Plummer tosses 5.2 scoreless innings in Sea Dog win

4/30 Cup of Coffee: Syracuse downed Pawtucket 4-1 in action on Wednesday. Kris Johnson threw 4.2 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. He had 8 strike outs. Jose Vaquedano went 1.1 innings and did not allow a run or a hit. He had a strike out. Daniel Bard closed the game off pitching the final 2 innings. He did not allow a run on 1 hit and a walk. He fanned 4. Sean Danielson went 2 for 4 with a RBI. Chris Carter went 2 for 4 and is batting .455 since being sent down to the PawSox. Gil Velazquez went 2 for 3.

Portland defeated Binghamton 6-2. Jarod Plummer pitched 5.2 scoreless frames allowing 5 hits and 3 walks. He had 6 strikeouts. Chris Province went 1.1 innings and did not allow a run on 2 hits. He had a strikeout. TJ Large threw a perfect inning of relief striking out 1 of the 3 batters he faced. Bryce Cox pitched the final inning and gave up 2 unearned runs on 1 hit. He had a strikeout. Ryan Khoury went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. Aaron Bates went 2 for 4 with a home run. Bubba Bell went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 2 RBI.

Kinston downed Salem 7-2. Seth Garrison pitched 4.1 innings allowing 6 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks. He fanned 8. Kyle Fernandes threw 1.2 frames and gave up 1 run on 2 hits and a walk. He had 4 strikeouts. Josh Papelbon tossed 2 scoreless innings allowing 1 hit. The Salem offense managed only 3 hits with Luis Segovia going 1 for 2 with a RBI.

Savannah outslugged Greenville 11-7. Yeiper Castillo threw 2.2 frames giving up 7 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. He fanned 2. Caleb Clay tossed 4.2 frames fiving up 2 runs on 6 hits and a walk. He fanned 3. Felix Ventura went 1.2 frames allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. He had a strikeout. Mitch Dening went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a RBI.

Player of the Night: Jarod Plummer who threw 5.2 innings of scoreless ball

The Ladder

SoxProspects.com is rolling out a new in-season series called The Ladder. Each week, the series will provide an in-depth look at how select Red Sox prospects are progressing in their development as they move their way up the steps of the organization. Look for a new segment every Wednesday until the final pitch of the minor league season has been thrown.

Josh Reddick

The Line: Off to a solid start in his second exposure to Double-A, Reddick has been able to carry over the success he had in the major league camp to an outstanding .294/.368/.632/1.001 line in 68 at-bats to start the season. After being overmatched in his Portland debut and at times in the Arizona Fall League, Reddick has been making the adjustments at the plate that the Red Sox were looking for. His 5 home runs and 6 doubles have been a demonstration of the power that he possesses and shows that he feels less overmatched at the plate. After drawing only 34 walks in 124 games last season, Reddick has already been able to work 8 walks in his first 16 games of this season; this is a positive sign that he is starting to adjust more to the Red Sox philosophy on hitting. His 16 strikeouts are somewhat concerning, but 8 of these strikeouts were clustered in 3 games, and Reddick has only fanned 2 times over his last 5 games, which is much more in line with his career trends.

The View: Reddick has been impressing thus far around the Eastern League and looks like a much more comfortable hitter in the box than when he first arrived on the scene last summer. He looks especially more comfortable against off-speed pitches, which were an Achilles heel for him last season in Portland, while staying back on them much more consistently and picking them up better, not chasing as many of them in the dirt. There is still work to be done in this area, as his swinging strikeouts have mostly been on breaking balls, but the signs point towards a hitter making strides. The power that Reddick generates has been impressive, and the balls he has sent out of the park this year have been absolutely crushed on a line. His bat speed and quick swing path to the ball enable him to barrel up on a lot of pitches. Reddick has been impressing scouts who track the league with his range and arm in center field as well. Originally projected as a right fielder at the major league level, there has been talk about Reddick being able to handle center field in the big leagues after he’s flashed some excellent range and good first-jump instincts on balls hit deep into the gaps. One scout who recently watched Reddick came away very impressed with his play in center-field along with his overall baseball ability. His patience and strikeout rates bear watching over the course of the next month or two, but the early season indicators have been in Reddick’s favor.

Casey Kelly

The Line: After an off-season full of debates about his ideal position, Kelly’s much anticipated debut on the mound has gotten off to a hot start. Dealing off of the rubber through 4 April starts covering 20 innings of work, he’s gone 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA while striking out 19 against only 3 walks. Out of his 19 hits allowed, Kelly’s only given up 3 extra base hits while keeping the majority of the contact against him on the ground. In his last start on April 28th against Savannah, he dialed it up to fan 7 batters over 5 innings of work. He gave up 9 hits in his last start, but he has generally been around the plate and has thus far neutralized the amount of solid contact against, especially in the air. Kelly has not walked more than one batter in any of his 4 starts in April and has yet to really have a tough inning of work.

The View: Coming into the system with scouting reports highly touting his stuff, the initial season reports have not varied one bit. Kelly’s heavy, sinking 88-91 MPH fastball has been his dominant weapon. He’s also featured a tight curveball and an advanced change-up that has some excellent depth and fade. His excellent fastball command and advanced secondary offerings have been the driving force behind his fast start. The ball comes out of his hand very well through a smooth and fluid delivery. Kelly’s release point has remained consistent and he has stayed on top of his pitches well to create the downward slant to his fastball. Only twenty percent of the way to his targeted 100 innings goal, Kelly has shown how advanced he is on the mound. The main question will be how his stamina holds up as he continues to build arm strength and stretch out as a starter. Keeping an eye on his velocity numbers as he gets a few more starts into the season could lend a clue to how his stamina is holding up. His command and control has been excellent thus far, with reports mentioning how well he comes after hitters and pounds the strike zone with his stuff. Being around the plate more often, the contact against him has been a little on the high side as can be expected, but if Kelly can continue to make batters earn their way on base he’ll minimize the damage. He’ll be set to see more of the league in May, and batters will make their adjustments, but thus far all systems have been go for Kelly in his march to 100 innings in 2009.

Q&A with Argenis Diaz

The Red Sox signed Argenis Diaz as an international free agent in July of 2003 out of Guatire, Venezuela. The slick fielding shortstop began his career in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2004 and has steadily risen through the ranks of the organization, joining the Portland Sea Dogs mid-way through the 2008 season. After spending some time in the major league camp this spring, Diaz broke camp with the Sea Dogs looking to sharpen his skills and make his push towards the big league roster. Chris Mellen of SoxProspects.com recently had a chance to sit down with Diaz and talk some baseball.


Chris Mellen: You’ve spent the last couple of Spring Trainings in major league camp. What type of experience has that been for you with regards to your growth as a player?
Argenis Diaz: It’s been great. Last year (2008) was the best Spring Training I’ve had in my career. This year, I felt pretty good, but it wasn’t like that year for me. I struggled a bit with my hitting and just didn’t play as well as I would have liked to in the field. I had trouble getting comfortable this season, but it’s been a good experience for me to see where I have to get to as a player and the improvement I need to make.

CM: Can you talk about the difference between playing at Lancaster in the California League and now playing at Portland in the Eastern League?
AD: It’s been different - real different. Down there, they throw fastballs in 3-1, 2-0 counts and will give in to you. Here, (at Portland) you don’t see as many fastballs and they don’t throw as many fastballs in those hitter’s counts. Pitchers will throw you change-ups and off-speed pitches in any count. It’s harder to hit the ball and you have to be ready for any pitch. The pitching is obviously better and they have better control of their pitches.

CM: Give us a self scouting report on Argenis Diaz.
AD: First I’d say an improving hitter, but also a hitter who can improve some more to get to the big leagues. In the field, [I’m] a shortstop working to get better and sharpen his defensive game. I’m a player who is going to play the game the right way and likes to have fun while playing the game. I have a lot of fun playing baseball.

CM: Who has been a teammate that has impressed you the most here in Portland?
AD: Josh Reddick. He’s awesome. I’ve had a chance to play with him for the past couple of years and he can really hit. Josh is exciting to watch and he’s not that far off from playing in the big leagues.

CM: What do the Red Sox have you focusing on the most this season?
AD: They want me to focus the most on my defense and be the best defensive player I can be. I’ve been working to play right everyday, to practice the right way, and make the routine plays.

CM: What’s going to get you promoted to Pawtucket?
AD: They want me to make the routine plays. We’ve talked about how I make the great plays, but sometimes struggle with the routine plays, and [I need] to work on that aspect of my game. It’s about making every play out there and getting better at that to take the next step. I’d like to keep hitting the ball consistently and improve on that aspect of my game as well.

CM: Why have the routine plays given you trouble?
AD: I don’t really know. When the ball is hit right at me, sometimes I just get myself into trouble. When it is on either side, it just is a natural reaction I guess. I’m working on it a lot before games and in practice. Every day, I take about 20-30 routine balls hit right at me to work on it. We’re working on the angle I take to the ball and to circle around it more rather than heading straight at it. When I go straight into the play, I have trouble seeing the bounce of the ball and can’t track it. I’ve been seeing the bounce a lot better circling around it, so things have been improving there and getting better for me thus far into the season.

CM: Who has been the most influential in your career within the Red Sox organization?
AD: I’d say Victor Rodriguez ( Minor League Hitting Coordinator). We talk a lot about hitting and he has helped me get better as I have advanced as a player, along with becoming more comfortable in general. In the beginning when I started as a pro, I wasn’t that great of a hitter. Victor and I have done a lot of work together. Year after year, I have started recognizing the pitches better and understand the strike zone better. Now, I’m able to pick up the pitches a lot better than when I started, draw a few walks, and keep getting the bat on the ball. My hitting still needs some more work, but Victor has helped me come a long way from my first season in Venezuela.

Sea Dogs score 3 times in 9th to edge Binghamton

4/29 Cup of Coffee: Tuesday saw Pawtucket's game against Syracuse postponed.

Portland scored 3 times in the bottom of the ninth to edge Binghamton 9-8. Adam Mills strarted and went 3 innings. He gave up 6 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks. He had 2 strikeouts. Chad Rhoades threw 3 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits and a walk. He fanned 3. Richie Lentz pitched 0.2 of an inning giving up 1 run on 1 hit and 2 walks. He struck out 1. Dustin Richardson threw 1.1 scoreless, hitless innings. He walked 1 while striking out 2. Justin Hedrick got the win after pitching 1 scoreless frame. He allowed 1 hit. Josh Reddick and Ryan Khoury each went 2 for 5 and scored a run. Aaron Bates went 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Bubba Bell went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a RBI. Jon Still went 2 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBI.

Kinston downed Salem 3-2. Jose Capellan pitched 4.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 8 hits and 4 walks. Ryne Miller tossed 2.1 innings allowing 1 run on 1 hit and a walk. He had 3 strikeouts. Derrick Loop threw 1 clean inning. The Salem offense managed only 3 hits in the game. Luis Exposito went 1 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBI.

Greenville edged Savannah 4-3. Casey Kelly threw 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 9 hits and a walk. He fanned 7. Fabian Williamson threw 4 innings of near perfect relief allowing just a walk. He fanned 4. Oscar Tejeda went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI. Michael Almanzar went 1 for 1 with a home run. He also drew a walk.

Player of the Night: Fabian Williamson who tossed 4 scoreless, hitless innings of relief for the Drive

Player of the Week, April 20-26: Anthony Rizzo

Greenville 1B Anthony Rizzo blew away the competition both on the field and in the polls last week, posting a .414/.452/.655 line, with 12 hits (one home run and four doubles) and two walks over 29 at-bats, running away with SoxProspects.com (position) Player of the Week voting for April 20-26. Rizzo is batting .319/.412/.514 (.926 OPS) with two home runs and eight doubles in 72 at-bats, walking 12 times and striking out 15, in 19 games with the Drive in 2009. He is currently the 20th rated prospect in the organization by SoxProspects.com.

