trips. Joseph Monge managed a single and was hit by a pitch in four matchups. CJ Chatham contributed a double in four contests. Tate Matheny and Brett Netzer each had a single in five at-bats. Josh Tobias was unable to reach in four junkets.

That's pretty crazy. I saw somewhere else that all that was on 78 pitches too. 10 K's, 2 hits and 4 BB's on 78 pitches.... I guess it's the equivalent of an all HR or K hitter here. Does anyone ever think he'll get past his BB problem? If he does, clearly the 10K's become very amazing. IIRC, Lester was seriously prone to BB's throughout his mL career too

 

[rhswanzey]

Eric Logenhagen (Fangraphs) mentioned Darwinzon's outing in his daily prospect notes this morning. I share his view in that after reports on his AFL stint and the team's quiet offseason re: the bullpen, it'd be a little surprising if he wasn't up in the second half.

We do not think Hernandez is a long-term starter and instead think he’ll be an elite bullpen arm. His fastball often sits in the upper-90s when he’s starting so it should at least stay there if he’s moved to relief and, though his feel for it comes and goes, his curveball can be untouchable at times. Maybe the strong early-season performances of Matt Barnes, Brandon Workman, and Ryan Brasier has stifled some of the disquiet about the Red Sox bullpen, but in the event that they need an impact arm, I think it’s more likely to be Hernandez than a piece outside the org. Some of this is due to the quality of the farm system, but Hernandez might also just be better than a lot of the options that will eventually be on the trade market.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

That's pretty crazy. I saw somewhere else that all that was on 78 pitches too. 10 K's, 2 hits and 4 BB's on 78 pitches.... I guess it's the equivalent of an all HR or K hitter here. Does anyone ever think he'll get past his BB problem? If he does, clearly the 10K's become very amazing. IIRC, Lester was seriously prone to BB's throughout his mL career too

Lester's BB rate in the minors was 10.0%. His K rate was 21.8% but was significantly lowered by his 2nd ml season where it was 15.7%. Subtract that year and it's 23.6%. This was also in a time it was harder to strike batters out. Darwinzon's BB rate is 13.0% and his K rate is 25.4%.

I think he ends up in the bullpen where pitching multiple times a week will help him with the BB problem, but it's always going to be a huge issue. It may work in his favor in regards to "avoiding hits" if that is such a thing but that strategy doesn't really bode well for starters. It's not pitch efficient.

Of course, he had 78 pitches through 5 as you noted. I don't think that's repeatable but we'll find out. If it is, his BB problem won't be an issue re: getting deep into games. I don't see much harm giving him this year to find out.