He may not be an immediate plug-and-play, but it’s good to know help is on the way.
Good morning! Tanner Houck had the best night of his Major League career yesterday. Although three of the four Red Sox farm games were decided by 9:03 PM, when the last Cleveland out was recorded (!) and Boston had won the game, I think I can joke around and say he inspired at least the upper minor league pitching on how to sling it on the mound.
Worcester: W, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)
Although you’d be hard pressed to find a performance as electric as 89’s at Fenway last night, Richard Fitts kinda quietly dealt too. Six full innings, four hits and just a solo shot allowed was enough for the W against the Durham Bulls (Rays Triple-A). That the rest of the team found its rhythm offensively was just the cherry on top. It was a good night for Fitts to dial his stuff to 97 miles an hour and earn his first Triple-A win in an 80-pitch outing. To boot, Chase Meidroth mashed a two-run double in the 5th inning and the WooSox never looked back. Nick Sogard also made the most of his lead-off spot, scoring on that double amongst drawing two walks and a hit. I’m telling you: in this shallow middle infield depth, start paying attention to the versatile, quick, and personable Sogard!
Portland: L, 2-10 (BOX SCORE)
Isaac Coffey put in five solid innings and struck out seven on the night in the Sea Dogs’ win. Although he did give up two runs, it was his best performance on the young season and, even with leadoff man Roman Anthony whiffing four times, most of the lineup was there to help against the Blue Jays’ Double-A team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Thanks to a late eighth inning rally that saw Matthew Lugo clear the bases on a triple to break the tie, the Sea Dogs improved to 5-4 on the season. Oh, and by the way, Marcelo Mayer has now recorded a hit in each game this season, with a hit streak of nine games staying intact. That he’s seeing the ball much better than he did after his shoulder injury in 2023 is promising for both his development and for the organization as a whole. And of course, his counterpart on the other side of second base, fellow first-round draft pick Nick Yorke, grabbing a couple hits of his own from time to time, including Wednesday, certainly does not hurt.
Greenville: W, 7-5 (BOX SCORE)
The Drive committed a pair of errors and the starting pitching didn’t win honors in longevity, but it did not really have to. Juan Daniel Encarnacion, who hasn’t started his season brilliantly, had the better outing this time around, recording 11 outs without a hit (he did, however, surrender a run.) Although Greenville stuck out 16 times to the Blue Rocks (Nationals High-A) pitching staff, it was unlikely bats that came to the team’s aid, such as Bryan Gonzalez, who smacked the farm’s only home run of the night. Cutter Coffey, a guy who might someday help the Red Sox beat the Major League record for guys named after that pitch on the same roster, had a couple of hits of his own in the leadoff spot. This game went down to the wire, but probably didn’t feel like it at multiple points for the folks in that Wilmington, Delaware ballpark, as Greenville improved to 4-7.
Salem: L, 2-7 (BOX SCORE)
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Blake Wehunt pitched a solid three innings out of the gate, striking out four, but guys in these lower levels don’t tend to pitch for longevity. Jhonstynxon Garcia has arrived, as his double was some of the most notable noise made by the bats last night, along with Miguel Bleis’ third extra-base hit of the week, but you can’t expect a W allowing 10 walks to the Hillcats (Guardians A), and definitely not by allowing a team 20 base runners.
A 2-2 split is better than four losses, and much easier to stomach given the Sox’s performance last night. Week’s almost over. Let’s hope the Sox can tie this series up and end it over .500!