Pitcher of the Week, April 20-26: Michael Bowden

Pawtucket RHP Michael Bowden continued his early dominance of the International League, hurling 5.1 shutout innings against Lehigh Valley (Phillies), allowing three hits, striking out seven while walking one and earning the win and SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Week honors for April 20-26. For his efforts Bowden was rewarded with a temporary promotion to Boston to lend a hand in the beleaguered bullpen, further distinguishing himself in two perfect innings against New York April 26. In 14 innings pitched over three starts with the Paw Sox Bowden owns a 1-0 record, allowing one run on 10 hits (.189 BAA), striking out 15 and walking 5.

Buchholz pitches well but gets no decision

4/28 Cup of Coffee: The Coffee Cup is a small one today as only one of the Sox affiliates saw action on Monday. Lehigh Valley edged Pawtucket 2-1 in 12 innings. Clay Buchholz pitched 6 innings allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and a walk. He had 7 strikeouts. Fernando Cabrera tossed 2.1 scoreless, hitless innings. He gave up a walk while fanning 1. Billy Traber took the loss giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 2 base on balls. He had 1 strikeout. The PawSox offense produced just 5 hits over the 12 innings with Gil Velazquez leading the way going 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Player of the Night: Clay Buchholz who went 6 innings allowing 3 hits, 1 run. He struck out 7.

Lugo activated, Bowden back to Pawtucket

After a four-game rehab assignment for Triple-A Pawtucket, the Red Sox have activated Julio Lugo from the 15-day disabled list, this according to Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal. Lugo went 4 for 17 with a double, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts while playing error-free defense with the Paw Sox. The 33-year-old shortstop underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on March 27 and was placed on the disabled list on April 4. Despite throwing 2.0 scoreless innings against the Yankees Sunday, Michael Bowden will be returned to Triple-A Pawtucket as expected to make room for Lugo on the active roster.

Anderson drives in 5 in Sea Dog loss

4/27 Cup of Coffee: On Sunday, Pawtucket defeated Lehigh Valley 7-4. Enrigue Gonzalez pitched 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. He had 5 strikeouts. Rocky Cherry threw 2 innings and gave up a run on 3 hits. He fanned 2. Marcus McBeth closed the game out pitching a hitless ninth. He gave up a base on balls. Julio Lugo went 2 for 5 with a run scored. Chris Carter went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a RBI. Travis Denker went 3 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Ivan Ochoa went 2 for 4 with a RBI.

In a game with a score more resembling a football game, Connecticut scored 8 unanswered runs in the final two innings to down Portland 20-15. Blake Maxwell started and lasted 2.2 frames. He allowed 8 runs on 6 hits and 3 base on balls. He fanned 2. TJ Large went 2.1 innings giving up 1 run on 1 hit. He had 1 strikeout. Chad Rhoades threw 1 inning allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Justin Hedrick was the only Sea Dog pitcher to not allow a run. He went 1 inning giving up 1 hit and a walk. He fanned 1. Chris Province lasted 0.2 of an inning giving up 7 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. Bryce Cox went 1.1 frames giving up 1 run on 3 hits. He struck out 1. The Sea Dogs set a franchise record for hits in a game with 23. Aaron Bates went 4 for 6 and scored twice. Lars Anderson went 3 for 5 with a run scored and 5 RBI. Jorge Jimenez went 4 for 6 and scored a run. Ryan Khoury went 3 for 6 with 2 runs scored and a RBI. Josh Reddick went 2 for 5 with a home run, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Myrtle Beach defeated Salem 4-3. Kyle Weiland pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. He had 3 strikeouts. Jose Alvarez threw 4 innings giving up a run on 6 hits and a walk. He fanned 1. Jason Rice went 1 inning allowing a run on a hit and a walk. He fanned 1. Josh Papelbon threw a clean ninth inning striking out 1. Jared Stanley went 2 for 4 with a RBI.

Greenville defeated Asheville 10-6. Bryan Price threw 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk. He had 5 strikeouts. Mitch Herold went 0.2 of an inning and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Lance McClain pitched the final 2.1 innings. He did not allow a run on 1 hit. He had a strikeout. Ryan Dent went 2 for 5 and scored 2 runs. Mitch Dening went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. Oscar Tejeda went 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Tim Federowicz went 2 for 4 with a home run, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Will Middlebrooks went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Ryan Lavarnway and Jonathan Hee both were 2 for 4 in the game. Hee had a RBI.

Player of the Night: Lars Anderson who had 3 hits and 5 RBI in the Sea Dog loss

Bowden called up to bolster bullpen

The Red Sox have called pitcher Michael Bowden up to Boston to reinforce the bullpen for tonight's contest against the Yankees. This will be his second stint with Boston in his young career, as he earned his first major league win in a 5-3 victory over the White Sox on August 30, 2008. To make room for Bowden on the active roster, infielder Gil Velazquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. The move is expected to be temporary; with shortstop Julio Lugo slated to come off the disabled list and return to the Boston lineup tomorrow, Bowden will likely be headed back to Pawtucket. Bowden has been dominant so far at the Triple-A level this season, going 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched in his first 3 starts.

Portice goes 5 strong innings in Salem win

4/26 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket got off to a 4-0 lead and had to hang on to edge Lehigh Valley 6-4 in 10 innings . Charlie Zink took a no hitter into the 6th inning but then gave up 3 runs on 1 hit and 4 walks. He struck out 4. Fernando Cabrera tossed 0.2 of an inning and did not allow a run or a hit. He gave up 2 walks. Billy Traber pitched 0.2 innings and did allow a run or a hit. He walked 2 and fanned 1.Daniel Bard blew the save but picked up the win going 1.2 frames. He gave up the game tying home run in the bottom of the ninth. It was the only hit he allowed. He struck out 2. Jose Vaquedano pitched the bottom of the tenth and allowed 1 hit. Julio Lugo went 2 for 6. Paul McAnulty went 2 for 5 with a RBI. Chris Carter went 2 for 4. Chip Ambres went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a RBI.

Portland jumped off to a 4-0 lead but could not hang on and fell 7-4 to Connecticut on Saturday. Junichi Tazawa went 5.2 innings allowing 6 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 4. Dustin Richardson threw 1.1 frames and did not allow a run or a hit. He walked 4. Justin Hedrick pitched 1 innings giving up a run on 2 hits. William Latimer pitched the final inning and did not allow a run. He gave up a hit and a walk. Jorge Jimenez went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.

Salem edged Myrtle Beach 3-2. They scored 3 runs on just 5 hits with no player having more than one. Eammon Portice threw 5 innings allowing just 1 run on 2 hits and 2 base on balls. He fanned 4. Kyle Fernandes went 2 innings giving up a run on 2 hits and a walk. He struck out 3. Ryne Miller pitched 2 perfect innings to close out the game. He had 2 strikouts.

Asheville downed Greenville 6-2. Stolmy Pimentel threw 5 innings giving up 6 runs on 8 hits and a walk. He struck out 6. Hunter Strickland pitched the final 3 innings and did not allow a run. He gave up 4 hits while fanning 2 Asheville batters.

Player of the Night: Eammon Portice who tossed 5 innings for Salem allowing just 1 run on 2 hits

Doubront fans 8 in Sea Dog win

4/25 Cup of Coffee: On Friday, Lehigh Valley trounced Pawtucket 13-3. Starter Kris Johnson took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the third and then was charged with 7 runs before the inning ended. His line was 2.1 innings pitched with 8 runs allowed on 9 hits and 2 walks. He fanned 2. Marcus McBeth gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. He had a strikeout. Rocky Cherry threw 2 innings giving up 2 runs on 5 hits and a base on balls. He fanned 1. Chris George pitched the final 2 frames and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits. Chris Carter went 2 for 4 with a RBI. Chip Ambres had 2 hits in 4 at bats. Julio Lugo was hitless in 3 at bats.

Portland defeated Connecticut 3-1 behind the strong performance of Felix Doubront. He threw 5 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits. He walked 2 while striking out 8. Chad Rhoades threw 2 perfect innings of relief recording 3 strikeouts. TJ Large pitched 1 scoreless, hitless inning allowing 1 walk. Bryce Cox pitched a scoreless ninth allowing 1 hit. Lars Anderson went 2 for 4 with a RBI. He is now hitting .296. Aaron Bates went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Argenis Diaz went 2 for 4 and is now hitting .323.

Although outhit, Myrtle Beach edged Salem 1-0. Dave McKae pitched 6 strong innings but gave up the game's only run on 2 hits and a base on balls. He fanned 3. Derrick Loop threw 3 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and a walk. He fanned 2. The Red Sox 6 hits were spread out amongst 6 different players.

Greenville blanked Kannapolis 8-0. Brock Huntzinger pitched 5.2 scoreless innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks. He had 3 strikeouts. Armando Zerpa tossed 3.1 perfect innings of relief striking out 1. Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored. He is now hitting .339. Oscar Tejeda went 3 for 5 with a run scored. Ryan Lavarnway went 2 for 4 with a RBI. Pete Hissey went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a RBI.

Player of the Night: Felix Doubront who toosed 5 innings of 1 hit ball fanning 8

Van Every activated, Carter sent down

Outfielder Jon Van Every was activated from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket today and will be available for Boston's game tonight against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park, this according to Boston.com's Chad Finn. Van Every will take the roster spot of Chris Carter, who was optioned to Pawtucket yesterday. Carter had gone 0 for 5 at the plate this season. Van Every, who had been on the disabled list retroactive to March 27 with a right ankle sprain, appeared in one game for Pawtucket while on rehab, going 2 for 6 with a double and a grand slam. The 29-year-old lefthanded hitter spent 11 games in the majors last season for the Red Sox, hitting .235/.278/.353 with a triple and 5 RBI in 17 at bats. He did his best work in 2008 for Pawtucket, leading the team with 26 home runs while hitting .263/.360/.524 in 380 at bats.

Negron homers twice in Salem win

4/23 Cup of Coffee: On Thursday, Pawtucket was idle. They resume play tonight against Lehigh Valley.

Connecticut downed Portland 6-2. Jarod Plummer started and went 4 innings allowing 6 runs on 9 hits and a walk. He had 3 strikeouts. Chris Province threw 2 innings of relief giving up just 1 hit. Chad Province went 1 inning and did not allow a run, hit or walk. He fanned 1. TJ Large pitched a scoreless, hitless inning of relief allowing 1 base on balls. Justin Hedrick threw a clean inning fanning 1.

Salem defeated Myrtle Beach 6-1. Seth Garrison went 6 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits. He did not give up a walk while striking out 6. Jason Rice pitched 2 perfect innings of relief. Jason Blackey closed the game out pitching a scoreless inning. He gave up 1 walk and struck out 1. Kris Negron went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. Mike Jones went 2 for 4.

Greenville edged Kannapolis 2-1. Yeiper Castillo pitched 4 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits and 2 base on balls. He fanned 6. Fabian Williamson threw 3.1 frames allowing 1 run on 2 hits and a walk. He struck out 4. Felix Ventura went 1.2 scoreless hitless innings. He gave up 1 walk and struck out 1. Anthony Rizzo went 1 for 2 with a RBI. He also walked twice. David Mailman went 1 for 4 with a RBI.

