Podcast Ep. #296: 20th Anniversary Special, Pt. 2

Our celebration continues for one more episode, as the full SoxProspects Brass of Mike, Chris, Ian and James gathers to talk about 20 years of SoxProspects. Plus, Mike and Chris got on the line with former Director of Scouting Chris Mellen!

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Podcast Ep. #295: 20th Anniversary Special, Pt. 1

Yep, that's right, this past week, SoxProspects.com celebrated its 20th anniversary! In Part 1 of our special podcast, Chris is joined by site founder and Editor-in-Chief Mike Andrews. The two discussed the origins of the site, the Forum, the News Page, the podcast, and more great stories from the site's history. At the end of the episode, they were joined by Baltimore Banner Orioles columnist and, more importantly, former SoxProspects staffer Jon Meoli to discuss his time at the site and his launch into the big-time as one of the best follows on the Orioles beat and the writer for Baseball America's Orioles prospect list in the Prospect Handbook. Keep an eye out for Part 2 later this week!

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Cup of Coffee: Abreu homers in Boston; Worcester's season finale called off due to rain

9/25 Cup of Coffee: Mother Nature got in the way for Worcester and Lehigh Valley yet again, as the IronPigs had to call off their regular season finale against the WooSox on account of rainy conditions within the vicinity of Coca-Cola Park.

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Worcester Red Sox @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) (cancelled)

For the second year in a row, Worcester's last game of the season was cancelled due to inclement weather on the road. It will not be made up. As such, the WooSox finish the 2023 campaign with a final record of 79-68 under Chad Tracy. They went 39-36 in the first half and 40-32 in the second half but ultimately fell short of securing a spot in the International League playoffs.

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Cup of Coffee: Rain cancels season's penultimate contest

9/24 Cup of Coffee

Worcester Red Sox @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI), canceled

Worcester ended Lehigh Valley's playoff hopes on Friday, so the teams will not have to make up Saturday's rainout. They'll finish out the season on Sunday if the weather allows. 

If you need to fill the void left by the lack of games to be recapped, please check out the recent piece on the history of SoxProspects.com by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Photo Credit: Manuel Margot by Kelly O'Connor

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Cup of Coffee: Sogard's three hits support strong start for Walter

9/23 Cup of Coffee: Nick Sogard (pictured) flirted with a cycle, and Brandon Walter tossed five strong innings in a one-run victory for Worcester. 

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Worcester Red Sox 3, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 2

Brandon Walter improved to 3-5 as he ended his season on a high note. Walter allowed one run over five innings, striking out four without walking a batter. Joely Rodríguez threw a shutout inning in his second rehab appearance, and Luis Guerrero picked up his first save for Worcester. Guerrero did make things interesting by walking two batters and allowing a single, but he got a strikeout with two runners on to end the game. Nick Sogard had three of the team's seven hits and scored all three of their runs, going 3 for 4 with a walk, double, and triple. He stole a base for good measure. Ronaldo Hernández went 1 for 3 and was hit by two pitches. 

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Cup of Coffee: McDonough, Kavadas lead offense, quintet combines for two-hitter

9/22 Cup of Coffee: Despite being eliminated themselves, the WooSox were able to play a key role in shaping the International League playoff picture with a victory over second-place Lehigh Valley.

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Worcester Red Sox 3. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 1

Worcester was able to play spoiler on Thursday night, helping to cut Durham's (TB) magic number to one in the International League playoff hunt. Niko Kavadas kicked off the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning. Tyler McDonough (pictured) went 2 for 3 with a triple and a run scored. The utility man got the start at second base and is 3 for 5 since joining Worcester at the close of the Double-A season. A quintet of pitchers split up the work on the two-hit victory. Chase Shugart got the spot start, going 2 1/3 hitless innings, striking out two and walking three. Justin Hagenman got credit for the win, following Shugart with 2 2/3 frames of shutout ball. Ryan Fernandez surrendered the IronPigs' only score. Joe Jacques walked one and struck out two in a pair of hitless frames, and AJ Politi also did not allow a hit in the ninth on his way to his 15th save of the year.

