Red Sox Minor League Daily Recap: Kristian Campbell's Three-Hit Day, Allan Castro's Clutch Single Lead To WooSox Comeback

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (May 5)

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Worcester rallied from a three-run deficit to win 7-6 over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) at home.

The WooSox came out swinging in the first when Mickey Gasper launched a two-run homer to left off Carlos Rodón to put Worcester up 2-0 early. But the lead didn't hold. Scranton chipped one back in the second on an RBI single, then blew the game open in the third inning as they crushed a three-run shot to give them a 4-2 lead. Nate Eaton got on base due to a fielding error, and a couple of wild throws from Rodón ended up scoring Eaton to shorten the deficit 4-3. Scranton increased their lead once again in the sixth with a two-run double to make it 6-3. 

Worcester’s comeback started in the bottom of the sixth when Kristian Campbell belted a solo homer to center off Rodón (EV 102.7 MPH), cutting it to 6-4. Then came a huge seventh inning, Allan Castro singled, Vinny Capra drew a walk, Jason Delay hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, and a run-scoring forceout by Eaton knotted things up at 6-6. Campbell led off the bottom of the eighth with a hard hit double to right center (EV 104.6 MPH), earning his third hit of the game. Castro delivered the go-ahead RBI single through the middle to make it 7-6. Tommy Kahnle worked around two base runners and shut the door in the ninth for the save. 

Worcester's pitching was very mixed in this matchup. Devin Sweet started the game and threw two innings, giving up one earned run. Noah Song allowed three earned runs over two innings with four strikeouts, and Angel Bastardo gave up two runs in his two frames. However, Kyle Keller and Kahnle combined for 3 shutout innings down the stretch when it mattered most. 

Key Performances:

• Kristian Campbell: 3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI
• Allan Castro: 2-for-4, R, RBI
• Mickey Gasper: HR, R, 2 RBI 

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

A gutsy comeback fell one swing short as the Sea Dogs dropped a tight 3-2 loss at home to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays).

Gage Ziehl was taken deep with a solo shot in the first inning to put Portland down early, 1-0. Ziehl settled in for the next two innings until New Hampshire got to him again in the fourth, scoring after racking up a couple of hits to make it 2-0. Nate Baez broke through in the bottom of the fourth, hammering a solo homer to cut it to 2-1. That would be the only run Portland could muster against New Hampshire’s starter in six innings.

The Fisher Cats' first pitcher out of the bullpen gave up the lead after Johanfran Garcia crushed a solo shot, his third in three games, to tie the game at 2-2. In the eighth inning, Max Ferguson hit a lead-off double, giving Portland a chance to take the lead. A poorly attempted sacrifice bunt was popped up and led to a free out for the Fisher Cats. Franklin Arias was intentionally walked to put two runners on and one out. Sadly, the Sea Dogs' next two batters struck out to strand the runners. Cooper Adams came into the ninth inning to try to keep it tied, but New Hampshire had other plans, hitting a solo homer. Just like that, it was 3-2, and Portland went down quietly in the bottom half to end it.

Key Performances:

• Gage Ziehl: 4 ⅓ IP, 2 ER, 7 K
• Patrick Halligan: 2 ⅔ IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 5 K
• Johanfran Garcia: HR, R, RBI
• Nate Baez: HR, R, RBI

High-A Greenville Drive

Greenville's bats came alive in a back-and-forth affair but came up just short, 11-9, against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh Pirates).

The Drive struck first in the second inning, 1-0, when Freili Encarnacion scored a run with a groundout. Greensboro answered immediately, tying it with a solo homer 1-1. Greenville pushed ahead again in the third inning on a Jack Winnay sacrifice fly and an Isaiah Jackson RBI single to make it 3-1, but the Grasshoppers clawed right back with two of their own to knot it at 3-3. 

Henry Godbout gave Greenville its biggest cushion of the night with a two-run homer in the fourth, putting the Drive up 5-3. Unfortunately, Alex Bouchard couldn't hold onto the lead. Greensboro scored two more in the bottom of the fourth to tie it at 5-5, then the wheels came off, giving up three more runs to make it 8-5. The Grasshoppers kept pouring it on against Greenville’s bullpen, erupting for three runs in the sixth, 11-6. Greenville made a push in the eighth, Jackson delivered again with a two-run single, and Encarnacion followed with an RBI double to cut it to 11-9. The Drive would then get two runners on in the ninth with a chance to extend the game, but would not deliver as they hit into a double play to end it. 

Key Performances:

• Henry Godbout: 2-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
• Yoeilin Cespedes: 3-for-6, 2 R
• Isaiah Jackson: 4-for-5, R, 3 RBI
• Freili Encarnacion: 3-for-5, 2 RBI

Single-A Salem RidgeYaks

RidgeYaks rolled past the Delmarva Shorebirds in a lopsided home win, 12-4. 

Salem scratched across the first run in the third on a Luke Heyman sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Delmarva answered with a three-run fourth with a bases-clearing double, putting the Shorebirds ahead 3-1. The RidgeYaks tied it right back in the bottom of the fourth when D'Angelo Ortiz roped a two-run single through the left side to knot it at 3-3.

The fifth inning blew the game open for Salem. Enddy Azocar led off with a solo homer to left, Luke Heyman followed with a solo shot as well, back-to-back jacks to make it 5-3. The Shorebirds pitchers completely lost the zone, walking the next five batters (two scoring on a wild pitch). Kleyver Salazar scored on an Ortiz groundout to push the lead to 8-3 by the end of the frame. 

The RidgeYaks kept piling on, Azocar hit a lead-off single and stole two bases, Salazar brought him in with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 9-3. The RidgeYaks tacked on two more in the eighth via an Andrews Opata bases-loaded walk and yet another Salazar sacrifice fly (his second of the game) to stretch it to 11-3. Delmarva's lone consolation run came in the ninth to make the final 12-4.

Myles Patton earned the win. He pitched nicely, other than the rough fourth inning, throwing five innings, striking out five, and giving up three runs. Jacob Mayers was outstanding in relief, throwing three no-hit innings and striking out six batters.

Key Performances:

• Enddy Azocar: 3-for-5, HR, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB
• Luke Heyman: 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
• D’Angelo Ortiz: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI
• Jacob Mayers: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

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