Red Sox Minor League Report: Down in Worcester, Bryan Bello Throws His Best Start Since Demotion From Boston

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (June 25)

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Season Record: 36-38

The Worcester Red Sox led late but couldn't close it out, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in extra innings. 

Toledo struck first in the third inning with an RBI single, but Tyler McDonough flipped it in the fifth with a two-run homer to right (his fourth of the year), scoring Kristian Campbell, for a 2-1 Worcester lead that stood as both of the WooSox's only runs. 

Brayan Bello made his best start since being demoted from Boston to Worcester, going five innings on one run and five hits with six strikeouts. Jovani Morán made his first rehab appearance out of the bullpen, tossing a shutout sixth inning with two strikeouts.

The bullpen couldn't hold it. Alec Gamboa was given a blown save after Toledo tied the game in the eighth on an RBI single, then took the lead in the 10th when a line drive single to center scored a run with Osvaldo Berrios on the mound. Worcester's offense went quiet to end the game, with all three batters striking out. 

The WooSox finished with just six hits, singles from Mikey Romero, Vinny Capra and Allan Castro plus Campbell's double, while striking out 14 times as a team against Toledo's staff.

Standout Performances:

• Bryan Bello: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• Tyler McDonough: 1-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Season Record: 37-34

The Portland Sea Dogs broke the game open early and never looked back, rolling to a 7-1 win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) behind a balanced attack and a strong start from Gage Ziehl. 

Portland took control first, pushing across three runs in the second: a Marvin Alcantara RBI single, a Nelly Taylor sacrifice fly, and Ahbram Liendo's RBI double put the Sea Dogs up 3-0.

The runs piled on more in the third for Portland, getting run-scoring hits from Nate Baez, Alcantara, and a two-run Caden Rose double, making it a 7-0 game.

Alcantara did everything on offense with a 3-for-4 day, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Franklin Arias stretched his multi-hit streak to five games with a 2-for-5 day, part of a 14-hit Portland effort that saw five different players with multiple hits.

On the mound, Ziehl was dominant across 5 ⅔ scoreless innings to earn the win, allowing just four baserunners. Cooper Adams and Max Carlson finished it off; the only blemish was a solo homer Adams gave up in the seventh; other than that, it was an amazing night for Portland’s pitching staff.

Standout Performances: 

• Gage Ziehl: 5 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Marvin Alcantara: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
• Nate Baez: 2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI

High-A Greenville Drive

Season Record: 30-39

The Greenville Drive battled back from a four-run deficit but could not complete the comeback, falling 7-6 to the Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros).

Asheville got the first run across in the first inning with an RBI groundout; afterward, Justin Gonzales got the Drive on the board with a monster solo shot (his 10th of the season) to tie it 1-1 in the bottom half. 

The Tourists took back the lead with a two-run homer in the second, making it 3-1. Hudson White tied it up once again in the bottom half with a two-run double, briefly tying it 3-3. 

The third and fourth innings are where the Tourists pulled ahead, one run coming in the third with an RBI groundout, then extended their lead with a four-run fourth, aided by a throwing error to lead 7-3.

Greenville kept clawing: Antonio Anderson's solo homer in the fourth and his RBI single in the fifth, sandwiched around a Ronny Hernandez sacrifice fly, trimmed it to 7-6. The Drive could not find the tying run, going hitless for the rest of the game as Asheville's bullpen slammed the door. 

Gonzales led the offense at 3-for-4, Anderson added two hits and two RBIs, but starter Jojo Ingrassia was tagged for seven runs (one unearned), putting his team in too big a hole to make a comeback. 

However, the bullpen is what gave Greenville a chance; Joe Vogatsky threw four shutout innings in relief with six punchouts, while Matt McShane came in after and tossed two shutout no-hit innings.

Standout Performances:

• Joe Vogatsky: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K
• Matt McShane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Justin Gonzales: 3-for-4, HR, R, RBI, BB
• Antonio Anderson: 2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Season Record: 27-44

The Salem RidgeYaks went toe-to-toe with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs) all night before falling 5-4 in the ninth inning. 

Salem answered every Myrtle Beach push: after the Pelicans struck first in the third, Adonys Guzman and Anderson Fermin delivered RBI singles to flip it to 2-1, then Ilan Fernandez's run-scoring single put Salem back ahead 3-2 in the fourth. When Myrtle Beach surged to a 4-3 lead in the fifth, Guzman tied it again 4-4 with a sacrifice fly. 

The deadlock held until the top of the ninth, when the Pelicans doubled home the go-ahead run off Joey Gartrell, who took the loss. Salem couldn't answer in the bottom half, going three up and three down to end the game 5-4. 

Guzman paced the RidgeYaks with two RBIs, Skylar King had two hits in the leadoff spot, and starter Cole Tolbert was solid with three innings of one-run, four-strikeout ball. Nicolas De La Cruz kept it close, tossing 2 ⅓ scoreless innings, but Salem stranded just enough to come up a run short.

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