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Cup of Coffee: Kavadas records two hits as Worcester falls to Lehigh Valley

9/21 Cup of Coffee: After Greenville took home its second South Atlantic League title on Tuesday, Worcester was the only one of Boston's minor-league affiliates in action on Wednesday night. Niko Kavadas (pictured) drove in his side's lone run as the WooSox fell to Lehigh Valley by a final score of 12-1 at Coca-Cola Park.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 12, Worcester Red Sox 1

It was a rough night for the pitching staff as Worcester dropped its second straight to Lehigh Valley. Brian Van Belle got the start and allowed four earned runs on three hits, five walks (tying a season-high), and four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings of work. Of the 88 pitches the right-hander threw, 46 went for strikes and 10 elicited a swing-and-miss. Oddanier Mosqueda received the first call out of the WooSox bullpen and did not fare much better, surrendering four more runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. The rehabbing Zack Kelly gave up a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth before Brendan Nail recorded the final two outs of the inning. From there, Bryan Mata yielded two runs in his second appearance back from the injured list while Logan Gillaspie scattered three hits and a walk across 1 1/3 scoreless frames.

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Cup of Coffee: Drive win second SAL championship in franchise history

9/20 Cup of Coffee: This night was about the Greenville Drive, who celebrate their second South Atlantic League championship. They finished off a dominant playoff run, led by 2023 draft pick Kristian Campbell (pictured). It was a full team effort, as the rest of the offense played well and all three pitchers had great nights. Stephen Scott went deep for Worcester in their loss to Lehigh Valley. 

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 4, Worcester Red Sox 3

Stephen Scott had a nice night for the WooSox, hitting his 13th home run of the year with Worcester and 19th overall this season. He also drew a walk and raised his OPS to .822 in 60 games for Worcester. Corey Rosier had a couple of hits, including a double, and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Ronaldo Hernandez added a double as well. Kyle Barraclough started and labored through four innings. He walked seven and allowed five hits, but limited the damage to just two runs. He also stuck out five. Cam Booser had a great night in relief, tossing 1 2/3 shutout innings with three strikeouts and no walks. 

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Minor Notes: Greenville advances to championship series, Chaim Bloom fired

Even though the end of the minor league season for the Boston organization is likely on Sunday, there has still been plenty of goings on around the system, as Greenville moved past Hickory in two games in the division series and is now one win away from a South Atlantic League championship over Hudson Valley. That's not even the biggest news, as the Red Sox are searching for a new head of baseball operations, with the news that Chaim Bloom was fired on Thursday.

Chaim Bloom, Red Sox part ways

It was quite the bombshell on Thursday, as Red Sox ownership announced just prior to the start of a doubleheader against the Yankees that Chaim Bloom had been fired as Chief Baseball Officer. Bloom had been hired in 2019, seemingly as a direct response to the freewheeling and big spending ways of the Dave Dombrowski era, as he had built the Rays into a perennial contender through drafting and developing inexpensive talent.

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Cup of Coffee: Esplin tallies 7 RBIs in Portland; Perales leads Greenville to Game 1 win

9/18 Cup of Coffee: Sunday's slate featured a pair of high-scoring affairs for Worcester and Portland and a playoff win for Greenville. Niko Kavadas and Nick Sogard powered the WooSox to an 11-5 victory in their final game of the season at Polar Park. Up the road at Hadlock Field, Tyler Dearden and Tyler Esplin (pictured) combined for seven hits and 13 RBIs as the Sea Dogs blew the doors off Hartford. The Drive, meanwhile, received a quality start from Luis Perales to take a 1-0 lead over Hudson Valley in the South Atlantic League Championship Series.

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Worcester Red Sox 11, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 5

The WooSox came away with a series-splitting victory in their final home game of the season at Polar Park. Five members of Worcester's starting lineup enjoyed multi-hit days at the plate. Nick Sogard paced the group by going 3 for 5 with a double, a home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Enmanuel Valdez and Ronaldo Hernandez each went 2 for 4 in the process of combining for two RBIs, six runs scored, and two walks. Batting behind them, Corey Rosier doubled and drove in a run as part of his first two-hit showing at the Triple-A level. Like Sogard, Niko Kavadas provided some pop by going 2 for 5 with a two-run single and a three-run home run that travelled an estimated 447 feet over the Worcester Wall. David Hamilton reached base twice and swiped one bag to bring his season total to 57.