Player of the Night: Kris Negron who had 3 hits including 2 home runs which produced 4 RBI

Sox reacquire Kason Gabbard

According to Boston.com's Nick Carfardo, the Red Sox have acquired lefthanded pitcher Kason Gabbard from the Texas Rangers. The deal is believed to be for cash considerations, this according to the Dallas Morning News. Gabbard will be returning for his second stint in the Red Sox organization, having been traded to Texas with David Murphy and Engel Beltre for Eric Gagne at the 2007 trade deadline. Pitching out of the bullpen for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Gabbard has so far surrendered 7 earned runs on 10 hits and 11 walks in just 6.0 innings pitched (10.50 ERA) for the Red Hawks. The 27-year-old southpaw was originally a 29th-round draft pick by the Red Sox in 2000 and owns a 9-7 record with a 4.53 ERA in 34 major league appearances for Boston and Texas. In his minor league career, Gabbard has pitched to a 32-37 record with a 4.03 ERA with 411 strikeouts in 505.0 innings. He will initially be sent to extended spring training, where he will continue to work to recover from August 2008 surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow.

Van Every slams Rochester in extra-innings win

4/23 Cup of Coffee:

It was a wild night for Red Sox affiliates, beginning at McCoy Stadium, where the Pawtucket Red Sox erased a five-run ninth-inning deficit to come back and win 8-7 in eleven innings. Jon Van Every, playing in the first game of a rehab assignment after injuring his ankle in spring training, went 2 for 6 and tied the game at 7 with his two-out grand slam off of Red Wings reliever Armando Gabino in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings. Chip Ambres ended the game with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eleventh. Julio Lugo, also in Pawtucket on a rehab assignment, led off and played shortstop, going 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and a walk. Making his first start since tweaking his hamstring during a workout last week, Clay Buchholz started the game on the mound for the Red Sox, pitching 5.0 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits and a walk. He struck out 2. Billy Traber relieved him, allowing 3 earned runs in his inning of work. After Rocky Cherry and Jose Vaquedano each gave up an earned run in back to back innings, Daniel Bard came on to pitch a scoreless ninth, striking out the side on exactly 9 pitches. Fernando Cabrera and Chris George (1-0) each pitched a scoreless inning to set up Pawtucket's walk-off win in the eleventh.

Portland's game against New Britain was not nearly as eventful, as the Sea Dogs fell 6-4. Adam Mills (0-1) pitched the first 4.0 frames, giving up all 6 Rock Cats runs on 2 walks and 8 hits, including 2 home runs. Dustin Richardson and Bryce Cox each fired 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to give Portland a chance, but the offense couldn't quite come through. Jorge Jimenez led the way offensively for the Sea Dogs, going 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI. Bubba Bell went 2 for 4 with a double of his own and a run scored, while Ryan Khoury and Jon Still each went 1 for 3 with a double as well. Lars Anderson went 1 for 4, hitting his second home run of the year in the sixth.

In the conclusion of game two of yesterday's scheduled double header that was suspended due to rain in the third inning, Salem outlasted Wilmington 11-4 in a game that ended after 7 innings. Eammon Portice started the game Tuesday for Salem, working the first 3.0 innings giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits and a walk, striking out 3. Ryne Miller (3-0) picked things up yesterday and went 2.0 innings, giving up 1 earned run on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 3 of his own to earn the win. Kyle Fernandes pitched the final 2.0 frames before the game was called, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and a walk. The Red Sox accumulated 12 hits, led by Aaron Reza, who went 3 for 5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Chih-Hsien Chiang and Jason Place each went 2 for 4 with a home run, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored, while Kris Negron went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

To keep the roll going, Salem defeated Wilmington 6-4 in last night's regularly scheduled contest. Jose Capellan went the first 3.0 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 3. Josh Papelbon (1-1) came on to throw 3.1 hitless innings to earn the win, although he did walk 3 Blue Rocks and give up 1 earned run. Derrick Loop pitched the final 0.2 innings to earn the save, as this one ended after seven innings as well. Che-Hsuan Lin was the hitting star for Salem, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and a run scored out of the leadoff spot. Chih-Hsien Chiang had another good game, going 2 for 3, while Zak Farkes and Wil Vazquez each went 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI. Ryan Kalish went 0 for 3 with a walk, but did steal his fifth base of the season.

Greenville couldn't hold a late lead, giving up 2 runs in the eighth and ninth innings, and fell to Kannapolis 5-4. Casey Kelly had yet another strong start for the Drive, pitching the first 5.0 innings giving up no runs on just 2 hits and no walks, striking out 4. He has yet to allow a run on the season. Caleb Clay (0-1) finished the game for Greenville and took the loss, giving up all 5 Kannaopolis runs on 3 walks and 7 hits, including a walk-off single by Justin Greene, in 3.1 innings. The Drive managed just 5 hits in the game and scored only 2 earned runs in the defeat. David Marks was 1 for 2 with an RBI, while Jon Hee knocked in the other run, going 1 for 4.

Player of the Night: Jon Van Every, who hit a game-tying grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to help spur Pawtucket to victory.

Hansack released, expected to be back on minor league deal

To make space on the 40-man roster for Jeff Bailey, who was called up to Boston yesterday, the Red Sox have placed Nicaraguan pitcher Devern Hansack on unconditional release waivers. However, WEEI's Alex Speier is reporting that Hansack will re-sign a minor league deal with the organization once he clears waivers. Hansack, who was originally signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in December 2005, had appeared in 1 game this season for Pawtucket, giving up 1 run on 2 hits in his inning of work. He owns a career record of 37-34 with a 3.79 ERA, 496 strikeouts and 166 walks in 552.0 minor league innings pitching in the Houston and Boston organizations. He has also made 9 major league appearances, including 3 starts, over the past 3 seasons for Boston, putting up a 2-2 record with a 3.70 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. The highlight of Hansack's major league career came on October 1, 2006 when he held Baltimore hitless over 5.0 innings before the game ended on account of rain.

Rizzo homers, drives in 3 in Drive win

4/22 Cup of Coffee:

It was a wet day in the northeast, as both Pawtucket and Portland were rained out. Julio Lugo and Jonathan Van Every were both scheduled to begin rehab assignments with Pawtucket.

Salem was scheduled to play a double header Tuesday due to the rainout of Monday's game against Wilmington, but the rains once again came hard and heavy, suspending the scheduled night game in the top of the fourth inning with Salem leading 5-1. The two teams did manage to play seven innings in game one, with Salem falling 8-3. The teams will resume play in game two before tonight's regularly scheduled contest. Kyle Weiland (0-1) started for the Red Sox in game 1 and was roughed up, surrendering 8 runs (7 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks in 3.1 innings, striking out 4. Jose Alvarez pitched the final 2.2 before the game was called, yielding just 3 hits and no runs. Matt Sheely continued to swing a hot bat, going 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Aaron Reza went 1 for 3 with his first home run of 2009, a two-run shot in the third. Ryan Kalish and Mike Jones each went 1 for 3 as well, while Kris Negron went 1 for 2 with a walk.

The weather did manage to cooperate in Kannapolis, NC, where the Drive downed the homestanding Intimidators by a score of 5-3. Bryan Price (1-0) started for Greenville, firing 6.0 innings giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and 2 walks, fanning 4 to earn the win. Hunter Strickland pitched the final 3.0 innings to earn his first save of the year, giving up only a solo home run while striking out 2. The Drive pounded out 11 hits, led by Anthony Rizzo, who was 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 3 RBI to raise his season line to .313/.424/.563. Michael Almanzar went 3 for 5, while David Mailman went 2 for 5 with a triple and an RBI.

Player of the Night: Anthony Rizzo, who went 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 3 RBI in Greenville's 5-3 win over Kannapolis.

Lowrie has wrist surgery, likely out until July

The Boston Globe's Chad Finn is reporting that shortstop Jed Lowrie underwent successful surgery today in Arizona to repair his injured left wrist. If all goes according to plan, he could be ready to return to the Boston lineup sometime in July. Lowrie was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 13 after telling the team he had been experiencing pain in his left wrist, the same wrist in which he suffered a non-displaced fracture that he played with last season. He had been hitting just .056/.150/.056 in 18 at bats in 2009 before going on the disabled list. This followed an encouraging spring training performance that saw him hit .343/.400/.657 with 3 home runs.

Baldelli pulls hamstring, Bailey to Boston

Just hours after leaving Monday's game against the Orioles with an apparent hamstring injury, Boston outfielder Rocco Baldelli has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. According to Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe, Jeff Bailey will be called up from Pawtucket to take Baldelli's place on the roster. The 30-year-old Bailey had been hitting well at Triple-A to start the season, putting up a .255/.407/.511 line with 4 home runs in 47 at bats through the first 12 games for Pawtucket. Hitting mostly from the leadoff spot, Bailey has accumulated as many walks (10) as strikeouts (10), driving in 7 while scoring 11 runs. He will now join fellow 2008 Pawtucket hitting star Chris Carter, against whom he was competing for the final spot on the 25-man roster during spring training, on the Boston bench.

SoxProspects.com Podcast, Episode 2

In our second attempt at podcasting, we discuss the early season assignments, the most underrated and overrated players in the Red Sox system, and the qualitative and quantitative factors that we use to rank prospects, among other topics. Included in the hour-long round table-discussion are staff members Mike Andrews (soxprospects), Chris Mellen (Cem21), Ian Theodoridis (templeUsox), and Chris Hatfield (Arquimedez Bozo). We have to apologize once again for some continued minor technical difficulties - we are in the process of upgrading to an entirely new audio system, and prior to last night's recording we realized that we are in need of one additional piece of hardware. We hope to have the upgrade process complete for next month's podcast, which should be skip-free. Hope you enjoy!

The links:

Full Link

iTunes Link

Subscription Feed

Segment 1 (direct download)
Segment 2 (direct download)
Segment 3 (direct download)

Pitcher of the Week, April 9 - 19: Daniel Bard

Continuing his bullpen brilliance from last season and spring training, Pawtucket closer Daniel Bard has been voted SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Week for April 9-19 by the SoxProspects.com community. The tall righthander pitched 7.0 innings, limiting opposing teams to 1 earned run on 1 hit (a solo home run) while striking out 11 and walking only 2 to record 2 saves for Pawtucket. A first-round pick by the Red Sox in 2006, Bard began his tenure with the organization as a starter before moving to the bullpen to begin last season. Once converted to relief, he pitched to a 5-1 record with 7 saves and a sparkling 1.51 ERA in 77.2 innings, striking out 107 between his stints in Greenville and Portland in 2008. He is currently the third ranked prospect in the organization as designated by SoxProspects.com.

Player of the Week, April 9 - 19: Ryan Kalish

With an impressive .353/.511/.559 line that included 4 doubles, 1 home run, and a 12:7 walks-to-strikeouts ratio in 46 plate appearances, Salem outfielder Ryan Kalish has won SoxProspects.com Player of the Week honors for April 9-19. The speedy outfielder also stole 4 bases in 4 attempts and scored 11 runs to help put Salem at the top of the Carolina League's Southern Division standings after the first 11 games of 2009. Kalish, who just turned 21 years of age in March, batted .279/.449/.368 in Hawaii Winter Baseball this off season with a league-high 12 stolen bases. He had been voted as a 2009 Pre-Season All Star by the SoxProspects.com community and is looking forward to a healthy 2009 after a 2008 season in which he was hampered by injury.

Honorable mention goes to Portland third baseman Jorge Jimenez, who was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for April 8-19 after hitting .389/.450/.583 with 1 home run and 11 RBI.

