Cup of Coffee: Chatham goes deep; McGrath falls short

8/23 Cup of Coffee: It was a tough day on the farm, with as many teams getting eliminated from their perspective playoff races as there were victories. A day after Pawtucket and the GCL Red Sox were officially knocked out, losses by Greenville and the DSL Red Sox1 ended the playoff hopes for those squads. A rare less-than-dominating effort by Daniel McGrath pushed the Sea Dogs to the brink as well. A CJ Chatham (pictured) homer wasn't enough to push the PawSox past Scranton, and Lowell saw its division lead continue to dwindle despite the work of Nick Decker and Ryan Zeferjahn. Danny Diaz blasted a game-winning homer for the DSL Red Sox2, while Yoelvis Guedez was the highlight of a stellar 15-strikeout effort by the GCL Sox staff.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 3

The PawSox fell for the ninth time in their last 11 contests despite the best efforts of Cole Sturgeon. The leadoff hitter was 3 for 5 with a double, RBI, and run scored. CJ Chatham blasted his second home run in 10 games since joining Pawtucket. He had three all season with Portland before the promotion. Ryan Weber took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in eight innings.

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Minor Notes: Groome returns to action, McGrath close to making history

Here are Thursday's minor league notes:

• Sixth-ranked prospect Jay Groome made his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2018. The left-hander struck out two and allowed one hit in his one inning of work on Wednesday. With the minor league season nearing an end Groome will likely only get one or two more appearances in, but seeing him healthy and succeeding is a huge step in the right direction heading into 2020. 

• Josh Herzenberg of Fangraphs.com watched the Lowell Spinners over the weekend and had good write-ups on both Noah Song and Gilberto Jimenez. He had Song's fastball up to 97, while he graded Jimenez out as "at least a 70 runner". 

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Cup of Coffee: Casas drills two doubles; Groome retuns

Cup of Coffee 8/22: It was a true mixed bag for the system on Wednesday, as three affiliates had doubleheaders and they split each of them, with a blowout loss for Salem contrasted with a huge victory for the DSL1 squad. Jay Groome returned to game action for the first time since Tommy John surgery during last season and struck out a pair of hitters in his inning of work. Triston Casas (pictured) also seemed to start to come out of his slump, as he notched a pair of two-base hits to go along with a Tyler Dearden home run for Greenville in a come-from-behind win.Gorkys and Oscar Hernandez each had multi-hit performances in Pawtucket. Casey Sutherland pitched five shutout frames in relief for the GCL team in the second half of the twin bill, while Bramdon Perez was 3 for 4 in the opener.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

The game was tied 2-2 after the second and remained that way until the eighth, when a pair of runs were split between Kyle Hart and Trevor Kelley. Hart pitched 7 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits, with two walks against five punch outs. Kelley's run came in 2/3 of an inning on a singular hit. The Hernandez's, Gorkys and Oscar, each turned in multi-hit games. Cole Sturgeon, as well as Oscar, drove in the Pawtucket runs. 

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Cup of Coffee: 11-hit attack leads Pawtucket; Reyes struggles in Portland

8/21 Cup of Coffee: The Pawtucket offense was the highlight of the night with several players having multi-hit nights or continuing recent hot streaks. Denyi Reyes was hit hard for the Sea Dogs and Kevin Biondic struggled to control his knuckleball in Greenville. In the Dominican both Eduardo Lopez and Danny Diaz both had solid performances as they look to close their seasons out on a high note.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 7, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 4
Gorkys Hernandez finished a home run shy of the cycle and Oscar Hernandez launched a two-run home run to lead the PawSox. It was another good night for C.J. Chatham as he went 2 for 5 with a double and three RBI to raise his average to .314 with the PawSox with a .791 OPS. Jantzen Witte also went 2 for 5 with a double, and Bobby Dalbec went 1 for 4 with a double and a strikeout. His line is now up to .333/.375/.561 over 57 at-bats in Pawtucket.