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Cup of Coffee: Koss records two hits; Kelly and Ort make rehab appearances for Worcester

9/17 Cup of Coffee: With Greenville preparing for the South Atlantic League Championship and Portland dealing with the aftereffects of some pretty severe weather, Worcester was the only affiliate in action on Saturday. Christian Koss (pictured) had a strong day at the plate and Rio Gomez strung together an impressive outing on the mound, but the WooSox ultimately fell to Syracuse by a final score of 7-2 at Polar Park. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 7, Worcester Red Sox 2

Corey Kluber was originally scheduled to make a rehab start for Worcester on Saturday but was instead scratched as a result of being shut down for the remainder of the season. In his place, Rio Gomez put forth a solid effort. The 28-year-old lefty allowed only two earned runs on six hits (one home run), two walks, and five strikeouts over five innings of work. He finished with 86 pitches (56 strikes) and induced nine swings-and-misses. In relief of Gomez, the rehabbing duo of Zack Kelly and Kaleb Ort each made appearances out of the WooSox bullpen. The former took the loss after serving up a two-run homer in the top of the sixth. The latter retired the only three batters he faced in a scoreless top of the eighth. Additionally, Chase Shugart was tagged for three runs in the seventh inning while Ryan Fernandez put up a zero in the ninth.

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Cup of Coffee: Van Belle strikes out nine; Dalbec drives in two

9/16 Cup of Coffee: With Greenville off until Sunday, Worcester and Portland were the only two affiliates in action on Friday. Brian Van Belle had one of his best starts of the year, with Nick Sogard and Bobby Dalbec providing clutch hits. It was a low-scoring game in Portland, though Tyler McDonough was on base three times. 

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Worcester Red Sox 5, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 3

Brian Van Belle struck out nine over six innings of two-run ball in a win for Worcester. Justin Garza and Logan Gillaspie tossed scoreless innings as they picked up a hold and a save, respectively. Worcester scored all five runs in the third inning, with Nick Sogard lacing a two-run single and Bobby Dalbec adding a two-run double. Corey Rosier went 1 for 3 with a double, David Hamilton stole his 56th base, and Enmanuel Valdez drew three walks. 

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Cup of Coffee: Teel blasts first Double-A homer; Monegro sends Drive to SAL finals

9/15 Cup of Coffee: The Greenville Drive are headed to the South Atlantic League championship after sweeping Hickory in the best-of-three series. Yordanny Monegro (pictured) was excellent on the mound and Eddinson Paulino delivered the key hit to propel the Drive to victory. Both teams still playing out the regular-season schedule dropped their contests on Thursday. Kyle Teel delivered his first Double-A home run in Portland's loss, while Worcester continues to slip out of the International League playoff picture. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 8, Worcester Red Sox 5

With scheduled starter Brandon Walter joining the major league squad, the WooSox turned to a bullpen game to try to avoid a second straight loss at Polar Park. Oddanier Mosqueda got the first call, giving up three runs on five hits in two innings, including a pair of round-trippers. Brendan Nail was Worceter's most effective hurler, going two hitless innings with a walk and a strikeout. David Hamilton led the offense, going 2 for 4 with a run scored and a pair of RBI. Enmanuel Valdez singled and drew a pair of walks on the night.

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Podcast Ep. #294: Chaim Bloom Fired

Sound the emergency podcast alarm - the Red Sox announced on Thursday they've parted ways with CBO Chaim Bloom. Chris and Ian got on the horn for an episode discussing the move, Bloom's tenure, and what's next for the franchise. (Production Note: Chris may not have had the right microphone on - apologies for the sound quality.)

