6/3 MiLB Gameday: Mookie Moving Day

[Cuzittt]

Today's Games:

IL:Pawtucket (Chris Hernandez) @ Durham (Nate Karns) [7:05pm]
EL: Portland (Mike Augliera) vs. Erie (Wilsen Palacios) [7:05pm]
CL:Salem (Corey Littrell) vs. Frederick (Brady Wager) [7:05pm]
SAL: Greenville (Trey Ball) vs. Lexington (Luke Farrell) [7:05pm]
NYPL: Lowell - Opening Day - June 13th vs. Vermont
GCL: GCL Sox - Opening Day - June 20th vs GCL Twins
DSL: DSL Sox @ DSL Nationals [10:30 am]

Notes:

Salem has lost 6 consecutive.

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

 

[semsox]

Some rumblings over at soxprospects that Mookie has been promoted to AAA

 

[Ferm Sheller]

That was going to happen any day now, so it might as well be today.  On track for a September call up...nice.

 

[Curll]

I might have to make it down to McCoy 

 

[someoneanywhere]

That was going to happen any day now, so it might as well be today.  On track for a September call up...nice.

This is not a September timetable, in my opinion. If he can handle himself in AAA, and the big-league team is still in contention, we're looking at late July/August.

 

[RoDaddy]

Good to see him rewarded for his great play.  I wonder if they are going to give him time in left field as well in Pawtucket? This will also push underacheiving JBJ Jr  knowing someone with just as much potential is breathing down his neck. 

 

[SaveBooFerriss]

 This will also push underacheiving JBJ Jr  knowing someone with just as much potential is breathing down his neck. 

 
Do you really think JBJ has been slacking because he thinks there is no inhouse replacement for him?  That is very odd.  

 

[Ferm Sheller]

This is not a September timetable, in my opinion. If he can handle himself in AAA, and the big-league team is still in contention, we're looking at late July/August.

I agree. I just meant that this promotion all but guarantees a promotion to Boston at some point this year. September being worst case (unless he gets hurt or struggles significantly).

 

[mabrowndog]

He's playing 2nd and leading off tonight.
 

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Betts 0-for-1.  Anyone know what he did in his first AB?  (Wasn't a K.)

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Betts 0-for-1.  Anyone know what he did in his first AB?  (Wasn't a K.)

Flied out to center

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Thanks.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Strikes out swinging in his second AB

 

[Quintanariffic]

bust

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Five shutout innings for Ball tonight

 

[Sprowl]

He's playing 2nd and leading off tonight.
 
1. Betts
2. Cecchini
3. Vazquez

The future's so bright I gotta wear shades.

 

[Cuzittt]

Drive win 3-1.

Boxscore

Trey Ball went 5 innings, giving up 4 hits and a walk; striking out 3. Jacob Dahlstrand went 4 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits, a walk and a HBP; striking out one.

Jimmy Rider and Carlos Asuaje each went 2/4; Asuaje with a double. Jake Romanski and Kendrick Perkins each went 1/3. Forrestt Allday and Jantzen Witte each went 1/4 with a double. Jordan Weems went 0/3. Wendell Rijo and Manuel Margot each went 0/4.

 

[Cuzittt]

Salem wins 6-4.

Boxscore

Corey Littrell went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits (1 HR), a HBP and a WP; striking out 9. Kyle Martin went 3 innings, allowing an unearned run on a hit and a WP; striking out one.

Dreily Guerrero went 2/3 with a HR and a walk. Matty Johnson went 2/5 with a double and a SB. Carson Blair went 1/3 with a walk. Reed Gragnani went 1/4 with a double and a walk. Aneury Tavarez went 1/4 with a double. Ryan Dent walked all 4 times he was up. Tim Roberson and Mario Martinez went 0/4. Mike Miller went 0/5.

 

[Cuzittt]

Pawsox lose 5-2.

Boxscore

Chris Hernandez went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, a walk, a HBP and a WP; striking out 4. Chris Resop went 1 2/3 innings, giving up a hit and a HBP; striking out one. Jeremy Kehrt went an inning, walking two.

Travis Shaw went 2/4. Mike McCoy went 1/3 with a walk. Corey Brown and Christian Vazquez went 1/4; Brown with a HR. Shannon Wilkerson went 0/2 with a walk and reached on catcher's interference. Justin Henry went 0/3 with a walk. Mookie Betts went 0/4 with a walk. Dan Butler went 0/4. Garin Cecchini went 0/5.

 

[Cuzittt]

Portland loses 11-9.