Bowden pitches Paw Sox past Lehigh Valley

4/21 Cup of Coffee:

Michael Bowden (1-0) turned in his third impressive start of 2009, helping Pawtucket defeat Lehigh Valley 2-0 to earn a split of the four-game series. The big righthander pitched 5.1 innings scoreless, yielding only 3 hits and 1 walk whine fanning 7 Iron Pigs. Fernando Cabrera continued his fine work out of the Pawtucket bullpen, firing 2.2 hitless innings with 1 strikeout. Daniel Bard slammed the door on Lehigh Valley with a hitless ninth, striking out 2 to earn his third save. All the offense for Pawtucket was provided by Paul McAnulty's first-inning two-run home run. Jeff Bailey and Dusty Brown each went 1 for 3.

Both Portland and Salem were rained out on Monday.

Not to be outdone by their Triple-A counterparts, Stolmy Pimentel (1-1) and the Greenville Drive also turned in a pitching gem, downing Greensboro 2-0. Pimentel went the first 5.0 innings, giving up 5 hits while striking out 5. Lance McClain then pitched 3.0 hitless frames, fanning 4, before Felix Ventura finished the game with a scorless ninth to record his first save. Oscar Tejeda continued his recent hot streak, going 3 for 4 with a double, a triple, and a run scored. Mitch Dening went 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Tim Federowicz drove in the other Greenville run, going 1 for 4. Zach Gentile also has a multiple-hit game, going 2 for 3 with a double.

Player of the Night: Michael Bowden, who struck out 7 over 5.1 scoreless innings to earn his first win of 2009.

Sheely drives in 3 in Salem win

4/20 Cup of Coffee:

It was a low-scoring Sunday for Sox affiliates, beginning with Pawtucket, which lost to Lehigh Valley by a score of 6-2. Enrique Gonzalez (1-1) put in a good effort but took the loss, throwing 6.0 innings of two-run ball while giving up 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. Fortune was not as kind to Chris George, who gave up 4 earned runs on 6 hits in just 1.2 innings. Robert Coello, making his first appearance for Pawtucket since being signed out of the independent Golden Baseball League last week, finished the game with 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out 1. The Red Sox managed just 6 hits in the game, with no player having more than 1, although Ivan Ochoa did manage to hit his first home run of the season in the ninth.

Junichi Tazawa wasn't as sharp as he was in his first two American starts, and Portland fell to Binghamton 4-2. The Japanese righthander threw 4.2 innings and struck out 5, giving up only 2 earned runs, but yielded 6 hits and 3 walks. Chris Province (2-2) picked up his fourth decision of the season, tossing 2.1 innings giving up 1 earned run on 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 3 while taking the loss. Justin Hedrick pitched the final inning, giving up a solo home run. The Sea Dogs managed just 4 hits in the game, although Zach Borowiak made his a triple in his first game action of 2009.

The lone minor league bright spot for the organization came at the hands of Salem, which defeated Frederick 9-3. Dave McKae, making his Red Sox debut opposite top Orioles prospect Brian Matusz, pitched the first 3.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits and a walk. Derrick Loop (1-1) continued his strong start to the season to earn the win, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and a walk while striking out 2. Josh Papelbon pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn the save, blanking the Keys on 2 hits. Right fielder Matt Sheely led the way offensively for Salem, going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, 2 steals, and a run scored. Ryan Kalish went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI a steal, and a run scored of his own, while Jason Place went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI as well.

Greenville took the lead early but gave it up late, losing 8-6 to Greensboro. Brock Huntzinger pitched the first 4.0 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 3 walks striking out 3 but departed with the Drive leading 5-4. Fabian Williamson (0-1) wasn't any more successful in his 3.0 innings of work, surrendering 4 earned runs on 7 hits and 2 walks to take the loss. Dennis Neuman turned in the best pitching performance for Greenville, firing 2.0 scoreless innings. Anthony Rizzo went 1 for 2 with 3 walks and an RBI, while Kade Keowen went 1 for 3 with a walk, hitting his first home run of the year in the second.

Player of the Day: Matt Sheely, who went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, 2 steals, and a run scored in Salem's win over Frederick.

Wilkerson chooses retirement

Daniel Barbarisi of the Providence Journal is reporting that Brad Wilkerson, formerly of the Pawtucket Red Sox, has decided to retire after an eight-year major league career. The 31-year-old outfielder / first baseman cited a lack of fire as his reason for retiring. Wilkerson had been signed to a minor league deal in February with the expectation that he would compete for a backup role with Boston, but he lost out to Chris Carter after a poor spring training that saw him hit only .196/.286/.119 with 18 strikeouts in 42 at bats. In his major league career with Montreal / Washington, Texas, Seattle, and Toronto, Wilkerson hit .247/.350/.440 with 122 home runs and 399 RBI in 972 games.

Jimenez powers Sea Dogs to victory

4/19 Cup of Coffee:

Another night, another victory for Pawtucket, which downed Lehigh Valley 5-2 at McCoy Stadium. Marcus McBeth went the first two frames and was charged with 1 earned run despite giving up no hits and only 1 walk, striking out 2. Jose Vaquedano (1-1) relieved McBeth in the third inning, allowing the base runner he inherited to score but then proceeding to throw 3.0 shutout innings to earn the win. Rocky Cherry and Fernando Cabrera held the Iron Pigs scoreless for the next 3.0 innings, before Daniel Bard gave up his first run of the season in the ninth on a home run to Lehigh Valley's Jeremy Slayden. Carlos Maldonado entered the game in the top of the third inning replacing Dusty Brown and went 2 for 2 with a run scored. Chip Ambres and Jeff Natale each had 2 hits and drove in 2, while Ivan Ochoa went 1 for 3 with 2 stolen bases.

Portland exploded offensively, collected 18 hits and scoring 12 runs in a 12-4 rout of Binghamton. Felix Doubront (1-0) started and picked up the win, pitching 5.0 innings giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4. William Latimer struggled a bit in his first appearance of 2009, giving up 3 hits and 4 walks in 2.0 innings, but held the Mets to 2 runs (only 1 earned). Bryce Cox finished the game with 2.0 scoreless innings. Six Sea Dogs had multiple-hit games, including Jorge Jimenez, who went 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Lars Anderson continued to swing a hot bat, going 4 for 6 to raise his line on the year to .310/.348/.452. Aaron Bates, Josh Reddick, Iggy Suarez, and Mark Wagner each had 2 hits.

Salem kept the Sox affiliates roll going, beating Frederick 7-4 on the road. Seth Garrison got the start for the Red Sox and fired 5.0 innings giving up 2 runs, only 1 earned, on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2. Ryne Miller (2-0) picked up where Garrison left off, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings to earn the win. Jason Rice gave up 2 earned runs in his inning of work to make it a save situation for Jason Blackley, who put the Keys on ice with a scoreless ninth to record his third save of the season. Mike Jones was the hitting star for Salem, going 3 for 3 with a solo home run and 2 runs scored. He is now hitting .353/.421/.441 on the year. Second baseman Aaron Reza went 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Zak Farkes drove in 3 with a long two-out blast in the eighth that provided the winning runs for Salem.

Greenville couldn't quite recover from a 4-run top of the second, falling 4-3 to visiting Greensboro. Yeiper Castillo made the start and went 3.0 innings, giving up said runs on 4 hits and a walk. Armando Zerpa extended his season-opening scoreless streak to 9.0 innings, firing 3.0 frames while striking out 5. Mitch Herold struck out 4 of his own in his 2.0 scoreless innings of work, and Felix Ventura finished the game with a scoreless ninth. Anthony Rizzo, once again hitting third for the Drive, had a nice day at the dish, going 2 for 5 with 2 doubles and a run scored. Ryan Lavarnway, getting the start at catcher, went 1 for 3 with an RBI, while David Marks went 1 for 3, driving in 2 with a home run in the fifth.

Player of the Night: Jorge Jimenez, who went 4 for 5 with a home run, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. He is now hitting .424/.486/.636 with 11 RBI in 2009.

Tejeda scores 4 runs in Greenville win

4/18 Cup of Coffee:

After eight games on the road to start the season, the Pawtucket Red Sox dropped their home opener to Lehigh Valley by a score of 4-3. Starting on three days' rest in place of the injured Clay Buchholz, knuckleballer Charlie Zink (0-2) took the loss, giving up 4 earned runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in 6.0 innings, striking out 2. Billy Traber finished the game, firing 3.0 scoreless innings giving up only 1 hit while striking out 3 Iron Pigs. Jeff Bailey went 3 for 4 at the plate, launching his fourth home run of the young season in the third inning. Zach Daeges had a nice night as well, going 2 for 4 with a double.

In the team's first road contest of 2009, the Portland Sea Dogs emerged victorious, doubling up Binghamton 8-4. Blake Maxwell started for Portland, throwing 3.0 innings and giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits. He struck out 4 and did not walk a batter. Lefthander Dustin Richardson (2-0) followed Maxwell to the mound and earned the win, giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits and a walk in 3.0 innings, striking out 3. Chad Rhoades and TJ Large finished the game for the Sea Dogs. Bubba Bell went 2 for 5 at the plate with a double and a run scored, and Mark Wagner also went 2 for 5, including his second home run of the season. Lars Anderson went 1 for 3 with a home run of his own and 2 runs scored, while Ryan Khoury drove in 3 with a bases-loaded double in the third.

Despite a tough day on Thursday, Salem bounced back to earn a 5-4 victory over Frederick in Carolina League action last night. Jose Capellan (1-0) earned the win, firing 5.1 innings giving up 3 earned runs on 7 hits and a walk, striking out 4. Kyle Fernandes pitched the next 2.2 innings, giving up 1 earned run on 2 hits, striking out 4. Jason Blackey slammed the door with a scoreless ninth, striking out 1 to earn the save. Batting third and serving as the team's designated hitter, Ryan Kalish went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, a walk and 2 runs scored. Thirdbaseman Zak Farkes went 2 for 2 at the plate with 2 walks and a steal, while Jason Place launched his first home run of the season, a 3-run shot in the third inning. He now has 10 RBI on the young season.

In an impressive all-around performance, the Greenville Drive blanked Greensboro, 9-0. Casey Kelly (2-0) was impressive once again in his second start of the season, scattering 4 hits and a walk in 5.0 scoreless innings, striking out 4. Caleb Clay pitched the final 4.0 innings, giving up 3 hits and a walk while striking out 2. The Drive pounded out 12 hits on the evening, with David Mailman and Anthony Rizzo each going 2 for 5. Ryan Lavarnway, serving as the team's DH, drove in 2 with a triple in the first, while Michael Almanzar hit his second home run of the year in the fourth. But the hitting star of the night was Oscar Tejeda, who went 3 for 4 with a walk, a triple, a home run, and 4 runs scored.

Player of the Night: Oscar Tejeda, who went 3 for 4 with a triple, a home run, and 4 runs scored in a 9-0 Greenville win.

Johnson goes 5 scoreless in Pawtucket win

4/17 Cup of Coffee:

Pawtucket prevailed 1-0 in a well-pitched game at Rochester last night. Kris Johnson (1-0) got the win, throwing 5.0 scoreless innings, striking out 3 while yielding only 2 hits and 2 walks. Side-arming lefty Chris George followed him with 2.2 scoreless innings before Fernando Cabrera slammed the door with 1.1 scoreless innings of his own. For the second time this season, Carlos Maldonado caught Johnson and drove in the only run of the game, going 1 for 3 with a double. Travis Denker, Chip Ambres, and Ivan Ochoa each went 1 for 3 as well.