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Cup of Coffee: Dearden, Hickey lead offensive surge in Portland

9/14 Cup of Coffee: Since Greenville was idle, it was a tale of two cities for Boston's minor-league affiliates on Wednesday. In Worcester, Kyle Barraclough was hit with his first losing decision at the Triple-A level since last July as the WooSox fell to Syracuse. Up the road in Portland, Zack Kelly continued his rehab assignment while Roman Anthony, Tyler Dearden, Nathan Hickey (pictured), and Kyle Teel all had productive nights at the plate in the Sea Dogs' blowout win over Hartford.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 7, Worcester Red Sox 1

Kyle Barraclough suffered his first loss as a member of the WooSox. Making his 12th start of the season for Worcester on Wednesday night, the journeyman right-hander allowed six earned runs on four hits, four walks, and one hit-by-pitch with eight strikeouts over just 3 2/3 innings of work. In relief of Barraclough, Justin Hagenman scattered two hits and two walks across 3 1/3 scoreless frames. Ryan Fernandez then worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning before yielding one run on two hits and a walk in the top of the ninth.

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Cup of Coffee: Kavadas homers twice; Portland rallies; Drive win playoff game

9/13 Cup of Coffee: It was an exciting night for the system, as all three teams in action won. Greenville won their first playoff game behind some great pitching. Niko Kavadas (pictured) blasted two home runs in Worcester's 10-run effort. Hunter Dobbins pitched well for the Sea Dogs before Nathan Hickey led a huge late-inning comeback. 

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 2

Niko Kavadas led the way, going 2 for 4 with a pair of home runs. The left-handed slugger hit a solo shot in the fourth inning and then a two-run homer in the seventh. Narciso Crook had a big night, belting a solo home run in addition to drawing two walks. Christian Koss also went 1 for 4 with the first Triple-A home run of his career. Stephen Scott and Bobby Dalbec each doubled and drove in a couple of runs, while Ronaldo Hernandez went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Corey Kluber got the start in this one, making it his third appearance of the year for Worcester. The righty did now allow a run in 2 2/3 frames with two strikeouts and no walks. Shane Drohan picked up the win in relief with one of the craziest outings you'll see. He pitched 3 2/3 innings and walked seven batters, but somehow managed to escape with no runs allowed, as he did not surrender a base hit. He added three strikeouts. Chase Shugart tossed 1 1/3 shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts. 

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Minor Notes: Mayer shut down; Meidroth and Troye shine for Portland

As the minor-league season draws to a close, the Red Sox have kept plenty busy in recent weeks. In the last seven days, the organization's top prospect has been shut down due to an elbow injury, two fast-rising prospects debuted at a new level, and two of the hardest-throwing relief prospects earned some recognition in different ways. We will get into all of that and more. 

Salem's season comes to an end; Greenville prepares for playoffs

The final two games of Salem's season were rained out and will not be made up. With a second-half record of 25-39 and a final record of 55-27, the Red Sox failed to qualify for postseason play. The Carolina Mudcats (MIL) and Down East Wood Ducks (TEX) will instead represent the North division in the Carolina League playoffs.

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony rips three doubles, Yorke steals three bases for Portland

9/11 Cup of Coffee: With the Low-A and High-A regular seasons coming to a close, Sunday marked the final time this year all four of Boston's minor-league affiliates will be in action on the same day. Worcester salvaged its series against Gwinnett behind a strong offensive performance from Narciso Crook. Roman Anthony (pictured) and Blaze Jordan combined for six hits as Portland made the most of a rain-filled day in Reading. On the flip side, Greenville will limp into the Southern League playoffs after getting swept by Aberdeen while Salem saw its season end in anticlimactic fashion.

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Worcester Red Sox 6, Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 4

A five-run fourth inning lifted Worcester to a series-splitting win over Gwinnett on Sunday afternoon. Narciso Crook led the way offensively, going 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI double out of the nine-hole. Niko Kavadas and Bradley Zimmer each recorded run-scoring doubles as well while Ronaldo Hernandez plated a pair with his 15th two-bagger of the year. David Hamilton and the rehabbing Pablo Reyes each went 1 for 4 with a stolen base. Hamilton -- who also drew a walk -- brought his season total up to 55 while Reyes -- who scored a run -- played six innings of second base before making way for Nick Sogard.

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Cup of Coffee: WooSox fall despite Dalbec heroics; Anthony notches two doubles

9/10 Cup of Coffee: It was a tough, rainy day down on the farm on Saturday. The only two teams that completed contests suffered defeats. Bobby Dalbec (pictured) nearly knocked off Gwinnett single-handedly, but the Stripers walked off with the win. Greenville fell to its fifth straight loss in its final series of the regular season. The rain had more success slowing down Wikelman Gonzalez and Roman Anthony than Reading did, as storms came through in the fourth inning and necessitated a suspension until Sunday. Salem's contest was canceled due to the rain.

