Red Sox Minor League Report: Enddy Azocar Lifts Greenville to Victory with Walk-Off Double

The All-Star Break is over, and the second half of the MiLB season is underway. Let’s take a look at how the Boston Red Sox farm affiliates performed in their first game back. 

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Series @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 0-1

Season Record: 45-45

Despite a solid offensive showing all-around, the WooSox fell by just one run as they lost 7-6.

Raymond Burgos got the ball to start the night for Worcester, throwing four frames of subpar pitching. Burgos allowed five runs on eight hits as he walked two. He got the loss for his poor showing on Friday. In his first game following a rehab assignment and stint on the IL, Hobie Harris took the fifth inning of Friday’s game. Harris was evidently still rusty as he let up two runs on three hits in one frame. He struck out one and walked another before Angel Bastardo took over in the sixth. Following two so-so outings, Bastardo turned the  page for Worcester. He twirled two frames of perfect ball, striking out four of the six batters he faced before Tommy Kahnle took the eighth. Kahnle recently re-signed with the Red Sox on a minor league contract after a few rough appearances in the big leagues. Kahnle kept the perfection going, striking out one as he pitched a perfect eighth.

Worcester tallied 13 hits and went an impressive 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but came up just short in Friday’s action. With runners on the corners in the first inning, Andrew Knizner put the WooSox on top quickly. He smoked a single through the legs of the second baseman, driving home Nick Sogard. Down by four in the third, Nate Eaton closed the gap slightly with a solo homer, his sixth of the year. An inning later, Allan Castro stood at second with Kristian Campbell at the plate. Campbell blooped a single down the right field line to drive in Castro. Castro drove in the next run for Worcester, scoring Knizner on a single in the sixth inning. Down by three in the eighth, Mikey Romero hit a solo shot to right center as Worcester cut the lead to two. Two batters later, Brett Harris did some more damage. He launched a solo shot of his own to bring the WooSox within one. However, they couldn’t get it done as they fell 7-6 in the series opener.

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 0-1

Season Record: 46-41

Portland fell 7-2 behind a disastrous start and a slow day from the offense.

After shoving five frames of two-run ball in his last start, Dalton Rogers fell apart in a quick appearance on Friday. Across three frames on Friday, Rogers allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out four, but it wasn’t enough to right the ship as he exited early. The bullpen was downright excellent for the Sea Dogs on Friday, not allowing a run in the final six frames. Jeremy Wu-Yelland entered first, allowing a hit and a walk in one inning of work before Hayden Mullins took over. Mullins pitched to a similar line as Wu-Yelland, allowing one hit and walking two across a 3⅓ inning bulk relief appearance. Cooper Adams closed out the loss with 1⅔ innings of near-perfect work, allowing one walk. Adams struck out one as he completed the ninth and final frame of the game.

Portland was sluggish coming out of the midsummer break, recording just four hits and taking three walks. Both runs came in the sixth inning as Somerset held a commanding seven-run lead. Brooks Brannon put the Sea Dogs on the board with his 15th homer of the season, a solo shot to right center. With the bases loaded and Ahbram Liendo at the dish, Ronald Rosario crossed home on a balk, marking the second and final run of the day for Portland.

High-A Greenville Drive

Series vs. Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles): 1-0

Season Record: 36-49

Greenville snagged an 8-7 win on a walk-off from top prospect Enddy Azocar. 

Devin Futrell took the mound to kick things off for Greenville on Saturday, working through a 5⅓ inning appearance. Across the outing, Futrell allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out one-third of the 24 batters he faced, tallying eight Ks. Joe Vogatsky got the ball in the sixth inning and pitched into the eighth. Vogatsky allowed two runs on three hits as he didn’t issue a walk. He struck out four before turning the ball over to Steven Brooks in the eighth. Brooks closed out the game for Greenville, earning the win for his work. Across 1⅓ innings, he allowed one run on two hits as he stuck out three of the five batters he faced. 

The Drive rallied for a clutch ninth-inning effort after going dormant following a hot start to the night. Down three in the second inning, Antonio Anderson stepped to the plate and launched a game-tying three-run blast over the wall in center field. Mason White and Maximus Martin crossed home. White, who was called up to Double-A Portland following the game, made his mark just an inning later. He launched his 14th homer of the season with Yoeilin Cespedes aboard, giving the Drive a two-run edge. In the sixth, White would score again on a wild pitch. After Frederick took the lead in the top of the ninth, the Drive dug into the batter’s box with work to do. Yophery Rodriguez took the first step, tying the game with a single as Stanley Tucker scored. With two runners on and one out in the inning, Enddy Azocar played the hero for Greenville. Azocar roped a soft ball over the head of the third baseman, driving home Rodriguez as Greenville snagged victory from the jaws of defeat.

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Series vs. Delmarva Shore Birds (Baltimore Orioles): 0-1

Season Record: 36-51

Despite putting up three runs in a last-ditch ninth-inning effort, Salem fell 14-11 in a slugfest.

Brady Tygart got the start in the Yaks’ first game back following the All-Star Break. His outing was mediocre at best, however, as he lasted four frames, striking out four. He gave up two runs (one unearned) on three hits and two walks before Jay Allmer entered in the fifth. Allmer exited just one-third of an inning later as Delmarva got the best of him quickly. During his abbreviated outing, Allmer allowed seven runs (three unearned) on just two hits and two walks. Following the disastrous start to the inning, Joey Gartrell entered to clean up the mess. Gartrell took the sixth as well, completing 1⅔ innings of work. He allowed two more runs (one unearned) on a walk and two hits as he struck out two. Williams Rodriguez got the ball in the seventh and pitched to the end of the ninth, closing out the contest for Salem. Rodriguez allowed three runs (one unearned) on three hits as he struck out an impressive six batters.

Led by Louis Andujar’s four-RBI night, as well as three each from Anderson Fermin and Avinson Pinto, Salem’s offensive output would have sufficed on almost any other night. Unfortunately for the Yaks, Delmarva decided to put up a staggering 14 runs as they got the edge on Friday evening. Salem fought hard, tallying 11 runs on 12 hits, but it just wasn’t enough to beat the Shorebirds. In the second inning, Fermin got the Yaks on the board with a line drive triple, scoring Pinto. An inning later, Andujar scored his first RBI of the night on a sac fly, scoring Andrews Opata. Pinto drove in Franklin Primera later in the inning to give Salem its first lead of the night. It was an uphill battle from there on out, however. Down by seven in the fifth, Pinto drove home Primera and Kleyver Salazar to cut the deficit to five. In the seventh, the Yaks put up a solid effort as Pinto scored Primera on a double and Fermin scored Andujar and Pinto on a single. In the ninth, Louis Andujar put the Yaks within three on a three-run shot, scoring Primera and Salazar. The Yaks came up just short in a heartbreaking loss despite an excellent offensive showing, especially from Primera who reached base four times.

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