Red Sox Minor League Report: Portland’s Young Stars Shine Despite 6-4 Loss

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

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 3-3

Season Record: 36-35

Worcester cruised to an easy victory, trouncing Lehigh Valley 12-3. 

Jack Anderson pitched a solid five innings on Sunday afternoon. The righty allowed three runs on four hits while striking out four. The WooSox bullpen was dominant, collectively allowing only one hit and one walk. Tyler Samaniego pitched a perfect inning after Anderson exited before Devin Sweet took the seventh inning. Sweet matched Samaniego with a perfect inning of his own before Wyatt Olds got the eighth inning. Olds walked one before Joe La Sorsa shut down the ninth inning, sealing the series tie for Worcester.

Worcester’s offense turned in one of its better efforts of the season on Sunday night. The WooSox combined for 12 runs on 15 hits as Jason Delay led the way with six RBIs. The scoring started early as Vinny Capra teed off in the first inning, crushing a solo shot to left field for his fifth homer of the season. With the four men aboard in the third, Jason Delay hit a bases-clearing double, driving in Nathan Hickey, Braiden Ward, and Kristian Campbell. Delay then crossed home on a Matt Thaiss double later in the inning. With a 5-3 lead in the fifth, Delay drove in Ward again on a sac fly. Thaiss then drove in Capra with his first triple of the season. The runs piled up in the eighth inning for Worcester. Max Ferguson drove in Tsung-Che Cheng on a single before Vinny Capra drove in Nathan Hickey on a sac fly. Jason Delay then added two more RBIs with his first triple of the season, driving in Ferguson and Ward. Finally, Tyler McDonough joined the party, driving in Delay on a single to make the score 12-3.

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 4-2

Season Record: 35-33

Portland’s three game hot streak came to an end as they fell 6-4. 

Despite the loss, Anthony Eyanson was dominant as always during his start. Over four innings Eyanson allowed three hits and a walk, striking out five and not allowing a run to score. The young star sports a 1.46 ERA in his first season of professional ball. Jeremy Wu-Yelland made his first Double-A appearance of the season in relief, but it didn’t go well. In just ⅔ of an inning, Wu-Yelland allowed two runs on two hits before being replaced by Cade Feeney. Feeney allowed four hits and one more run through two and ⅓ innings of work before turning the ball over to Erik Rivera. Rivera took the final two innings of Sunday’s contest, losing his second ballgame of the season. He allowed three more runs on three hits as Somerset took a two run lead. Rivera struck out three but it wasn’t enough to rectify the poor outing.

Franklin Arias continues to impress in Portland as many speculate that a call-up to Triple-A is in short order. On Sunday, the 20-year-old turned in a 3-for-5 performance for the second straight game, driving in one run. His RBI came via a leadoff home run, his 14th of the season. Later in the first Brooks Brannon drove in Will Turner on a line out to center. Just one inning later, Brannon drove in Arias on a sac fly, giving Portland a 3-0 lead. In the sixth, Ahbram Liendo tacked on Portland’s final run of the night, crushing his fifth homer of the season to left center. Despite excellent games from Eyanson and Arias, Portland lost in the series finale.

High-A Greenville Drive

Series @ Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies) : 3-3

Season Record: 28-38

The Drive lost in walk-off fashion 7-6 as they split the series. 

Marcus Philips turned in a shaky four and ⅓ inning start, allowing four runs (one unearned) on seven hits. Philips struck out five as his ERA rests at 6.81 on the season. The young righty has struggled in his first season of professional ball as he continues to try and find consistency. Calvin Bickerstaff pitched an okay 2⅔ innings in relief, allowing one more run on three hits and striking out two. Danny Kirwin took the ball in the eighth and pitched into the ninth. However, disaster struck as he allowed a walk-off two-run homer with one out in the ninth, losing the game for Greenville. 

Justin Gonzales and Yoeilin Cespedes led the way for the Drive’s offense with two RBIs apiece, but it wasn’t enough to carry them to victory. With Enddy Azocar aboard in the first, Gonzales walloped his ninth homer of the year to left field, giving Greenville an early lead. Luke Heyman built on the lead in the third, reaching on an error as Gonzales scored. Isaiah Jackson tacked on one more run with his 11th homer of the season in the fourth inning. Cespedes then hit his 11th homer of the year in the fifth inning with Azocar on board yet again. The Drive’s offense faltered from there on out, however, as they fell in a heartbreaker.

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Series @ Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): 2-4

Season Record: 26-42

Salem’s subpar season continued to slip away as they fell 3-0 in the series finale. 

Jose Bello has pitched well this season, to the tune of a 3.07 ERA over almost 30 innings. However, Sunday wasn’t his best appearance of the season as his start only lasted two and ⅔ innings. Bello allowed two runs (one unearned) on two hits and two walks before being pulled. He struck out four of the 12 batters he faced. Jason Gilman took the next 3⅓ innings, walking five and allowing two hits but stifling the Nationals offense and not allowing a run to score. He struck out five before Joey Gartrell took the final two innings of Sunday’s contest. Gartrell allowed one run on three hits and a walk as he closed out the loss, striking out three in the process. 

Salem’s offense was virtually nonexistent on Sunday, tallying only three hits and four walks as it failed to score a run. The RidgeYaks went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, but neither of the hits had real impact. Adonys Guzman, Frederik Jimenez, and Ilan Fernandez each had a single in Sunday’s contest. 

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