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Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 3, Worcester Red Sox 2

Despite not generating a hit through the first six innings, Worcester actually carried a lead into the bottom of the ninth before suffering their second walk-off in three days. Bobby Dalbec snapped the no-hit bid with a single to lead off the seventh inning, and he later gave the WooSox a 2-1 lead with a solo homer to start the ninth. In between a Niko Kavadas solo shot spoiled the Gwinnett shutout bid. On for the ninth to try to close out the win, Luis Guerrero saw his control abandon him. He walked the first four batters he faced, forcing in a run to tie the game at 2-2. A 6-2 force out erased what would have been the winning run, but the next batter delivered the walk-off base hit. Before Guerrero's struggles, a quintet of veteran hurlers had limited the Stripers to one run on six hits. Corey Kluber made the rehab start, going one inning, striking out one batter and inducing groundouts to the other two. 

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Podcast Ep. #293: A visit to Greenville

Ian sat in on a full series down in lovely Greenville (thanks again for all your support, generous donors!) and has plenty to report back! Check in here for a full set of reports from the High-A affiliate, plus thoughts on Ceddanne Rafaela in Boston, Marcelo Mayer being done for the year, and your emails!

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony hits first Double-A home run; Teel continues to shine

9/9 Cup of Coffee: As the end of the regular season draws near, Worcester and Portland have seen their playoff chances dwindle. Worcester got reinforcements, with Pablo Reyes starting a rehab assignment, and Roman Anthony and Chase Meidroth helped Portland with home runs. Yordanny Monegro had an up-and-down start for Greenville, while Albertson Asigen had another good game for Salem. 

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Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 7, Worcester Red Sox 1

The WooSox dropped their second game in a row and are now four out of a playoff spot with eight games left. The Worcester pitching staff racked up 12 strikeouts but also surrendered 11 hits. Brian Van Belle went the first four innings and allowed three runs, and Chase Shugart allowed two runs over two innings. Pablo Reyes started a rehab assignment and went 1 for 3 with a throwing error. Nick Sogard went 1 for 3 with a walk, and Ronaldo Hernández went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly. 

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Cup of Coffee: Duffy rebounds with strong start in Salem

9/8 Cup of Coffee: It was a tough night on the farm, as all three affiliates who completed their contests fell, two in walk-off fashion. Both Worcester and Greenville had rallied from behind in the late innings just to suffer losses in the bottom of the ninth. Salem did not lead at any point in its defeat, but it did feature a strong start by the system's highest-selected pitcher of the July draft, Matt Duffy (pictured). Portland's game was suspended when storms rolled through Reading with the Sea Dogs trailing headed into the third. 

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Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 5, Worcester Red Sox 4

Worcester fell in the bottom of the ninth of Thursday's back-and-forth contest. All of the WooSox scoring came via the long ball. Bobby Dalbec and Narciso Crook both hit solo homers, and Niko Kavadas delivered a two-run blast in the eighth to give his team a short-lived 4-3 advantage. It was the 32nd homer of the season for Dalbec, but just his second since August 13. He now is just one off of the league lead in home runs. Christian Koss reached base three times, going 2 for 2 with a hit batsman. Kyle Barraclough allowed three runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out five but walking six. Luis Guerrero was a highlight in his Triple-A debut, striking out two of the three batters he faced in a scoreless eighth. Ryan Fernandez took the loss, surrendering two runs (one earned) in 2/3 of an inning. 

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Cup of Coffee: Murphy, Zimmer propel Worcester; Anderson has first multi-hit game

9/7 Cup of Coffee: As the big-league club dropped another series to Tampa Bay, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 2-2 on Wednesday. Chris Murphy (pictured) and Bradley Zimmer delivered for Worcester in a comeback victory over Gwinnett. Though Portland fell to Reading, Kyle Teel recorded his second RBI in as many days for the Sea Dogs. In Greenville's loss to Aberdeen, Zach Penrod proved that he was indeed human after getting his organizational tenure off to a blazing start. In Salem, the likes of Antonio Anderson, Albertson Asigen, and Jhostynxon Garcia led the Red Sox to a commanding win over Carolina. 