Boxscore

Mike Augliera went 4 innings, allowing 7 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits, a walk and a WP. Wilfredo Boscan went 3 1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits (1 HR) and a walk; striking out one. Michael Olmsted went 1 2/3 innings, allowing a hit and 3 walks; striking out one.

Stefan Welch went 2/3 with 2 walks. Sean Coyle went 2/4 with 2 doubles and a walk. Derrik Gibson went 2/4 with a walk and a SB. Keury de la Cruz went 2/4 with a double and a SF. Deven Marrero went 2/5 with 2 doubles and a walk. Blake Swihart went 2/5 with a double and a HR. Jonathan Roof went 2/5 with a triple. Heiker Meneses went 0/4 with a walk and a SB. Bo Greenwell went 0/5 with a HBP.

 

[Cuzittt]

DSL Sox lose 6-3.

Boxscore

Emmanuel de Jesus went 3 1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits (1 HR), a walk and a WP; striking out 5. Algenis Martinez went 3 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, a WP and a walk; striking out 5. Darwinzon Hernandez went an inning, striking out one.

Rafael Devers went 2/3 with a walk, a HBP and a SB. Juan Hernandez went 2/4 with 2 SBs and a CS. Raiwinson Lameda and Gerardo Carrizalez each went 1/4; Carrizalez with a double. Carlos Tovar went 1/5. Luis Alejandro Basabe went 0/3 with 2 walks and a SB. Rafael Toribio went 0/3 with a HBP and a CS. Roldani Baldwin and Samuel Miranda each went 0/4.

 

[Cuzittt]

STORIES

PAWSOX

Boxscore

Durham batted around and scored four runs on only two hits in the sixth inning and four Bulls pitchers combined on a five-hitter en route to a 5-2 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox Tuesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in the opener of a four-game series.

Mookie Betts, the highly-touted Boston prospect who was promoted from Double-A Portland earlier in the day, made his Pawtucket debut by batting leadoff and playing second base. He went 0-for-4 with a walk, but also recorded seven assists in the field including starting two double-play groundouts.

Betts was robbed of an RBI hit in the ninth inning on a diving catch by the third-baseman Cole Figueroa with the bases loaded and one out. Closer Kirby Yates pitched around two errors in that ninth to earn his 15th save of the season, striking out Garin Cecchini looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.

Corey Brown homered and drove home each run for the PawSox (28-32), who have now dropped four straight games and 16 of their last 21. Pawtucket's offense has been held to a total of five runs during the current four-game skid.

The Bulls trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the sixth but took advantage of a two defensive miscues to plate four runs, only one of which was earned. Robby Price was hit by a pitch and Hak-Ju Lee singled to start the inning against PawSox starter Chris Hernandez (2-6).

Ray Olmedo then laid down a sacrifice bunt on which Hernandez attempted to get the lead runner at third base, but the throw came in late leaving the bases loaded. Justin Christian followed and reached on a fielding error by Cecchini at third that plated the tying run with still no outs.

Back-to-back sacrifice flies from Mikie Mahtook and Jayson Nix gave Durham a 4-2 lead, then Figueroa lined a two-out RBI double against reliever Chris Resop to plate the fourth run of the inning. Hernandez was charged with five runs (two earned) on four hits in 5.1 innings.

SEADOGS

Game Story

The Erie Seawolves topped Portland 11-9 Tuesday night at Hadlock Field. Erie out-hit the Sea Dogs 20-14.

The Seawolves broke a 9-9 tie with two runs in the eighth, on a squeeze play and Dixon Machado’s RBI double.

Portland catcher Blake Swihart hit his sixth home run of the season in the fourth inning. He also doubled in a run.

Deven Marrero hit two doubles, for a team-leading 17. He scored twice and knocked in a run.

Sean Coyle doubled twice and walked.

Stefan Welch reached base four times with two singles and two walks.

Portland starter Mike Augliera lasted only four innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits.

Reliever Wilfredo Boscan (0-1) entered with a 9-7 lead in the fifth. He gave up four runs over 3-1/3 innings.

Betts Moves on

Boston promoted Betts from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday. Betts played second base for Pawtucket Tuesday night, going 0 for 4 with a walk.

“He’s really excelled in every area of the game,” Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington said.

Betts, 21, so dominated the Eastern League that you have to wonder if Triple-A is his ceiling this season.

Other Sea Dogs starred in Portland and reached Boston the same year.

“You certainly can’t rule it out,” Red Sox Manager John Farrell told reporters in Cleveland. “He’s doing things offensively that are eye-popping.”

The numbers: .355 average, six home runs, .443 on-base percentage, 22 stolen bases in 25 tries. And there was that 56-game on-base streak, stretching back to last year.