In Eastern League action, Binghamton edged Portland 4-3 in a hard-fought game at Hadlock Field. Jarod Plummer started for the Sea Dogs, giving up 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in 4.0 innings. The loss was charged to Chris Province (0-1), who gave up 1 earned run on 3 hits in his 2.0 innings of work, walking 1 and striking out 2. Justin Hedrick finished the game giving up 1 earned run in 2.0 innings. Shortstop Argenis Diaz was the hitting star for Portland, going 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, and 2 RBI. Lars Anderson also went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and a run scored, and Jorge Jimenez went 2 for 4 with an RBI of his own.

Salem was beaten to the tune of 8-2 in game 1 of double-header action against Potomac in a game that was called after 7 innings. Eammon Portice (0-1) racked up 7 strikeouts in his 5.0 innings of work, but he also gave up 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks and took the loss. Lefty Jose Alvarez followed Portice to the mound, giving up 4 earned runs of his own on 4 hits and 2 walks in 2.0 innings. Jason Place drove in both runs for Salem, going 3 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Ryan Kalish went 0 for 2 but did walk twice and score a run while stealing his third base of the season. Five other Salem hitters each had 1 hit in the game, including catcher Luis Exposito, who went 1 for 3 and also threw out the only runner who tried to steal against him.

Things didn't go much better for Salem in game 2, as the team lost a 5-1 decision to Potomac, this time in an 8-inning affair. Derrick Loop held the 2008 Carolina League champions to only 2 walks over 4 hitless innings, striking out 3. Jason Rice threw 2.0 innings, giving up only 1 unearned run on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Submariner Josh Papelbon (0-1) wasn't quite as successful, yielding 4 earned runs on 3 hits and a walk in his 2.0 frames and taking the loss. Designated hitter Mike Jones went 2 for 4 in the game for Salem, while catcher Will Vazquez and first baseman Jered Stanley each went 1 for 3 with a double. Luis Segovia drove in the only Red Sox run, going 1 for 4.

In a tight ball game in North Carolina, Greenville edged visiting Hickory 4-3. Bryan Price kicked off the game for the Drive, twirling 5.0 impressive scoreless innings, giving up only 2 hits and 2 walks while whiffing 4 Crawdads. Big Hunter Strickland (1-1) picked up the win despite giving up 3 earned runs on 6 hits, including 2 home runs, in his 4 innings of work. He struck out 3 and did not walk a batter. David Mailman led off for Greenville and went 1 for 4 with a triple, 2 runs scored and an RBI. He was also able to steal 2 bases after reaching base via a fielder's choice in the bottom of the 5th, swiping both second and third while Oscar Tejada (1 for 3, double, 2 RBI) was at the plate. Centerfielder Mitch Dening went 2 for 3 in the game with 2 doubles, while catcher Tim Federowicz went 2 for 4 hitting out of the cleanup spot.

Player of the Night: Kris Johnson, who went 5.0 scoreless innings to pick up the win for Pawtucket. He has now pitched 10.0 scoreless innings to start the season.

Kalish scores 4 and drives in 2 in Salem win

4/16 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket downed Rochester 4-2 on Wednesday. Mike Bowden went 4 innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. He had 3 strikeouts. Rocky Cherry threw 3 innings and allowed 1 run on 1 hit and a walk. He had 4 strikeouts. Daniel Bard pitched 2 scoreless frames. He did not allow a hit but gave up 2 base on balls. He fanned 3. Travis Denker went 2 for 5. Paul McAnulty went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI. Jeff Natale went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

New Britain doubled Portland by the score of 6-3. Adam Mills went 3.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk. He fanned 5. Bryce Cox went 1.1 innings giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. He had 1 strikeout. TJ Large went 1 scoreless inning allowing a hit and a walk. He had 2 strikeouts. Chad Rhoades threw a scoreless inning. He allowed a hit and a walk while recording 1 strikeout.

Salem drubbed Potomac 12-4. Kyle Weiland threw 3.1 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 base on balls. Ryne Miller pitched 2.2 scoreless, hitless frames. He walked 1 while fanning 3. Jarod Plummer threw a scoreless inning. He allowed a hit and a walk. Jason Blackey pitched 2 scoreless innings. He allowed a hit and a walk while fanning 3. Kris Negron went 2 for 5 with a run scored. Aaron Reza went 2 for 6 and scored a run. Ryan Kalish went 2 for 3 with a home run, 4 runs scored and 2 RBI. He also had 2 walks. Jason Place went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. Luis Exposito went 2 for 5 with a run scored and 3 RBI. Mike Jones went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI.

Hickory blanked Greenville 8-0. Stolmy Pimentel went 3.1 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. Dennis Neuman went 2.1 frames with 2 runs scored on 3 hits and a walk. He struck out 2. Mitch Herold went 1.2 frames allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. He had 3 strikeouts. Felix Ventura went 1.2 scoreless, hitless innings. He gave up 1 walk while striking out 1. Mike Almanzar went 2 for 4 .

Player of the Night: Ryan Kalish who reached base 4 times on 2 hits and 2 base on balls. He had a homer, 4 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Sox call up Jones, send Matsuzaka to the D.L.

The Red Sox today called up relief pitcher Hunter Jones from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Daisuke Matsuzaka's place on the active roster, this according to Boston.com's Chad Finn. The Japanese righthander was placed on the 15-day disabled list today with a right shoulder strain after being removed from last night's game against Oakland with fatigue in his pitching arm. Jones has already appeared in 3 games for Pawtucket this season, firing 3.2 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts. The big lefthander split last season between Double-A Portland and Pawtucket, posting a combined 7-3 record with a 2.45 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 48 appearances spanning 73.1 innings.

Zerpa tosses 4.1 perfect innings in 15 inning marathon

4/15 Cup of Coffee: Last night, Rochester edged Pawtucket 6-5. Enrique Gonzalez went 5 innings allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and a walk. He had 3 strikeouts. Marcus McBeth threw 1 clean inning of relief. He fanned 2. Billy Traber went 0.2 of an inning giving up 1 run on 1 hit. He had 1 strikeout. Jose Vaquedano pitched 0.2 of an inning allowing the winning run on 2 hits. Hunter Jones retired the 2 batters he faced fanning 1 of them. Jeff Bailey went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. Angel Chavez went 2 for 4 and scored twice.

Portland downed New Britain 4-3. Junichi Tazawa lasted 6 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks. He had 3 strikeouts. Blake Maxwell threw 2 scoreless innings. He allowed 2 hits while striking out 2. Justin Hedrick pitched the final inning giving up 2 runs on a hit and 2 walks. He fanned 2. Jon Still was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

The Salem-Potomac game was postponed.

In a 15 inning marathon, Greenvilled edged Hickory 2-1. Brock Huntzinger started and went 5 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits. He had 3 strikouts. Fabian Williamson threw 4.2 scoreless innings giving up 1 hit and 2 base on balls. Armando Zerpa tossed 4.1 perfect frames fanning 2. Lance McClain threw 1 clean frame fanning 2. Tim Federowicz went 2 for 5 and scored a run. Matt Keowen went 2 for 6 with a RBI. Pete Hissey went 2 for 5.

Player of the Night: Armando Zerpa who pitched 4.1 innings of middle relief recording 2 strikeouts

Busy Sox add Denker from Padres

Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal is reporting that the Red Sox have claimed Travis Denker off waivers from the San Diego Padres and added him to the 40-man roster. Denker will ply his trade with the Pawtucket Red Sox, taking the place of Gil Velazquez, who was called up to Boston yesterday. Spending most of last season at Triple-A Fresno in the Giants organization, Denker put together a .282/.373/.468 line in 220 at bats there, adding 7 home runs and 30 RBI while spending most of his time at second base. He also made a brief 24 game cameo for San Francisco in 2008, posting .243/.333/.486 totals with 1 home run in 37 at bats in the majors.

The 23-year-old California native was originally a 21st round draft choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003 and owns career .276/.376/.454 numbers with 73 home runs, 310 RBI, 320 walks, and 391 strikeouts in 2017 minor league at bats. To make room for Denker on the 40-man roster, pitcher Miguel Gonzalez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last month, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

In other news, the Portland Press Herald's Kevin Thomas is reporting that Pawtucket pitcher Devern Hansack has suffered a separated right shoulder and will return to Boston to undergo further evaluation. The injury is not believed to be season ending. Hansack's roster spot will likely be given to Rocky Cherry, who had been assigned to extended spring training to begin the year after being signed to a minor league contract last month.

Lawson to the D.L., Hedrick to Portland

The Portland Sea Dogs today announced that starter Ryne Lawson has been placed on the disabled list with stiffness in his right shoulder, retroactive to April 13. The 23-year-old righthander last pitched on April 12 against Connecticut, giving up 1 earned run on 1 hit and 2 walks in 3.0 innings. He will be replaced on the Portland roster by Justin Hedrick, who was signed to a minor league deal earlier this month after he was released by San Francisco at the end of spring training. Hedrick, 26, had been assigned to extended spring training after signing with the Red Sox. The Sea Dogs continue their six-game home stand tonight against New Britain (Twins) at 6:00 pm.

Herold's 2 perfect innings deliver win for Greenville

4/14 Cup of Coffee: Rochester downed Pawtucket 5-3 on Easter Monday. Charlie Zink threw 4.1 innings allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and 6 walks. He had 1 strikeout. Devern Hansack went 1 inning and allowed 1 run on 2 hits. Chris George pitched the final 2.2 frames and did not allow a run on 1 hit and a walk. Paul McAnulty went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Dusty Brown went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI. Chip Ambres went 2 for 4 with a RBI. Angel Chavez went 2 for 4.

Portland defeated New Britain 10-6. Felix Doubront started and went 4.1 frames allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. He had 7 strikeouts. Chris Province threw 2.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 base on balls. He had 3 strikeouts. Chad Rhoades pitched the final 2 innings. He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He fanned 2. Jon Still went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI. Jorge Jimenez went 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI.

Potomac downed Salem 8-6. Seth Garrison went 4 innings giving up 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Kyle Fernandes pitched 3 scoreless frames allowing 2 hits. He fanned 1. Jason Rice went 1 inning giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. He had 1 strikeout. Jason Blackey pitched a scoreless final inning. He allowed 1 hit while striking out 1. Aaron Reza went 2 for 5 and scored a run.

Greenville edged Hickory 5-4. Yeiper Castillo threw 4.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. Felix Ventura went 2.1 frames giving up a run on 2 hits. He had 1 strikeout. Mitch Herold picked up the win throwing 2 perfect innings. He struck out 4. Ryan Lavarnway went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI. Pete Hissey went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a RBI.



Player of the Night: Mitch Herold who threw 2 perfect innings of relief striking out 4 of the 6 hitters he faced

Lowrie to disabled list, Velazquez to fill in

The Red Sox have placed SS Jed Lowrie on the 15-day disabled list with a left wrist sprain and have called up INF Gil Velazquez from Pawtucket in a corresponding move. The injury is to the same wrist that dogged Lowrie at the end of last season. He will return to Boston to undergo testing. Velazquez will be in uniform for tonight's game against Oakland. In four games with the Paw Sox, Velazquez was hitting .222/.263/.222 (four hits in 18 at-bats).

Rizzo leads the way in Greenville win

4/13 Cup of Coffee: In a fifteen inning marathon, Buffalo downed Pawtucket 4-2. Clay Buchholz started and went 3.2 frames giving upp 2 runs on 3 hits and 4 base on balls. He had 3 strikeouts. Jose Vaquedano pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. He allowed 1 hit and had a strikeout. Billy Traber pitched a clean inning. Daniel Bard continued his dominating start going 2 perfect frames. He had 2 strikeouts. He has now thrown 4 perfect innings of relief. Hunter Jones threw 2 clean innings recording 1 strikeouts. Marcus McBeth went 2 innings allowing a hit and a walk. He fanned 3. Fernando Cabrera pitched an inning allowing 2 hits and a walk. He had 1 strikeout. Carlos Maldonado took the loss allowing 2 runs on a hit and a walk. He did not retire a hitter. Jeff Natale went 2 for 4.