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Cup of Coffee: Davis, Groshans power Lowell, Jimenez stays hot

8/20 Cup of Coffee: An exciting finish in Portland highlighted an otherwise quiet day in the Red Sox system. Home runs from Marcus Wilson and Joey Curletta, and a strong debut from Tommy Joseph was not enough, as the Sea dogs fell in the tenth. In Lowell, Joe Davis (pictured) had an explosive day at the plate, while strong showings from Jaxx Groshans and Gilberto Jimenez sealed a victory for the Spinners. 

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 11, Pawtucket Red Sox 1

The Red Sox failed to score a run until the ninth inning, as they found themselves on the wrong end of a rout. Things came apart quickly for Pawtucket as starter Erasmo Ramirez was tagged for seven runs in just 1 1/3 innings pitched. Domingo Tapia and Bobby Poyner followed and combined to strike out 5 across 3 2/3 innings, but the damage had already been done. There were some promising signs at the plate despite the low run total, as both CJ Chatham and Gorkys Hernandez doubled. Cole Sturgeon also had a solid game from the leadoff spot, singling twice and driving in the lone Pawtucket run of the evening.  

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Podcast Ep. #163: I want to be from hot waters

The annual summer hiatus is over. Chris and Ian return to update you with the latest from around the Red Sox' system. First up, they share insights on the DSL guys dealt for Andrew Cashner. The guys do a back of the envelope review of the 2020 big league club bench. From there, Chris goes over the late season promotions. With that covered, Ian and Chris talk about the Lowell Spinners. And man, that club is interesting. There isn't a night where you won't see a dude on the hill. Chris and Ian break down who's shoving, raking and the guys who just need the offseason to get here. In closing, the guys crack open the mailbag to get to your questions.

Listen in!

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Cup of Coffee: Haworth takes no-hitter into sixth; Cannon powers Spinners

8/19 Cup of Coffee: A no-hit bid by Greenville's Hunter Haworth (pictured) and a Lowell attack led by Cameron Cannon and Gilberto Jimenez highlighted the affiliates two Sunday victories. Haworth combined with a pair of relievers on a five-hitter, while Lowell's victory helped open up its division lead. Salem missed a chance to bolster its playoff chances, getting swept in a doubleheader. The PawSox lost a heartbreaker despite some strong individual performances, while little went right for Portland, who dropped to fourth place in the Eastern Division. 

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Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 3

Another strong start by Teddy Stankiewicz wasn't enough to get the PawSox back into the win column, as they dropped a stunner in the ninth. Stankiewicz, allowed just two runs (one earned) on seven hits in six innings, striking out eight against just one walk. The second-round pick back in 2013 has been on one of the best runs of his pro career of late: it was his fourth straight start with two or fewer runs allowed and his 4.06 ERA ranks fourth in the offense-inflated 2019 International League. The righty departed with the lead, but the normally stingy Trevor Kelley was not able to nail down the victory. Kelly, who entered the day with a 1.55 ERA, allowed a two-run ninth inning homer to former first rounder Daz Cameron. Tanner Houck had pitched a perfect eighth inning, striking out one. Houck has allowed a run in just three of his 11 Triple-A outings. CJ Chatham led the way at the plate, extending his hitting streak to five games with a 2-for-5 effort.

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Cup of Coffee: McGrath hurls Sea Dogs to vicory

8/18 Cup of Coffee: It was a quiet night on the Red Sox farm system, with only two affiliates winning games Saturday evening. Daniel McGrath (pictured) was excellent once again as he pitched Portland to victory, while Lowell fell despite an excellent start from Chris Murphy.

