The return for Chase Shugart holds an ERA of 0.42 in 10 relief appearances and 21 2⁄3 innings.
Worcester: L, 4-5 (BOX SCORE)
The WooSox got walked-off again on Saturday. Honestly, though, following a performance where all three defensive errors came from pitchers (two on pickoff attempts, one on an errant throw to first) and on a night when the team stranded eleven men despite garnering just six hits, the game shouldn’t have even been this close. The offense can attribute this to a very strong sixth inning topped off by Nathan Hickey’s grand slam to make it a tie game. Hickey, who tracks as a first baseman who knows how to play first base, is a slept-on power hitter. For what it’s worth: Marcelo Mayer was the only Worcester batter to get the Iron Pigs (Phillies AAA) for multiple hits, and scored on that aforementioned Hickey bomb.
Portland: PPD/Rain, Make-up date today
Portland will now play their fourth double-header in ten days, which has an effect on how we evaluate relievers in particular on that squad. David Sandlin takes the mound at 5 PM against the BaySox (Orioles AA), which I still recognize as being the Bowie BaySox.
Greenville: W, 9-5 (BOX SCORE)
The interesting thing in this contest is that, on a Franklin Arias night-off, three electric hitters for the Drive all went 0-for, and every other batter recorded at least one hit. This include’s last year’s ninth-round draft pick, catcher Hudson White, a strong defensive guy who generally has not much power to speak of. But he sealed this game away with a two-run shot in the 8th inning, his first home run in the pros. On the mound, John Holobetz, the additional PTBNL in the Quinn Priester for Yophery Rodriguez deal, wasn’t exactly dealing in his five-innings, giving up four, but only one run was earned and he got the decision win. Meanwhile, Matt McShane STILL has allowed just one run on the season even following a promotion to Greenville from Salem, striking out four closing this one against the Braves’ High-A squad.
Salem: W, 7-2 (BOX SCORE)
19 year-old Andrew Mussett, also a catcher, caught the “catchers raking” bug, but truthfully, he had it earlier in the month: he’s slashing .273/.407/.591 since May 1 after securing three hits Saturday. Yoelin Cespedes also hit his second home run in three days leading off Salem against the Astros’ A squad. Manuel Medina, struck five of the nine batters he faced out, giving up kust one hit and a walk in his seven outs of work in a strong relief showing that allowed Salem to pull ahead via Freili Encarnacion’s seventh home run of the young season and then stay ahead.
Have a happy Saturday!