“He’s controlling the strike zone. He’s running the bases. He’s playing defense,” Cherington said. “He’s obviously hitting. He’s hitting for power.

“At some point we have an obligation to challenge our young players.”

Thus, Betts traveled through Portland faster than any other everyday player in the Red Sox system. Jackie Bradley Jr. was the previous fastest prospect (61 games).

Last year, another prospect got promoted after a short time in Double-A.

And, yes, we’ve made the Xander Bogaerts-Mookie Betts comparison before. (Our March 27 headline: “Is Betts the next Bogaerts?”).

Bogaerts, an obvious talent and only 21, came to Portland at the end of the 2012 season and was promoted by June 13, 2013, after 79 games in Double-A.

But Bogaerts did not stay in Triple-A long, reaching the majors on Aug. 19 and eventually starting in the World Series at third base.

Betts, like Bogaerts, has been remarkably consistent as he moved up the Red Sox system. From .296 in Greenville early last year, to .341 in Salem the second half, to Portland.

“He was as solid last year as he was this year,” said Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon, who managed Salem last year. “More wisdom. More experience. There was nothing glaring he needed to work on.

“Then he got some new challenges thrown at him.”

McMillon referred to Betts’ new position. In the move heard around Red Sox Nation, Betts switched from second to center field on May 18.

SALEM

Game Story

HAPPY HOMECOMING: Laughter returned to the Salem Red Sox clubhouse for the first time since they left here a week ago.

After a disastrous road trip that dissolved any shot at a first-half division title, the Sox rallied for a 6-4 victory over Frederick on Tuesday, snapping a six-game losing streak.

“It’s good to come home after a tough road trip,” said Sox skipper Carlos Febles, whose club dropped two games at Myrtle Beach and four in Potomac. “I thought we played pretty hard and had some opportunities to win a couple games in Potomac, but we made some mistakes late in the game that cost us.”

TWO-OUT LIGHTNING: This time, though, the Sox were the late aggressors.

Aneury Tavarez capped a three-run seventh inning with a two-out, two-two run double, turning a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 lead.

“That was huge,” Febles said. “He’d been struggling lately, but he laid off a couple bad fastballs up and away and got a good pitch to hit in a 2-0 count. …It’s good to see that.”

BATTLING: After giving up three runs in the first three innings, left-hander Corey Littrell settled down to turn in a quality start, striking out nine over six innings.

“He could have gone the other way, and didn’t,” Febles said. “He kept his composure and was able to give us a chance to come back. It was big to save our bullpen, too. If he would have come out of the game early, that would have put us in a bad situation. That’s the type of game where, as a manager, you feel pretty good about your starter.”

Kyle Martin (2-1) earned the win in relief, giving up one unearned run on one hit over three innings.

HELP ON THE WAY? Salem’s injury-plagued infield could get reinforcements soon. Jose Vinicio and Matt Gedman are both playing games at extended spring training and nearing returns. Febles said first baseman David Chester could join them in Fort Myers contests as early as today.

DRIVE

Game Story

Greenville used timely hitting to back solid pitching and beat Lexington 3-1 at Fluor Field Tuesday night.

Carlos Asuaje provided two of the timely hits and drove in all three runs as the Drive have won back-to-back games. They will go for a series sweep in today’s sold out finale of the home stand.

Asuaje, batting .222 in his last five games, smacked a fly ball to deep center for a triple to drive in Jimmy Rider and Jantzen Witte. Rider singled, and Witte followed a ground rule double to center.

“I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit,” said Asuaje. “I was kind of hunting a fastball. He happened to throw it, and I just put a good swing on it really.”

The Legends cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the seventh. They, too, used a single and a double to set up a run.

Asuaje added an insurance run by singling in Forrestt Allday in the bottom of the eighth. He now has driven in 39 runs.

Greenville (29-28) received a strong performance from starting pitcher Trey Ball. The southpaw struggled a bit early, but benefitted from a line drive to Asuaje that turned into a double play in the first.

Ball went five innings, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out three. He retired the last eight batters he faced and 10 of the last 11.

 

[tbrown_01923]

Trying not to get excited about Devers, only 11 at bats into the DSL.

 

[Apisith]

First good outing for Ball. Hopefully the bad start is behind him.

 

[Vegas Sox Fan]

Trying not to get excited about Devers, only 11 at bats into the DSL.

 
Has anyone seen anything on why he is in the DSL this year? I thought most had him penciled in for the GCL.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

 
Has anyone seen anything on why he is in the DSL this year? I thought most had him penciled in for the GCL.

 
Could just be to get him extra game action before the GCL begins. A couple extra weeks for such a young guy isn't worth nothing.