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Worcester Red Sox 3, Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 2

A three-run fifth-inning lifted Worcester to a come-from-behind win over Gwinnett. Held hitless to that point in the contest, Bradley Zimmer followed a Narciso Crook leadoff walk by cranking a game-tying, two-run homer for his fifth big fly with the WooSox. Five batters and one pitching change later, Bobby Dalbec came through with a go-ahead, RBI single that scored David Hamilton and gave the visitors a 3-2 lead. In addition to scoring what would prove to be the winning run, Hamilton drew three walks and stole his 54th base of the season. Ryan Fitzgerald also swiped a bag while Stephen Scott drew two walks for the second straight night.

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Cup of Coffee: Teel, Anthony pick up hits in Portland debuts

9/6 Cup of Coffee: Worcester was the lone winner of the night, and it did so in dramatic fashion, erasing a three-run deficit in the ninth inning. For the Sea Dogs, it was the first Double-A action in the careers of Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony, who both grabbed their first hit. Portland and Worcester saw some great performances out of the bullpen as well. 

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Worcester Red Sox 6, Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 5

The Sox came storming back with four runs in the ninth inning to steal a win in exciting fashion. In the inning, David Hamilton singled home Christian Koss, who lead off with a double. Then, the game was tied when two runs scored on a fielder's choice error off the bat of Stephen Scott. Ronaldo Hernandez then knocked in what would turn out to be the game-winning run with a single. Hamilton had another hit as well and scored a run. Nick Sogard also went 2 for 4, Bradley Zimmer roped a triple, and Niko Kavadas singled and drew a walk. Rio Gomez struggled on the mound, giving up five earned run over 4 1/3 frames with three strikeouts and two walks. The Sox bullpen was great, starting with Justin Hagenman, who did not allow a run or a hit with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Brendan Nail pitched a hitless inning, and Justin Garza tossed two innings without surrendering a run or a hit. 

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Minor Notes: Anthony and Teel promoted to Portland; Gonzalez continues to impress

With the injuries to Marcelo Mayer and Miguel Bleis, and Ceddanne Rafaela seeing sporadic playing time in Boston, Roman Anthony (pictured, right) and Kyle Teel have been the two must-follow prospects in the system of late. Both will be heading to Portland to finish off the season. Elsewhere, a pair of talented prospects joined Boston after rosters expanded, and Zach Penrod made a great first impression in August.

Anthony and Teel promoted to Portland

Two of the system's top-five prospects got promoted to Portland, with Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel heading north for the last two weeks of the season. The Sea Dogs are unlikely to make the playoffs, and the regular season will end on September 17. Anthony tore through the South Atlantic League, batting .294/.412/.569 with 12 home runs in 54 games. The only hole you can poke in his stats is his strikeout rate of 30%, which may be problematic as he moves into the upper minors. But the 19-year-old impressed fans and scouts with his brilliant play with the Drive.

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August Players of the Month: Wilyer Abreu and Brandon Walter

A pair of prospects on the 40-man roster took home the awards for August on account of what they did in Worcester. Wilyer Abreu (pictured, left) and Brandon Walter (pictured, bottom right) had months to remember both on and off the field, as the former made his major-league debut and the latter leveraged his performance on the mound into a September call-up.

Abreu's selection should come as no surprise considering the fact he earned Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks (Aug. 7-13, 14-20). In 17 games for the WooSox last month, the left-handed hitting outfielder slashed a ridiculous .424/.528/.949 (252 wRC+) with four doubles, nine home runs, 25 RBIs, 18 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 10 strikeouts over 72 plate appearances. Three of those nine homers came in a 13-4 win over the Buffalo Bisons at Polar Park on Aug. 13.

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Cup of Coffee: Hamilton sets new Red Sox Triple-A stolen base record in Worcester

9/4 Cup of Coffee: It was a clean sweep for the Red Sox and their minor-league affiliates on Sunday. In Worcester, David Hamilton (pictured) made some history by stealing two more bases while Brian Van Belle celebrated his birthday with a win. In Portland, Tyler Dearden had a big day at the plate and Nathan Hickey homered as the Sea Dogs won their second straight. In Greenville, Eddinson Paulino came through in the clutch as the Drive held on to defeat Brooklyn. Down the road in North Augusta, Jedixson Paez shined out of the bullpen for Salem.