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Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 5, Pawtucket Red Sox 1

Despite notching eight hits, the Pawtucket offense was quieted Saturday night as they fell to the Mud Hens. Jantzen Witte had the best night at the plate, singling and doubling while driving in the lone PawSox run on the evening. Also collecting multiple hits were Cole Sturgeon and Bobby Dalbec, who each singled twice. Rusney Castillo notched the PawSox lone extra-base hit of the night with a double. Ryan Weber got the start and was tagged for three runs in four innings. Mike Shawaryn tossed three scoreless frames in relief, while Colten Brewer allowed two runs (one earned) in his inning pitched, and Domingo Tapia tossed a scoreless ninth.

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Cup of Coffee: Song, Bello deal

8/17 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket and Lowell had the long ball working, as the two teams combined for six home runs, including Bobby Dalbec and C.J. Chatham. Brayan Bello (pictured) was brilliant over seven innings for Greenville, and Thaddeus Ward was solid for Salem. Ian Cundall was in attendance to see Bryan Mata throw for Portland, while Noah Song was outstanding in his three innings of work. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox 7, Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 4

The ball was flying for the Sox, as Bobby Dalbec, C.J. Chatham, and Jantzen Witte each went deep. It was Chatham's first home run with the PawSox. Chatham and Dalbec also added doubles. Kyle Hart picked up his ninth victory of the season with six solid frames, allowing just two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Bobby Poyner and Trevor Kelley each added a scoreless inning as well, with Kelley notching his 11th save. 

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New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 4, Portland Sea Dogs 2

Bryan Mata started this one and surrendered seven hits and four runs across six innings, but SoxProspects.com's Ian Cundall, who was in attendance, noted that Mata's outing was better than his line indicated, as he sat at 96 MPH with his fastball and retired the final nine hitters he faced. Jordan Weems and Robinson Leyer tossed shutout frames, with all three of Leyer's outs coming via the strikeout. At the plate, Jarren Duran stayed hot by going 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Cundall also noted Duran's quick bat speed and ability to hit to all fields. Luke Tendler also had a 2-for-4 night. 

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Cup of Coffee: Tanner Houck dominates in PawSox 'pen

8/16 Cup of Coffee: Some days everything clicks right in the system, with individual and team performances coming together to craft an alchemy of thrilling wins backed by compelling narratives. Thursday was not that kind of day. Indeed, there were some standout efforts, such as the continued emergence of Tanner Houck (pictured) as a force in the bullpen and the second-half surge of Jhonathan Diaz in Salem. But the offensive production largely dried up, leading to the affiliates submitting a woeful 0-for-9 day.

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Norfolk Tides 8, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

Matinee baseball at McCoy Stadium on a sunny 78-degree afternoon would never be described as dreary, but the on-field product on Thursday was befitting of more foul climes. Tanner Houck was the notable baseball-centric highlight, striking out five of the seven batters he faced in two hitless innings of relief. The only player who reached base off of the 2017 first-round pick was hit by a pitch, and the International League is hitting a meager .167 off of the right-hander. It was a tough day for starter Josh Smith, who gave up seven runs on 12 hits in three innings. Cole Sturgeon and Jantzen Witte both doubled, the only extra-base hits recorded by the Pawtucket lineup.

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Minor Notes: Castellanos finds his stroke, Chatham debuts for Pawtucket

Here are Thursday's minor league notes:

• For the third time in as many weeks, Sea Dogs pitcher Daniel McGrath is taking home Eastern League silverware. The lefty took home the Pitcher of the Week award following a pair of dominant starts in which he tossed 13 innings and struck out 16, good for a 0.69 ERA. 

• There were two key promotions in the Sox system this past week, with Travis Lakins making his return to the majors and CJ Chatham earning his first promotion to Triple-A. Lakins has been called up once again amid troubles in the Red Sox bullpen, with the hope that a fresh arm can help the beleaguered Red Sox bullpen. Meanwhile, Chatham has been rewarded for yet another solid season in which he leads Portland in both hits and doubles.

