Two hits from Marcelo Mayer, three from Franklin Arias, and a home run from Yoelin Cespedes.
Wednesday’s slate had it all: a come-from behind win, a shutout, an extra innings game… let’s get into it!
Worcester: W, 6-4 (BOX SCORE)
Shane Drohan didn’t get far in this one in Lehigh Valley (Phillies AAA), and did not leave due to injury, which makes my spidey senses tingle there may be a change in Boston’s bullpen soon, but had a nice showing regardless, allowing one run in three innings. Most of the bullpen also gave the team a puncher’s chance in the eighth inning, and punch they did. Here’s the sequence that made a 4-2 game a 4-4 game: Roman Anthony walk, Marcelo Mayer long double, Nick Sogard line drive single to score Anthony, Vaughn Grissom scoring Mayer with a sac fly. Yasmani Grandal, who was hurt by being hit by a pitch earlier but stayed in the game, would then bring it home with a 2-RBI double in almost the same spot Mayer put the ball. This is the type of advancing runners you don’t see from the Boston squad most nights, and so it’s nice to see from the top of the Worcester lineup made of names that are clearly speculated to have some playing time up in the bigs in short order.
Portland, Game 1: L, 3-4 (F/8) (BOX SCORE)
Did you know the Bowie BaySox (Orioles AA) renamed themselves the Chesapeake BaySox? It just doesn’t have the same ring. Speaking of not having a ring, the Sea Dogs bats again stayed dry, managing just three hits. They stayed patient, working ten walks on the eight-inning contest, including three in the third inning when Allen Castro doubled to score Ahbram Liendo and Blaze Jordan to make this a 3-0 game. For what it’s worth, Liendo, who played short Wednesday, drew three walks. Who knows how long that fateful third inning would have gone had Ronald Rosario not been caught up at home; the game certainly may not have gone to extras. Otherwise, with not many hits to drive them in, especially late, the team fell.
Portland, Game 2: L, 1-2 (BOX SCORE)
By all accounts, Jack Anderson and Jonathan Brand had a fantastic night pitching and were victims of the Portland bats not getting much going, leaving ten on in seven innings. Anderson let a run score by a botched pickoff attempt, and that may have allowed the game in a different direction if executed, but there’s also four innings to get a run at that point.
Greenville: W, 6-0 (BOX SCORE)
Juan Valera turns 19 next Saturday, and he churned out absolutely the best outing of his pro career thus far, going 5 2⁄3 scoreless against the Emperors (Braves High-A) and striking out eight. Offensively, there were many bright spots: Nelly Taylor was a homer shy of the cycle, and with a slash line of .293/.402/.476, is really looking like he needs a look in Portland. Miguel Bleis, who added in an RBI double of his own, is looking good and, well, look who found his swing after some early troubles at this level… Franklin Arias was touching up Rome pitching with three singles at the top of the lineup. The team was 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position, but when you have a few players getting it going and dependable defense, you can coast like Greenville did Wednesday.
Salem: W, 4-3 (BOX SCORE)
Yoelin Cespedes bounced back from a fluky Tuesday: just when it appeared that he was going to get another golden sombrero, he channeled some late heroics with an eighth-inning solo shot to put the team ahead of Fayetteville (Astros A), 3-2. The play had a .253 WPA and brought the contest from exactly a 50/50 coin flip to a 75.3% winning percentage, and Salem never looked back, though they did benefit tremendously from a Starlyn Nunez single later in that inning to plate Justin Gonzales. Fun night when teams go 4-2 overall!
Also, to anyone noticing how many quality shortstops are in the Red Sox ranks, here’s another tidbit for you: in Tuesday morning’s Gulf Coast League game, shortstop and leadoff hitter Avinson Pinto, who celebrates his 18th birthday at the end of the month, had three stolen bases including two in the same inning, but was stranded at third. He has five in the club’s three games. The team as a whole looks speedy, as they had seven steals on the day Tuesday.
Have a happy Thursday!