Portland defeated Connecticut 6-1. Ryne Lawson lasted 3 innings giving up 1 run on a hit and 3 walks. Dustin Richardson went 3 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits. He fanned 5. Bryce Cox pitched 2 scoreless frames. He allowed 2 hits and a walk. TJ Large pitched a clean final inning fanning 2 of the 3 batters he faced. Bubba Bell went 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored. Jorge Jimenez went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI. Reid Engel went 2 for 4.

Frederick edged Salem 3-2. Jarod Plummer went 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk. He had 5 strikeouts. Ryne Miller threw 2 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits and a walk. He had 3 strikeouts. Derrick Loop pitched 2 scoreless frames allowing 1 hit and a base on balls. He fanned 2. Ryan Kalish went 2 for 3 and scored a run. Luis Segovia went 2 for 4.

Greenville blanked Greensboro 9-0. Casey Kelly threw 5 scoreless innings allowing 4 hits and a walk. He fanned 4. Caleb Clay pitched 4 scoreless frames. He allowed 4 hits and had 4 strikeouts. David Mailman went 2 for 5. Oscar Tejeda went 2 for 5 and scored twice. Anthony Rizzo went 2 for 4 with a home run, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Mitch Dening went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Pete Hissey went 2 for 4 with a run scored.


Player of the Night: Anthony Rizzo who had 2 hits which produced a homer, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI

Almanzar helps Drive gain split in doubleheader

4/12 Cup of Coffee: Happy Easter everyone! Yesterday Pawtucket edged Buffalo 1-0 behind the pitching of Kris Johnson who threw 5 shutout innings while allowing 2 hits and a walk. He had 5 strikeouts. Marcus McBeth threw 2 shutout innings allowing 2 hits. He had 1 strikeout. Fernando Cabera pitched the final 2 innings. He did not allow a run on a hit and a walk. He fanned 4. Carlos Moldonado went 1 for 2 with a home run.

Connecticut defeated Portland 10-4. Travis Beazley went 4.1 frames giving up 6 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. He had 3 strikeouts. Blake Maxwell went 1.2 innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits. He had 1 strikeout. Chad Rhoades threw 1.1 innings giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a base on balls. TJ Large threw the final 1.2 innings and did not allow a run on a hit and a walk. Josh Reddick continued to swing a hot bat going 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored. Aaron Bates went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Jorge Jimenez went 2 for 3 with a RBI.

Salem edged Frederick 6-5. Jose Capellen went 5 innings giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk.He fanned 1. Jose Alvarez went 2 frames giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. He had 1 strikeout. Chad Povich pitched a perfect final 2 innings fanning 4. Luis Exposito went 1 for 1 along with 3 base on balls. He scored a run. Jason Place went 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI.

Greenville split a doubleheader with Greensboro. The Drive lost 6-1 in the first game. Hunter Strickland threw 4.2 innings allowing 6 runs on 9 hits. He had 2 strikeouts. Armando Zerpa went the final 1.1 frames and did not allow a hit. He gave up 1 walk and struck out 2. Mitch Dening went 2 for 3 with a RBI. In the seond contest, the Drive came back to earn a 8-3 win. Bryan Price threw 5 innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits and a walk. He had 5 strikeouts. Lance McClain went 1 inning giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. He fanned 2. Mitch Herold threw a clean final inning recording 2 strikeouts. Ryan Dent went 3 for 4 and scored 2 runs while driving in another. Michael Almanzar went 2 for 3 with a home run, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.

Player of the Night: Michael Almanzar who had 2 hits which produced a home run, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI

Reddick's 4 hits lead Portland to win

4/11 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket blanked Buffalo 9-0 on Good Friday. Michael Bowden got the start and threw 4.2 innings of scoreless ball. He gave up 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. Billy Traber tossed 1.1 innings of hitless relief giving up 1 walk. Jose Vaquedano pitched 2 perfect innings of relief striking out 2. Hunter Jones pitched the 9th, retiring all three hitters he faced. Dusty Brown went 2 for 4 with a RBI. Chip Ambres went 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored. Gil Velazquez went 3 for 5 and scored a run. Ivan Ochoa went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a RBI.

Portland edged Connecticut 3-2 in Eastern League action. Adam Mills got the start and threw 5 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits. He did not walk a batter while striking out 4. Richie Lentz tossed 2 innings of perfect middle relief. He fanned 5 of the 6 batters he faced. Chris Province pitched the final 2 frames and did not allow a hit or a walk while striking out 2. Josh Reddick went 4 for 5 with a home run. Lars Anderson went 2 for 4 with a RBI. Ryan Khoury went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI.

Salem completed the perfect day for Sox affiliate teams by defeating Frederick 3-2. Eammon Portice went 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 2 hits. He did not give up a walk while fanning 6. Jason Rice threw 2 scoreless innings allowing 1 hit. He struck out 5. Jason Blackey pitched a scoreless 9th allowing 1 hit. He struck out 1.

The Greenville game against Greensboro was postponed.

Player of the Night: Josh Reddick who had 4 hits including a home run in the Sea Dog win

Bard goes 2 scoreless in PawSox victory

4/10 Cup of Coffee: Opening Day saw Pawtucket defeat Buffalo 6-4. Enrigue Gonzalez threw 5 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. He had 5 strikeouts. Fernando Cabrera pitched 1 inning and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits. He had 1 strikeout. Marcus McBeth tossed a scoreless inning allowing 1 hit while striking out the side. Daniel Bard threw 2 perfect innings striking out 4. Paul McAnulty went 2 for 2 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Dusty Brown went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI. Ivan Ochoa went 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Connecticut blanked Portland 3-0. Junichi Tazawa went 5 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits and a walk. He had 7 strikeouts. Dustin Richardson tossed 2 innings giving up a run on 1 hit. Bryce Cox went 1 inning allowing 1 run on 2 hits. Chad Rhoades threw a scoreless inning allowing 1 hit. Lars Anderson, Aaron Bates and Jon Still all went 1 for 4. Mark Wagner went 1 for 3.

Frederick downed Salem 8-6 in 12 innings. Kyle Weiland threw 2.1 frames allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. He had 1 strikeout. Kyle Fernandes went 3.2 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks. He had 2 strikeouts. Chad Povich tossed 2 perfect innings recording 3 strikeouts. Ryne Miller threw 2 innings giving up 1 run on 2 hits. He fanned 2. Derrick Loop went 2 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk. He had 2 strikeouts. Che-Hsuan Lin went 2 for 6 with a run scored. Yamaico Navarro went 2 for 7 with a run scored. Ryan Kalish went 1 for 4 and had 2 RBI.

Greensboro edged Greenville 6-5 in 10 innings. Stolmy Pimentel went 5 innings allowing 2 runs on 8 hits. He had 1 strikeout. Fabian Williamson threw 4 innings giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. He had 2 strikeouts. Felix Ventura went 0.1 of an inning giving up the winning run on 1 hit. Tim Federowicz went 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI. Ryan Lavarnway went 2 for 4 with a home run.

Player of the Night: Daniel Bard who threw 2 perfect innings while striking out 4 to earn his first save of the season.

Minor League Opening Day

Minor League Opening Day is here! Your pitching matchups for today's games:

AAA- Pawtucket (Enrique Gonzalez) @ Buffalo [NYM] (Jonathon Niese) 3:05 pm
AA- Portland (Junichi Tazawa) vs. Connecticut [SF] (Daryl Maday) 6:00 pm
A+ - Salem (Kyle Weiland) vs. Frederick [BAL] (Brian Matusz) 7:05 pm
A - Greenville (Stolmy Pimentel) @ Greensboro [FLA] (TBA) 7:05 pm

Check out your opening day rosters here.

2009 Organization Outlook: Outfield, Lower Minors

At the lower levels of the Red Sox system, the outfield is full of raw, toolsy players with loads of potential … and a long way to go to fill that potential. The Red Sox’s recent draft strategy, which has tended to focus on young, raw, athletic position players, shows most here, with a number of players fitting that profile. The opening day rosters have mostly been sorted out at this point, but speculation as to who will play at what affiliate has been replaced by speculation of how playing time will be shared at each level.

Here’s the list of outfielders in the system that played in Low-A or lower last year:
A: Che-Hsuan Lin, David Mailman, David Marks, Jered Stanley
SS-A: Ronald Bermudez, Mitch Dening, Pete Hissey, Kade Keowen, Wilfred Pichardo
Rookie: Roberto Feliz, Moko Moanaroa, Bryan Peterson, Roberto Ramos, Tyler Yockey
DSL: Juan Bonifacio, Pedro Gonzalez, Javier Gutierrez, Felix Sanchez, Lewis Urena
Other: Boss Moanaroa, Ryan Westmoreland
Gone: Rafael Cabreja, Chris De La Rosa, Carlos Fernandez, Andrew Frezza, Manny Solano, Luis Sumoza

A: Since our last installment, it has become clear that David Mailman will once again begin the season in Greenville. Although he finished last season strong and has been impressive in Spring Training, taking Brad Penny deep at one point, it would not hurt for him to establish himself with the Drive before being promoted to Salem mid-season. Additionally Jason Place, Che-Hsuan Lin, and Ryan Kalish are expected to start at Salem and there may be more at bats for him in Greenville … Fresh off of making Australia’s roster for the World Baseball Classic, Mitch Dening will get his first taste of full-season ball. Dening hit above .300 each of the last two seasons in the GCL and Lowell, and could really establish himself by continuing to improve … A brief, 55-at-bat debut in 2008 notwithstanding, 2009 brings our first good look at Pete Hissey. Likely starting in center field for Greenville, Hissey oozes athleticism and brings high expectations with his $1-million signing bonus … David Marks will likely repeat Greenville, at least to start the year, after putting up a .753 OPS in 273 at-bats last year. He could earn a quick promotion if he can consistently produce the power that he has shown in flashes … Kade Keowen has been unable to hit much in two full seasons in Lowell. His last chance could be this season in Greenville, but he will get primarily backup at-bats.

SS-A: Ryan Westmoreland’s much-anticipated debut will come in Lowell thanks to offseason shoulder surgery. The Rhode Island native received a $2-million bonus, and has five-tool potential … Wilfred Pichardo had 42 steals in 202 at-bats in the GCL last season, earning a promotion to Lowell that ended after seven at-bats thanks to a hamstring injury. Despite his outstanding speed, Pichardo still has a ways to go with the bat, as he hit .297 but had just six extra-base hits last year … Bryan Peterson’s pro debut was marred by recurring staph infections that kept him from getting into much of a groove. Still, he showed enough promise that some felt he could begin the season in Greenville. Due to the system’s outfield depth, it appears that he will stay behind in Extended Spring Training and get his first taste of A-ball in Lowell … Roberto Feliz put up a .749 OPS in his stateside debut following two seasons in the GCL. He saw consistent time in left field last season, and he will have to continue improving his defense in Lowell, but will certainly be required to share time in the outfield … Ronald Bermudez made his U.S. debut last year in Lowell after an impressive 2007 DSL campaign. However, he hit just .202, and he is in danger of being passed over by the slew of young outfield talent around him. In his second U.S. season, Bermudez will need to improve at the plate, putting up the numbers to match positive first-hand reports … Tyler Yockey was moved from the outfield to first base last year. It seems likely he will stay there given the crowded low-minors outfield.

