Red Sox Minor League Report: Franklin Arias & Johanfran Garcia Pave the Way for Portland Walk-Off

[Ben Lofy]

Boston Red Sox Minor League Snapshot

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Series vs. Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals): 0-5

Season Record: 23-25

Worcester’s game was postponed due to inclement weather in the area. No makeup information has yet been provided. 

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Series vs. Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies): 5-1

Season Record: 22-22

The Sea Dogs fought back to .500 on a walk-off single from Johanfran Garcia. 

Gage Ziehl started the game for Portland and turned in four and ⅔ frames of so-so work. He allowed two runs to score on three hits, and allowed four baserunners via walk. He did strike out four, however, before he turned the ball over to Patrick Halligan. Halligan took the next three and ⅓ innings and was superb. He allowed one hit and two walks as he matched Ziehl’s strikeout total of four. With the game tied, Cooper Adams got the ball to start the ninth inning. After preventing Reading from scoring in the ninth he took the tenth as well. In total he allowed three hits and one run on a triple in the top of the tenth. He struck out two and was good enough to earn the win in Sunday’s contest. 

Three players collected multi-hit games on Sunday, including Garcia, Franklin Arias, and Ronald Rosario. It was Rosario who got the offense started in the second inning. Portland struck first on his second home run of the year, a solo blast. Tyler McDonough added to the lead in the fourth inning, scoring Rosario on a triple to right field. The offense then went quiet, allowing Reading to tie the game. Down one run with one out and a man on in the tenth inning, who stepped to the plate but Arias. After knocking two balls out of the park in Saturday's game, Arias took it upon himself to tie Sunday’s game in an important spot. He shot a ball to right field, scoring McDonough as he rounded second and reached third safely on his first triple of the year. With the game all tied up, Garcia stepped up to the plate with two men on. On the first pitch of the at-bat, he looped a soft hit into center field as Will Turner slid into home safely, winning the game for Portland.

High-A Greenville Drive

Series @ Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles): 1-3

Season Record: 16-26

The Drive’s recent struggles continued to pile up as they dropped both games of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. 

Kyson Witherspoon put together a solid appearance as he continues to try and find his rhythm in professional ball. Across four and ⅓ innings he gave up one run and two hits, allowing two walks. He punched out six as he kept the Keys largely in check. The game unravelled, however, when Witherspoon turned the ball over to Osvaldo Berrios. Berrios let up two runs on three hits during his one and ⅓ innings of work. He got the loss as he allowed Frederick to eke out the victory. 

Led by Adonys Guzman and Isaiah Jackson, each of whom had two hits, the Drive’s offense fell just short on Sunday as they failed to capitalize in clutch moments. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Jackson struck first for the Drive, clobbering his sixth homer of the year as he snagged a one-run lead for Greenville. After the Keys scored three unanswered runs, Gerardo Rodriguez singled in the seventh as the Drive attempted to push the game to extras. Rodriguez drove in Guzman, but the Drive failed to make it happen as they dropped the first game of the afternoon. 

In the second game of the afternoon, the Drive fell by one run yet again. This time around, Alex Bouchard got the start for Greenville. He spun a solid appearance, allowing two runs on one hit and a walk. He did punch out five batters as he gave the offense room to play. However, that offensive flexibility was stifled by Brandon Neely’s relief appearance. Neely’s season has been less than ideal, he entered Sunday’s game sporting a 15.30 ERA. Through two innings, he allowed four runs (two unearned) on three hits, striking out four. It was enough to lower his ERA to 14.25, but it wasn’t enough to avoid getting the loss. In ⅓ of an inning of relief, Calvin Bickerstaff let up one more hit, but the Keys won in extras on a walk-off single. 

The Drive’s offense put up similar numbers in the second game of the afternoon. Yophery Rodriguez and Yoeilin Cespedes had two hits each, and Cespedes had two RBIs. He got started in the first inning, launching his ninth homer of the year in the first inning. Yophery Rodriguez reached on fielder’s choice in the sixth, scoring Cespedes and Justin Gonzales as Greenville took a one-run lead. Cespedes kept up his momentum with an RBI single in the eight, driving in Gonzales once more. Mason White tacked on another run with a single later in the inning as Cespedes rounded home. The offense failed to score in extras as the Keys scored three unanswered runs as they walked off both games of the doubleheader. 

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Series @ Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians): 3-3

Season Record: 10-25

Salem cruised to an easy eight-run win in the series finale, splitting the series. 

Cole Tolbert gave the offense plenty of leeway with his performance over four innings. He punched out four while only allowing three hits and a run. He lowered his ERA to 2.08 over three appearances thus far. Jacob Mayers earned his first win of the season for his relief performance on Sunday afternoon. Mayers allowed one run and walked four, but kept the Howlers offense in check as he struck out two, leaving his ERA at 2.45. He turned the ball over to Griffin Kilander in the eighth. Kilander closed the game strong over one and ⅔ innings, allowing just one hit and sitting down two on strikes as he shut the door and sealed the series split. 

The offense was also rolling on Sunday, as evidenced by the eight-run victory. Stanley Tucker and Avinson Pinto led the way with two runs apiece. Luke Heyman drove in Ilan Fernandez to put the RidgeYaks on the board in the third inning. It was a monster of an inning for Salem, as more offense ensued. Starlyn Nunez scored on a balk before Pinto doubled, driving in Skylar King. Frederik Jimenez followed this up with a line drive single that was deflected off of the second baseman, scoring Pinto. Then, Tucker smashed his third homer of the season, capping off a seven-run inning as he drove in Jimenez. Jimenez then struck again in the eighth inning, scoring Andruw Musett on a sac fly. Later in the inning, Tucker collected his third RBI of the day with a single that drove in Pinto. Nunez then brought Tucker home on a single to center field, giving Salem its tenth and final run of the day. It was reported Monday evening that Salem's Enddy Azocar and Luke Heyman had been promoted to High-A Greenville following the weekend's action.

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