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Cup of Coffee: Grant Williams goes 3 for 4; 8 punch outs for Gabriel Jackson

Cup of Coffee 8/15: The rookie teams played well, as the three teams went 4-0 and DSL Red Sox1 and the GCL team pounded out 13 and 14 hits, respectively. Dean Miller recorded four hits for the GCL squad, while teammate Dominic D'Allesandro had three hits, matching the total from the DSL pair of Alex Zapete and Nelfy Abreu. Moises Barajas helped DSL Red Sox1 walk off with the win. Gabriel Jackson had the best start of the low minors, notching eight strikeouts in five innings. However, Pawtucket squandered an early lead and Greenville was shut out. In Salem, Grant Williams (pictured) made the most of his debut, scoring two runs in a 3-for-4 performance. Portland also split its doubleheader with Hartford, while Lowell was rained out. 

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Norfolk Tides (BAL) 5, Pawtucket Red Sox 4

Erasmo Ramirez gave up a run in the second and three more in the third, but managed to give the PawSox six innings of work. Mike Shawaryn, Colten Brewer and Hector Velazquez each delivered a shutout inning. Trevor Kelley allowed a walk and a single to load the bases in the 10th before another free pass gave Norfolk the lead. Gorkys Hernandez and Juan Centeno each had two hits, including a pair of RBI base knocks for Hernandez.  

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Cup of Coffee: Chatham debuts for PawSox; Castellanos homers twice

8/14 Cup of Coffee: C.J. Chatham's promotion to Pawtucket took a back seat to Pedro Castellanos (pictured) and Salem's offense on Tuesday, as Castellanos hit two home runs and Salem scored 11 times. Jarren Duran was removed from the game in the fifth inning, but there is no word on if this was due to injury or a manager's decision.

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Norfolk Tides (BAL) 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 0
Teddy Stankiewicz was the tough-luck losing pitcher as the PawSox could not do anything against the Tides. Stankiewicz struck out six without walking a batter over 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Ryan Brasier continued to find his footing in Pawtucket as he struck out the side in the ninth and lowered his ERA to 1.08 over 8 1/3 innings.

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Cup of Coffee: Murphy, Cannon, and Jimenez stay hot in Lowell win

8/13 Cup of Coffee: It was a successful, if quiet, day in the Red Sox system as three of four affiliates emerged victorious. A group effort at the plate saw Greenville narrowly defeat the GreenJackets, while a pitching staff led by Chris Murphy (pictured) helped Lowell win their 32nd game of the season. 

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Greenville Drive 6, Augusta GreenJackets (SFG) 5

Tyler Esplin led an offensive attack that just managed to hold off Augusta for the victory Monday night. Esplin notched three hits, including a triple, while Tyler Dearden added a double and three hits of his own. Korby Batesole had a productive night at the plate, as he doubled, singled and drove in a trip of runs. Not to be outdone, Alan Marrero launched a solo home run and walked, good for an RBI and two runs scored.

Alex Scherff had an up-and-down night on the mound for Greenville; striking out seven but allowing four runs (one earned) in as many innings pitched. Coming out of the bullpen, Angel Padron was excellent, tossing three shutout innings and striking out four. Brendan Nail attempted to close out the game for the Drive but was pulled in favor of Devon Fisher after loading the bases in the ninth. Fisher got the final out of the contest to earn his first save of 2019.

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Minor Notes: Song impresses, Owings called up

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• After Hector Velazquez was optioned to Pawtucket, Boston called up Chris Owings to make his Red Sox debut Sunday. As Chris Cotillo details for MassLive.com, Owings had to catch a flight at 5:45 a.m. before leading off and playing second base for the Red Sox' afternoon tilt with the Angels. 
• Chris Hatfield was in attendance to watch Noah Song throw for Lowell on Saturday. He had some tweets about what he saw, including a fastball that touched 95 MPH and a changeup that was his best secondary offering. Gilberto Jimenez also flashed his 80-grade speed. 

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