Rookie: When he was signed last May, it was reported that Boss Moanaroa would not come to the U.S. until 2010. However, Boss is now expected to play in the GCL this year. We also first heard that Boss was a first baseman, but he has been listed in the outfield this spring … Boss’ brother, Moko, made his GCL debut last year, but saw very limited playing time, most of it at DH. Both Moanaroa brothers are said to be very raw, and could stand to benefit from a full Extended Spring Training … Juan Bonifacio was a DSL All-Star last year, and will be one of a very small group of DSL alums coming to the U.S. this year. Bonifacio showed great plate discipline last year with a .410 OBP, and he has generated positive reports out of Spring Training … Roberto Ramos, a rare HS free agent signee, played all over the field last season in the GCL. He will try to find a position during Extended, and will hope to see more regular playing time in the GCL this year. DSL: Pedro Gonzalez, Javier Gutierrez, Felix Sanchez, and Lewis Urena will all return to the DSL Sox … Gonzalez sees time at first base as well as left field, while Urena plays center, third base, and second base … No one in that group had a great 2008 season, and all will be 18 or older this year, making it a crucial season for their hopes of earning a promotion to the States.

So Long, Farewell: Luis Sumoza showed good promise, fitting in well among the Sox’ young, toolsy outfield prospects. However, he was traded to Atlanta for Mark Kotsay, and was named the Braves’ #21 prospect by Baseball America … Andrew Frezza retired during the offseason after spending his first pro season in the GCL … Carlos Fernandez, once a player that showed a lot of promise with a great VSL debut and intriguing 2006 in the GCL, was released near the end of Spring Training … Rafael Cabreja was also released during Spring Training. He was notable more for being David Ortiz’s cousin than for his performance in three seasons with the Sox … DSL outfielder Chris De La Rosa was released following a positive test for performance enhancing drugs … Utility player Manny Solano was released at some point during Extended Spring Training last season.

Projections:
A: LF Starter – Mailman; CF Starter – Hissey; RF Starter – Dening; DH Starter – Marks; Backup – Keowen
SS-A: Outfield Rotation – Pichardo, Westmoreland, Peterson, Bermudez; Backup – Feliz; 1B Starter – Yockey
GCL: LF Starter – B. Moanaroa; CF Starter – Draftee; RF Starter – Bonifacio; Backup – M. Moanaroa; Utility backup – Ramos
DSL: LF Starter – Gutierrez; CF Starter – Urena; RF Starter – Sanchez; 1B Starter – Gonzalez (Any could be supplanted by a signee)

2009 Prospect Previews: Michael Bowden and Lars Anderson

The final installment of the Prospect Previews series features a starting pitching looking to make the final step to the big leagues, and a first baseman working on rounding out his overall game to push himself into the major league lineup.

Michael Bowden

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Teams: Portland Sea Dogs, Pawtucket Red Sox, and Boston Red Sox
2009 Projected Teams: Pawtucket Red Sox/Boston Red Sox

Strengths: This big and strong righty features a polished three-pitch repertoire that makes him tough on hitters. Bowden’s heavy fastball sits 90-92 MPH, with the ability to reach 94 MPH from time to time and late, sinking movement that has produced a lot of groundballs in his time within the Red Sox organization. The pitch is more effective when it is down and darting through the zone at knee level. Bowden mixes in a sharp 74-76 MPH curveball and an 80-82 MPH circle change-up to round out his arsenal. His twelve-to-six curveball comes in with great rotation and tight spin, producing swings and misses when it quickly drops out of the strike zone into the dirt. Bowden also has excellent arm action on his change-up and he uses it to keep hitters off-balance. Bowden can use his change-up as an effective weapon against left-handed batters because of the pitch’s tailing action that runs down and away from them. All of his pitches are much more effective when he is working down in the strike zone and able to stay on top of them. A bulldog on the mound, Bowden goes right after hitters with an aggressive style. Despite his unconventional delivery, the Red Sox have not been inclined to change anything with his mechanics, as he has had success with them throughout his career in the system. Bowden is extremely strong and has a frame built to withstand the rigors of a full season as a starting pitcher. He has always been ahead of the curve for his age and produced excellent results at every level so far in his career. Bowden made his major league debut in September with the Red Sox and held his own, picking up the win in five innings of work.

Development Needs: Bowden is a pitcher that relies on command and control. His fastball does not have enough life on it to consistently try to challenge hitters or work up in the zone. Most of the damage done against Bowden is when he does leave his pitches up or when his command isn’t as sharp. At the major league level, Bowden will have to rely on hitting his spots with his fastball, changing speeds, and keeping hitters off balance with his off-speed stuff. He will need to work on missing more bats, but this improved during his 2008 season with the Sea Dogs. There isn’t one dominant pitch in his arsenal that he can consistently rely on to get outs, and he can sometimes have really bad outings where hitters make a lot of hard contact against him. Bowden generally has excellent command and control, but this can desert him from time to time and he will need to continue his work on being more consistent on the mound. He’s put in a lot of work to sharpen the finer points on his game, and the results have been showing in the last season plus. He should continue to make progress on his developmental areas with periods of adjustment as he works through them.

2009 Outlook: Bowden is known as a slow starter and he struggled a bit in his first invitation to major league camp this spring. Red Sox officials were still impressed with the way he handled himself, and he is slated to begin season in the rotation for the Pawtucket Red Sox. Expect Bowden to continue his aggressive approach on the mound and to pound the strike zone with his fastball. After decent results in his first stint with Pawtucket last season, look for him to improve on his performance after getting more comfortable in the IL. Bowden should demonstrate excellent control and command while decreasing the amount of contact against him. The main area of development to watch for with Bowden is a better feel for the strike zone and better location with his pitches. This should result in less contact overall and fewer instances of hard contact. A sign that he is keeping the ball down, especially with his fastball, is a reduction in the number of home runs he gives up this season in Triple-A. Bowden is on the cusp of the major leagues, and given the nature of pitching he will probably be counted on to contribute at the major league level at some point this season.

Lars Anderson

Position: First Base
2008 Team: Lancaster Jethawks and Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: The top prospect within the Red Sox organization and one of the top hitting prospects in all of baseball, this California native has the total package at the plate. Hitting from the left side, Anderson has a smooth and fluid swing that rifles through the strike zone to produce excellent bat speed and consistent contact. The ball jumps off his bat when he makes contact, and his overall hitting intellect is very age advanced. Anderson has a keen batting eye and is extremely patient at the plate as well, working through long at-bats to find the pitch he can drive and usually putting a great swing on it. Because Anderson is able to wait a long time at the plate before starting his swing, he hits extremely well to the opposite field and has the power to take an inside pitch out to left field. Anderson has been improving his ability to turn on the ball, pulling more home runs last season after struggling to do so in his first season in professional baseball. He has above-average power potential at the plate overall, and projects to have excellent power to all fields. Standing 6’4’’ and weighing 210 pounds, Anderson also has the potential to fill out his frame a bit more and add even more power to his game. His swing looks ready-made for Fenway Park, and he should be able to use the left-field wall to his advantage routinely. In the field, Anderson digs throws out of the dirt well and has improved around the bag since signing with the Red Sox. He projects to be an average to slightly above-average defender at the major league level. After making it to Double-A in his second full season in the system in 2008, Anderson produced nice results at Portland and was able to adjust well to the advanced pitching of the EL. A hard worker and a player that takes direction well, he has rapidly taken to the Red Sox philosophies on hitting.

Development Needs: Anderson can sometimes be too patient at the plate, and the Red Sox would like to see him expand his strike zone a bit more as he progresses up the ranks to limit the number of times he is called out on strikes. This improved for him in 2008, but he will still need to continue to improve as he pushes to the big league level. At twenty-one years of age, Anderson has excellent power potential but he has just begun to tap into it. He struggles a bit with balls on the inside third of the plate, and could stand to pull the ball a bit more. With the adjustments he has already been working on in this area, Anderson should see an increase in power and a climb in his home run totals. Anderson already piles up doubles, and the Red Sox are confident that some of these balls will carry out of the ballpark as he learns to lift the ball more while dropping the head of the bat on inside pitches. His work around the bag has improved, but he still isn’t as fluid as he can be in the field. As he progresses in his development, he’ll need to improve defensively to show he can handle the job at the big league level. Anderson is very advanced for a player at his age, and most of his needed development is in the finer points of being a baseball player.

2009 Outlook: Anderson spent some time in the big league camp this spring and struggled a bit against the advanced pitching. He is set to break camp with the Portland Sea Dogs and play first base on an everyday basis. Look for Anderson to pick up right where he left off in 2008 and improve some more on the excellent results he displayed last season. The main area to watch for is how hitting for power translates more into his game. A sign of positive development will be for him to pull the ball with more power and authority while increasing his home run rates. Anderson should maintain a high contact rate along with his high on-base percentage in 2009. After logging 133 at-bats last season with Portland, expect him to get another 300 or so this season in Double-A to get a good idea of how he is developing. There is no rush to get Anderson into the lineup at this point in time, so the Red Sox can be patient with him and allow him to fully develop at the minor league level. In an ideal scenario, look for Anderson to make a September cameo with Boston this season and come into camp in 2010 with a shot to push into the lineup. The future looks bright for Anderson, and 2009 will be a season of working to realize all of these projections.

Justin Hedrick signed to minor league deal

Matt Eddy of Baseball America is reporting that the Red Sox have signed former Northeastern University standout Justin Hedrick to a minor league contract. The big 26-year-old righthander was released last week after spending the 2008 season in the Giants organization at Double-A Connecticut, pitching to a 2-3 record with 9 saves, a 1.37 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 43 appearances out of the bullpen. He held righthanded batters to a .150 batting average while walking 21 in 65.2 innings of work. Originally a sixth round pick by the Giants in the 2004 draft, Hedrick owns a career minor league record of 16-19 with 28 saves, a 2.39 ERA and 379 strikeouts in 316.2 innings pitched.

2009 Prospect Previews: Daniel Bard and Josh Reddick

This installment of the Prospect Previews series features a relief pitcher on the cusp of contributing to the major league team in 2009, and an outfielder looking to fine tune his skills in order to break into the Red Sox lineup in the near future.

Daniel Bard

Position: Relief Pitcher
2008 Teams: Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Teams: Pawtucket Red Sox/Boston Red Sox

Strengths: Bard’s high-octane fastball is the best offering in his arsenal and a dominant plus pitch. Working out of a free and easy delivery, the ball explodes out of his hand to overpower hitters. Sitting in the high-90’s, Bard can reach back to top 100 MPH with what seems like relative ease. After working on his arm slot prior to the 2008 season, Bard developed some more movement on this offering to make it that much more difficult for batters to square up. When his fastball is down in the zone and he is on top of the pitch, it has extremely hard, downward movement and batters have a tough time handling it in general. When the pitch is up and out of the strike zone, batters have trouble getting on top of it. Upon arriving at Portland after a tune up with Greenville, he dominated the competition by striking out more than a batter an inning and scattering hits in his outings. Bard suffered through severe control problems as a starter in 2007, but he came back in 2008 in a bullpen role to have a strong season. His improvement has been dramatic and he is back on track to make an impact at the major league level after a disastrous first professional season. Bard projects as a dominant set-up man in the majors, and he could be a potential closer with some more sharpening of his arsenal.