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Worcester Red Sox 5, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 4

David Hamilton etched his name into the WooSox record books on Sunday afternoon at Polar Park. As part of a 2 for 3 showing at the plate in which he homered for the 17th time this season and drove in three runs, the speedster stole his 52nd and 53rd bases of the year. By swiping second base in the first inning, Hamilton surpassed Lee Graham for the most stolen bases in a single season in Red Sox Triple-A history. Elsewhere in the Worcester lineup, Ronaldo Hernandez went 1 for 2 with two walks and a two-run double. Out of the nine-hole, Christian Koss hit two doubles and scored two runs.

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Cup of Coffee: Gonzalez dominates in Portland win

9/3 Cup of Coffee: The Saturday slate saw Boston's two top pitching prospects take the mound, with Wikelman Gonzalez (pictured) drawing the assignment in Portland and Luis Perales on the bump for Greenville. Gonzalez was outstanding, not allowing a hit until the sixth inning as the Sea Dogs picked up the only affiliate win. Perales was solid after a shaky start but took the loss for the Drive. The WooSox saw their playoff hopes continue to dim with a loss, while Salem couldn't convert on several run-scoring opportunities. 

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Norfolk Tides (BAL) 6, Worcester Red Sox 4

The WooSox staged a thrilling three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to tie things up but ended up falling in the 10th. A Ronaldo Hernandez double plated the first run of the inning, and he came around to score on a bases-loaded walk to knot the contest at four. Christian Koss delivered an RBI single as well. David Hamilton blasted his 16th home run of the season in the fourth. Hamilton was 2 for 4 with a walk on the night. It was something of a Houdini act by Kyle Barraclough to escape with only four runs allowed in six innings. The veteran allowed eight hits, including three homers, walking five against three strikeouts. Opposing batters were 1 for 12 against Barraclough with runners on base, and all three home runs were solo shots. AJ Politi suffered the loss, giving up two runs (including the ghost runner) in the 10th. 

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Cup of Coffee: Monegro dazzles in Greenville debut; Anthony drives in three

9/2 Cup of Coffee: All four games on Friday night were low-scoring, with each affiliate having a notable pitching performance. Chris Murphy had a good first game back with the WooSox, while Tyler McDonough and Wyatt Olds were the bright spots for Portland. Yordanny Monegro (pictured) and Roman Anthony starred in Greenville, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz returned for Salem. 

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Norfolk Tides (BAL) 4, Worcester Red Sox 3

The WooSox scored twice in the ninth but fell just short against Norfolk. Things got off to a rocky start for Oddanier Mosqueda as he allowed a three-run home run in the first inning. He followed that with a scoreless second inning before turning things over to Chris Murphy. Murphy did not allow a run over four innings while walking two and striking out five. This was Murphy's first appearance in Worcester after an extended stint in Boston that saw him pitch to a 5.03 ERA over 39 1/3 innings. 

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Cup of Coffee: Penrod keeps rolling for Drive; Feliz homers twice in loss

9/1 Cup of Coffee: Hits were hard to come by on the farm Thursday, particularly in Salem where the Sox were no-hit in the first game of their twinbill. Salem fell in the second game as well, despite a two-homer night from Albert Feliz (pictured). Greenville also had doubleheader action, picking up the system's only win of the day on a dominant effort by Zack Penrod in the opener. Worcester couldn't capitalize on a strong Grant Gambrell start, managing only three hits, while Portland was held to four in its loss. 

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Norfolk Tides (BAL) 4, Worcester Red Sox 0

The WooSox drew a tough matchup to close out August, with rehabbing righty John Means combining with a quartet of relievers on a three-hit shutout. The only hit Means allowed in his five innings was an infield single in the first to Bobby Dalbec. Dalbec added another single to account for two-thirds of the Worcester knocks. Christian Arroyo added the other single. Grant Gambrell matched zeroes with Means through the first four innings before Norfolk reached him for a two-run homer in the fifth. Overall, Gambrell allowed two runs on five hits in five frames, walking one while striking out nine. 

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