Red Sox Minor League Report: Justin Gonzales Lifts Greenville to Victory with Electric Walk-Off Blast

[Ben Lofy]

Let’s take a trip down to the farm following Sunday’s action.

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Series vs. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins): 6-0
Season Record: 51-46

Worcester pulled off the six-game sweep with a 4-3 win on Sunday. 

Michael Sansone, who has bounced between Triple-A and Double-A this season, was in Worcester to start Sunday’s game. He turned in a 3⅔ innings appearance, allowing one run on three hits and notching three punchouts. Hobie Harris came in next and didn’t allow a run for the first time this season. He pitched 1⅓ innings, allowing a hit and a walk as he struck out one. Osvaldo Berrios got the nod next, entering in the sixth inning. He allowed two runs on three hits, striking out three across 2⅔ innings. Tommy Kahnle entered with the game, and the winning streak, on the line. He turned in 1⅓ frames of shutout ball, allowing one hit and striking out two as he sealed the dominant series sweep. 

A three-hit, two-RBI game from Braiden Ward helped lift the WooSox to victory. Kristian Campbell also notched two hits as he extended a now eight-game hit streak. With Jason Delay on third in the bottom of the third inning, Ward got the WooSox on the board with a line drive double as Delay scored. In the fifth, Campbell gave Worcester the lead on an RBI double to left, driving home Allan Castro. After Jacksonville snagged a one-run lead, Ward struck again in the eighth. He drove in Campbell on a single to right field, tying the game at three runs apiece. Hitless through seven at-bats in Worcester, Franklin Arias gave the WooSox the lead as he reached on a fielding error while Ward raced home. Arias is still seeking that first hit, but his impact is being felt already as he helped push the WooSox to a win. 

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Series @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies: 3-3
Season Record: 51-44

Portland was outhit 15-3 as they fell 8-4 in the series finale. 

After twirling a five-frame gem his last time around, Gage Ziehl struggled on Sunday afternoon. Across a three-inning start, Ziehl allowed three runs (one unearned) on seven hits and a walk. He struck out four, but had a hard time getting the Sea Dogs off on the right foot. Caleb Bolden got the ball next as the game got away from Portland. Across two innings, Bolden allowed three runs on four hits, issuing two walks. He earned the loss for his shoddy performance on Sunday. Tyler Davis, who was recently called up from High-A Greenville, closed the final three innings of the contest. Davis allowed two more runs on four hits, walking one and striking out four. It was a poor day from the Portland staff as they struggled to curb Binghamton from the outset. 

Portland was able to drive in four runs on just three hits on Sunday afternoon, drawing four walks and going 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position. Jack Winnay led the way with two RBIs as no Sea Dog recorded a multi-hit game. Max Ferguson led things off for Portland with a sac fly in the first inning, driving in Ahbram Liendo. Two innings later with the game tied 1-1, Winnay gave Portland the lead with a two-run blast over the left field wall, driving in Ferguson. After the Rumble Ponies tied the game once more, Mason White gave Portland a short-lived lead with his first homer of the season on a fly ball to right center. Portland was dead for the rest of the night as they fell in the later stages of the game, splitting the series with Binghamton.

High-A Greenville Drive

Series vs. Hub City Spartanburgers (Texas Rangers): 3-3
Season Record: 39-54

After a back-and-forth game, the Drive won in walk-off fashion to secure the series split.

Jojo Ingrassia made the start on Sunday afternoon, turning in a solid outing. Ingrassia let up two hits and struck out two across three shutout frames. Matt Duffy got the ball next, but had a shakier outing. Over 3⅓ innings, Duffy allowed two runs on five hits as he struck out four. His ERA rose to a staggering 12.27. Adam Bates entered next, and nearly let the ballgame slip away. Over just 1⅔, frames Bates allowed four runs on three hits as he issued three walks. Joe Vogatsky came in in the ninth and closed the game with a solid one-hit inning, shutting the door on any late heroics from Hub City.

The Drive held a lead through the first seven frames of Sunday’s contest, and came up clutch when it mattered the most. Yoeilin Cespedes contributed three RBIs as Enddy Azocar and Isaiah Jackson had two hits each. Jackson got the Drive on the board with a solo homer in the second inning, his 14th of the year. Three innings later, Cespedes made his mark. With Azocar and Justin Gonzales aboard, Cespedes clubbed his 18th homer of the season to left center. Holding a two-run lead in the seventh, Gerardo Rodriguez tacked on another run for Greenville as he sent Azocar home on a ground ball single to left field. Following a four-run eighth inning from Hub City, the Drive needed a hero. Coming off a suspension following an altercation last week, Gonzales made it clear that he was back. With Azocar on second in the bottom of the ninth, Gonzales absolutely demolished a ball over the wall in left center. Gonzales admired his work, taking his time to celebrate with the dugout as he rounded first and won the game for the Drive.

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): 3-3
Season Record: 41-54

Salem had no issue getting on base but struggled to drive runners home as they fell 13-3.

Following his call-up to Salem on July 24, Williams Montero made his first Low-A start on Sunday afternoon. However, it was a debut to forget as Montero let up six runs on just one hit in only ⅓ of an inning. He walked four batters before Yermain Ruiz did some early relief work. Ruiz was excellent over 1⅔ innings of cleanup, allowing a hit and a walk as he shut out the GreenJackets. Leighton Finley took over in the third, but he was no better than Montero. Over 4⅔ of bulk relief, Finley allowed seven runs on 11 hits. He issued two walks and struck out four but any chance of victory slipped away quickly. Harry Blum took over following Finley, allowing a hit and issuing two walks before Nicolas De La Cruz took over. De La Cruz shutout Augusta over the final 1⅓ innings with two strikeouts. He walked two but blanked the GreenJackets otherwise.

The Yaks drew ten walks and tallied eight hits as they went hitless with runners in scoring position, struggling to drive runners in. Salem scored just three times and got on board in the second inning. Down 6-0 early, Andruw Musett drove in Louis Andujar on a fly ball homer to center, his second of the season. The Yaks’ third and final run came in the seventh inning on Justin Barry’s first Low-A homer of the season. Andrews Opata was the only RidgeYak to record a multi-hit game as he reached base in all five appearances. He went 3-for-3 with two walks, but Salem limped to a crushing defeat.

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