Red Sox Minor League Report: Portland’s Pitching Staff Dominates Again, Handing Sea Dogs A Series Win

Let’s check in on Sunday’s action down on the Boston Red Sox's farm.

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Series @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 0-2
Season Record: 45-46

After a postponed game on Saturday, the WooSox fell in the second game of the series, getting walked-off by the RailRiders. 

Worcester’s afternoon on the mound was a combined effort featuring appearances from seven different pitchers. Osvaldo Berrios got the game started, lasting two innings before being pulled. He allowed one run on two hits, issuing one walk and striking out two. Noah Song replaced him, allowing one hit and a walk amid a shutout inning. Devin Sweet came in next, lasting one inning. Sweet was perfect as he struck out one before Tyler Samaniego entered in the fifth. Samaniego allowed one run to cross home on two hits, striking out two. Seth Martinez found a similar fate as he entered the game next. He too gave up one run on two hits across an inning-long appearance. Wyatt Olds took the bump next, matching the stat line of the two relievers before him. Olds allowed another run on two hits, striking out three before Sam McWilliams got the eighth inning. McWilliams was solid through one inning, but lost the game in the ninth. He gave up a walk-off home run as Worcester dropped the final game of the series. 

The WooSox had a solid day at the plate, tallying seven hits and going 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Nate Eaton, Mickey Gasper, and Brett Harris each recorded an RBI as the WooSox couldn’t come up with enough offense to grab the win. The WooSox took the lead early as Eaton scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first. Eaton drove in the next run for Worcester, scoring Braiden Ward on an eighth inning RBI single. Gasper, pinch-hitting for Jason Delay, drove Nick Sogard in on an RBI single of his own later in the inning. With two outs late in the eighth, Harris tied the game with his first double of the season as he drove in Eaton. It wasn’t enough, however, as Worcester fell by a slim margin. 

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 2-1
Season Record: 46-41

After an offensive explosion on Saturday, the Sea Dogs mustered just two runs on Sunday. However, it was enough for a 2-1 win behind excellent pitching. 

Gage Ziehl got the start in the series finale against Somerset, turning in an exceptional outing. He earned his fifth win of the season after turning in five frames of shutout ball. Ziehl struck out eight, allowing just two hits and issuing one walk. Ziehl rebounded in a strong way after a disastrous eight-run meltdown the last time he took the mound. Caleb Bolden took over for the sixth, spinning a one-hit shutout inning as he struck out one. Reidis Sena got the call for the seventh inning, matching Bolden with a one-hit appearance as he kept the shutout alive. Patrick Halligan entered to begin the eighth and allowed the only run of the day as he closed the final two innings of Sunday’s game, holding onto the win. 

Sunday’s offensive effort from Portland paled in comparison to Saturday’s, but the Sea Dogs were potent enough to get the win. The game was in a deadlock until the fifth inning, when Matt Frazier pulled a ball down the right field line and into the corner. Frazier sped around first and second, pulling into third with a stand-up triple as Mason White crossed home from first base. In the eighth, Jack Winnay doubled the lead. He dropped a ball into the gap in right center as Nelly Taylor strode home from third. Winnay ended up at second with an RBI double, his fifth of the year. 

High-A Greenville Drive

Series vs. Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles): 1-2
Season Record: 36-51

Greenville fell in a high-scoring shootout, losing the series finale. 

It was a shaky day to say the least for Greenville’s staff, which allowed sixteen runs on an astounding 25 hits. Jojo Ingrassia started the game for the Drive, lasting 4⅓ innings. It was a respectable outing for Ingrassia as he allowed two runs on five hits, striking out five as he issued four walks. Matt Duffy came in next as things began to fall apart for the Drive. He allowed five runs on seven hits, striking out two before Griffin Kilander made an appearance. Kilander 1⅓ innings as he let the game get away from him. He allowed six runs on six hits, striking out four. Matt McShane entered to do some damage control and ended up turning in the most successful outing of the evening for Greenville. Across 1⅓ shutout frames, he allowed two hits and a walk. P.J. Labriola took the final inning of the night, allowing four more runs (one unearned) on five hits as Frederick completed an incredible night from the dish. 

In the game of baseball, it’s hard to match a ten-run outpouring from your opponent, much less a 17-run onslaught. The Drive were able to put some runs on the board, but they could do little to compete with the offensive machine that was Frederick on Sunday evening. Yophery Rodriguez had himself a four-RBI night, while Luke Heyman and Isaiah Jackson had an RBI each. Three of Rodriguez’s RBIs came in the second inning. He smacked a homer to right center, scoring Gerardo Rodriguez and Ronny Hernandez as the Drive snagged an early lead. In the third, Jackson added to the lead with an RBI double, scoring G. Rodriguez once more. In the fifth, Heyman crushed his tenth homer of the season as he brought the Drive within one. In the ninth, with any chance of winning the game gone, Y. Rodriguez scored Hernandez again as he tacked on his fourth RBI of the night. 

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Series vs. Delmarva ShoreBirds (Baltimore Orioles): 2-1
Season Record: 37-51

Salem took the series rubber match behind a three-RBI day from Kleyver Salazar. 

Leighton Finley and Trennor O’Donnell guided Salem to victory on Sunday with a combined two-run performance. Finley earned his fifth win of the season for his five frames of work as he got the start. He allowed two runs on four hits and issued a walk. He struck out six as he fought back against the ShoreBirds offense. O’Donnell entered in the sixth, earning his first save of the season for his bulk relief appearance. Across four shutout innings, O’Donnell allowed just two hits and didn’t issue a walk. He struck out four batters as he sealed the series win for Salem.

Salazar accounted for the bulk of the Yaks offense as he went 3-for-3. Ilan Fernandez and Givian Sirvania had two hits apiece as well. Salazar’s RBIs came early. In the first inning, with Skylar King and Andrews Opata on base, Salazar shot a line drive over the wall in left field. The three-run blast, his seventh of the year, gave the Yaks an early lead that they never relinquished. Three innings later, Sirvania added a run to the lead with an RBI single, scoring Justin Barry and adding the final run of the day for Salem.

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