Development Needs: Bard’s secondary pitches could use some more polish before he arrives at the major league level. When he first entered the Red Sox organization, he featured a curveball and change-up. His curveball was more of a slurve—one of the rolling variety—while his change-up lacked deception. In 2008, Bard scrapped his curveball in favor of a mid-80’s slider The pitch has looked above-average at times, but there is still some inconsistency in the offering and he will need to sharpen it in order to throw it more for strikes. Improving this pitch would keep Bard from having to throw fastball after fastball. Bard struggled with his confidence in his first season and will need to keep himself from getting too bogged down given the up/down nature of a baseball season. However, Bard has shown a lot of improvement in this area in the past year plus and has been developing more of an aggressive demeanor when he is on the mound. Lacking a strong third pitch, his path to the majors likely lies in the bullpen and limits the possibility of the Red Sox moving him back into the rotation down the line. He’s seemed to get over the control and command issues he faced in the past, but more improvement on these areas will be a need as he works his way up to the Boston roster. Bard can sometimes lose his release point through rushing his delivery, which causes him to miss high and to the arm side. He has been working to slow things down this spring with excellent results so far.

2009 Outlook: Bard finished up a strong spring in the major league camp as a non-roster invitee and looks poised to break camp with the Pawtucket Red Sox. Watch for Bard to continue to overpower batters with his fastball at this level. One of the main areas to key in on for this season is how well his slider improves and whether it becomes a strong complimentary pitch. Consistency with this pitch should lead to excellent results for Bard and a chance at a call-up to the major league level some time in the summer. Look for Bard to catch the strike zone with his slider and to fool hitters that cannot distinguish between the pitch and his fastball as signs of positive development. Another area to watch is how well his command and control improve during the season. Having seemingly overcome his prior struggles, keeping a consistent delivery will be a good sign that Bard is on his way to becoming a dominant bullpen arm. Bard is on the cusp of a great 2009 season, one that didn’t seem likely after the 2007 season. His success so far is a testament to his talent and determination to turn things around.

Josh Reddick

Position: Outfield
2008 Team: Greenville Drive, Lancaster Jethawks, and Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: Reddick combines a high contact rate with above-average power at the plate. Hitting from the left-side, he has a smooth swing that generates max lift as he whips the bat through the zone. The ball jumps off his bat upon contact, and he has a knack for getting the bat on the ball consistently to produce low strikeout rates. Reddick’s hand-eye coordination enables him to get the bat on a lot of pitches that other hitters would have trouble handling. Pitchers struggle getting fastballs by Reddick, and he is very adept at turning on the ball on the inside third of the plate where he displays the most power. Since joining the organization, Reddick has been one of the leading hitters at every level he has played at, and his home run totals display the type of power he has despite his wiry frame. He still has the potential to add more strength and power to his game. Reddick is capable of manning all three outfield positions, but seems best suited for right field because of his above-average range and strong, accurate arm. Reddick has led in the organization in outfield assists since he arrived, and he isn’t afraid to show off his arm. Selected in the 17th round of the 2006 draft out of Middle Georgia, he has burst onto the scene and positioned himself as one of the top prospects in the Red Sox organization.

Development Needs: Reddick is extremely aggressive at the plate and the Red Sox have worked hard with him to improve on his patience. He doesn’t project as a hitter that will walk very much, but the organization would like to see him be a bit more selective as he moves into the advanced ranks of the system. Things caught up with Reddick a bit after his promotion to Portland and he struggled with the advanced pitching of the EL. He struck out much more frequently at this level, and this tendency carried over to the AFL as well. However, Reddick is still young and somewhat of a raw hitter, and he seems to be more keen on working on the Red Sox patient approach after initially showing some resistance to the philosophy. The main area of improvement for him is to focus on which pitches he can handle, attacking the ones he can drive to all fields. Reddick can get pull-happy and needs to look to drive the ball a bit more to left field. He also struggles with breaking pitches when he gets too far out front and tries to jerk them, but he had a much more relaxed and patient approach during his time in the major league camp. Reddick’s success at the major league level and how much of an impact he will have strongly hinges on his ability to sharpen his approach at the plate. He’s shown the skills and talent throughout his minor league career, and now he needs to round out some of the finer points of hitting.

2009 Outlook: After a strong major league camp that drew praise from Red Sox coaches and officials, Reddick is set to begin the 2009 season with the Portland Sea Dogs. Expect him to be a lot more comfortable with Eastern League pitching after his initial exposure. The main area of development to watch for is how well he improves his approach during the season. Signs of positive development will be an increase in his walks and driving the ball to all fields at this level. When things come together, expect Reddick to continue putting up the outstanding results he produced prior to his 96 at-bat stint with the Sea Dogs. Look for Reddick to continue to play a solid right field and display the type of arm that base runners respect. As a player that can flat out hit, there is every reason to believe that he can make the needed adjustments in his game and further push himself toward cracking the Red Sox lineup in the future. 2009 is shaping up to be a challenging season of development and adjustment for Reddick, but one that has already begun with his work in the spring. Despite some growing pains, Reddick’s progress should continue when the regular season begins.

April 2 Fort Report - Final rosters coming into shape

As the big club wraps up Grapefruit League play today and prepares to head north, the minor leaguers won't be far behind. Over the last week, the minor leaguers have been loosely separated into affiliate rosters. The minor league clubs have two more games left in Ft. Myers, wrapping up game action on Friday. The Sox will then hold a camp day on Saturday for all of the minor leaguers, at which time final rosters will likely be set and the players will need to make final arrangements for travel to their assigned cities. Each of Pawtucket, Portland, Salem, and Greenville open their seasons one week from today on Thursday, April 9.

While there will surely be a few minor tweaks in the coming days, and certain of our projections are still speculative at this point, the 2009 rosters are coming to light. Zach Daeges looks like he could start the season in Pawtucket. Daniel Nava is suffering from a minor oblique injury, and could start the season on the DL. Jason Place is battling for a spot in Portland, but more than likely will break camp with Salem after missing time this spring with an ankle injury. Oscar Tejeda looks headed to Greenville to start the year, and Derrik Gibson will likely start the season in XST, possibly tabbed for Lowell. Among players we won't be seeing on the 2009 rosters are Steve Green and Javier Garcia, who were both released, and Brian Steinocher, who retired earlier this week.

As of this morning, there is still a surplus of about sixteen minor league players in the organization at the Low-A level or above, as compared to the number rosters spots at each level. This means that there are likely to be a few additional cuts. Additionally, some of those players could be held back in XST on the taxi-squad. In the past, the team has typically kept around ten players back in XST (above and beyond rehabbing players and the players actually slated for Lowell and the GCL) to be assigned to affiliates in the event of injuries. Look for the team to do the same this season.

2009 Prospect Previews: Watch List Part II

This installment of the Prospect Previews series is a continuation of the Watch List, highlighting some of the newer/ rehabilitating prospects within the organization while giving an outlook on some of the things to expect in the upcoming season.

Austin Bailey

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Team: Greenville Drive
2009 Projected Team: Extended Spring Training/Greenville

2009 Outlook: Bailey suffered a shoulder injury last season to his labrum and only pitched 4.2 innings with the Greenville Drive in 2008. With an exploding fastball in the low 90’s and a hard breaking slider that falls off the table, his repertoire was impressive last spring prior to his injury, which led to him breaking camp in full-season baseball. After an extensive rehab, Bailey is back on the mound and throwing this spring and will most likely stay back in Florida to continue to build arm strength prior to joining the Greenville Drive. Look for him to continue his aggressive approach, attacking hitters once he gets more and more comfortable on the mound. Prior to his injury, Bailey’s change-up was beginning to round into form and show some potential as another weapon for him. One of the main things to look for is how that pitch is going to come along after suffering his injury. His command and control should also come back around after he shakes off some of the rust. Standing at 6’1’’ and 195 pounds, Bailey has the frame to add a little more life to his fastball, but again, this is something that hinges on how well he can come back from his injury. 2009 looks to be a new beginning for Bailey and a season of getting his comfort level back to push his development back to where it was at the start of last season.

Tyler Yockey

Position: Outfield
2008 Team: Gulf Coast Red Sox
2009 Projected Lowell Spinners

2009 Outlook: This outfield prospect features high power potential from the left side of the plate. Yockey attacks the ball with an uppercut swing and generates a lot of lift through the ball, while finishing around his back with his follow through. He’s pretty adept at using his lower body at this stage in his development and can turn on pitches well. With a lot of extension, the ball arcs off his bat when he makes solid contact. Look for Yockey to man a spot in the outfield for the Lowell Spinners in 2009. One of the main things to watch for is whether he is going to be able to make enough consistent contact to tap into his strong power potential. Yockey struck out with great frequency in the GCL after signing last season, and this is an area of needed improvement for him to be successful going forward. A raw hitter overall, Yockey’s plate discipline and patience are also target areas for improvement. His command of the strike zone reflects his stage of development, but this is a skill that should improve with more and more at-bats against professional pitching. Yockey has the skills to become a power threat, but look for 2009 to be a season of honing his approach to tap into that potential down the road.


Roman Mendez

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Team: Dominican Summer Red Sox
2009 Projected Team: Lowell Spinners

2009 Outlook: After spending his first season of professional baseball in the DSL, Mendez has a strong chance of bypassing the GCL and starting the 2009 season with the Lowell Spinners. This hard throwing right-handed starting pitcher sits 92-94 MPH and can dial it up to 96 MPH when he reaches back with his fastball. The pitch has shown good life and projects as an above-average pitch for him down the line. Mendez struck out close to a batter an inning in 2008 while also limiting hard contact. Standing at 6’2’’ and 180 pounds, he has some room on his frame to fill out and possibly add some more zip to his fastball. Because he is on the light side, he will need to put on weight to be able to hold up over the course of a full season’s workload. Look for Mendez to work on the command of his fastball in 2009. Like a lot of young pitchers, he’ll face the same adjustments moving up the ranks in regards to keeping the ball down and pitching to spots rather than trying to just throw balls by batters. Another main area to watch for is the development of his secondary offerings, which he didn’t feature all that much in 2008. Turning nineteen years old in July of this season, Mendez is a young and raw arm looking to begin his transition to the United States. He has a lot of upside, but also a lot of development in front of him. This season should prove to challenge him, and he will be working towards making a full-season roster in 2010.

Ryan Colvin

Position: Pitcher
2008 Team: Greenville Drive
2009 Projected Team: Extended Spring Training/Greenville Drive

2009 Outlook: Colvin began the season strong with the Greenville Drive, but hit a rough patch and was initially shut down with shoulder tendinitis in July. After further tests, it was found that he had a Bankhart Lesion in his pitching shoulder and he underwent shoulder surgery in the off-season. Featuring a fastball that tops out around 94 MPH, he’s often able to overpower batters. Colvin also can run his fastball when he throws it across the seams, which allows him to be effective against left-handed batters. A hard, breaking slider and a developing change-up round out his arsenal of pitches. Look for Colvin to continue his rehab back in Florida after teams break for the full-season schedule, with the possibility of getting back into game action sometime in July. He’s been making good progress in his rehab and will begin a throwing program in the coming weeks. 2009 will be a season of getting back to the mound for Colvin and developing the arm strength to make his return. Expect Colvin to throw some rehab innings and then rejoin the Drive when he is at full strength. One of the main areas to watch for when he makes it back to game action is further development of his change-up. Once he gets his feel back for the pitch, it should regain its deception and continue to be an improving offering that he can work into counts to keep batters off-balance, complimenting his fastball and slider. Colvin has had some tough luck since joining the organization, and last year’s injury was a setback in what was looking like a break-through season for him. 2009 will prove to be a challenging year of rehab for Colvin, but one which should see the pitcher return to action and resume his development within the organization.

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