Ben Lofy

Let's see how the Red Sox affiliates fared on Sunday afternoon. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): 1-5 Season Record: 37-40 The WooSox avoided the series sweep and snapped a five-game skid, winning 3-1. Patrick Sandoval, who is finally nearing a big-league return after missing two years due to elbow surgery, turned in a quality start on Sunday afternoon. The veteran shoved four frames, giving up one run on three hits and recording three strikeouts. Jovani Morán, who is also nearing a return from a short stint on the injured list, took the fifth and sixth innings. Morán was perfect, striking out three and earning the win for a dominant performance. Alec Gamboa got the ball next, allowing one hit and striking out three over two innings. Joe La Sorsa took the ninth inning and converted a save opportunity. He allowed one hit and walked one but sealed the much needed win for Worcester. Worcester’s offense leaned on Jason Delay as he propelled the WooSox to victory with two-late RBIs. It was Vinny Capra that kicked off the scoring, launching a solo home run in the first inning to give Worcester an early lead. With the ballgame tied and two runners on in the sixth, Jason Delay hit a groundball back to the pitcher. The ball ricocheted off the pitcher's leg, bouncing into shallow right field as Capra and Braiden Ward raced home. The single gave Worcester the push it needed to grab its first win in five days. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 4-2 Season Record: 39-35 Portland’s pitching staff lifted the Sea Dogs to a win as they shut out Hartford 6-0. Blake Wehunt excelled in the starting role, turning in six frames of one-hit ball. Wehunt allowed just one baserunner as he sent eight batters down on strikes in one of his best starts of the season. Jeremey Wu-Yelland redeemed a poor performance earlier in the weekend with a perfect inning of relief. Wu-Yelland struck out the side before Max Carlson took over. Carlson allowed only the second baserunner for Hartford, but sent the Yard Goats packing with ease. Patrick Halligan took the ninth, adding a perfect inning and sealing an excellent afternoon for the Sea Dogs staff. Portland allowed just two baserunners and racked up a combined thirteen strikeouts. Franklin Arias carried his recent hot streak into Sunday, contributing an RBI and two hits. The real story of Portland’s offense, however, was Miguel Bleis. Bleis homered again, his fourth in the past three games amidst a torrid offensive streak. Bleis’s homer came in the first inning, putting the Sea Dogs up early. Arias raced home on a wild pitch in the third, before knocking in an RBI of his own two innings later. Arias hit a groundball single to center field, driving home Nelly Taylor. In the ninth, Jack Winnay and Matt Frazier put an exclamation point on the shutout win. With Johanfran Garcia aboard, Winnay hit his first homer of the season to left center. Matt Frazier stepped into the batter’s box next, going back-to-back with Winnay with his first homer of the season. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros): 2-3 Season Record: 30-41 Greenville fell for the fourth straight game as the pitching staff let up three runs in the top of the ninth, losing 8-5. Marcus Philips took the mound to start the afternoon for Greenville, looking to find his groove amid a rough season. Philips struggled through just 1⅓ innings, allowing three runs on two hits and walking three. Griffin Kilander entered in the second, taking the next three innings. He allowed two more runs on three hits before Matt McShane took over. Despite allowing three hits over 2⅔ innings, McShane fended off Asheville’s offense as he struck out four. P.J. Labriola took the ball in the eighth and pitched into the ninth. Disaster struck for the left-handed reliever as he allowed three unearned runs on three hits. Hudson White limited the damage as he came in for Labriola, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss for the fourth straight night. Gerardo Rodriguez and Isaiah Jackson led the offense with two RBIs apiece, and Luke Heyman added an RBI of his own. Heyman’s RBI kick-started the offense’s afternoon as he drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning. Later in the inning, Rodriguez hit an infield single to second base, as Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar scored as the throw to first was misplaced. To cap off the five-run inning, Jackson smoked a groundball to center, driving home Heyman and Rodriguez as Greenville took a two-run lead. It was a short-lived lead, however, as the Drive couldn’t muster any more offense, falling 8-5. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs): 1-3 Season Record: 28-45 Salem split the series with Myrtle Beach on a walk-off single from Starlyn Nunez, prevailing 7-6. Jason Gilman got the start for Salem on Sunday, pitching very well over four and ⅔ frames. He allowed one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked four. Jose Bello has quietly had a great season so far in Low-A and he continued to pitch well on Sunday afternoon. Over 2⅔ innings of relief, Bello allowed two runs (one unearned) on three hits. While it was far from his best appearance this season, he was able to stave off Myrtle Beach. Nicolas De La Cruz took the ball in the eighth inning and was able to earn the win on Sunday, but not without some struggle. Over 1⅔ innings, De La Cruz allowed three runs (one unearned), one hit and three walks. It was a rough outing, but De La Cruz didn’t concede the lead as Salem’s offense won the game for the RidgeYaks. Salem’s bats went back and forth with Myrtle Beach throughout the afternoon and surged late in the game, propelling the Yaks to victory. In the bottom of the first, Skylar King skied a double off the wall in right field, scoring Andrews Opata and putting Salem on the board. Tied 1-1, Anderson Fermin regained the lead for Salem in the fourth, driving Kleyver Salazar home on a sac fly. Down by one in the seventh, Ilan Fernandez shot a double to left field, scoring Fermin and D’Angelo Ortiz as Salem got ahead again. Fernandez then scored on a wild pitch later in the inning. In the eighth, Salazar added to the lead with a double of his own, scoring Opata. After the Pelicans tied the game in the top of the ninth, Salem’s offense got in the box with work to do. Givian Sirvania and Fernadez drew two walks on eight straight pitches before Justin Barry drew the third walk in a row for Salem. Nunez, Salem’s leadoff batter, stepped into the box with the bases loaded and no outs. Nunez played the hero for the second time this season, hitting a line-drive single to right field as Salem walked off the series finale. View full article

Let's see what happened down on the Red Sox's farm on Saturday evening. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): 0-5 Season Record: 36-40 Worcester’s losing streak hit five on Saturday as the WooSox fell 15-6 in a slugfest. The WooSox, playing as the Worcester Kelley Squares, turned to Jack Anderson for Saturday’s start. Anderson struggled across four frames, letting up six runs on four hits. Anderson struck out three and walked two before being replaced by Tyler Samaniego. Samaniego stopped the bleeding temporarily, allowing just a walk and a hit while striking out two in one inning of relief. Tyler Uberstine came next and was rocked to the tune of six runs (three unearned) on five hits in just an inning of work. Eduardo Rivera took the mound next, turning in a solid two innings of work. He allowed one run on four hits before Juan Montero took the ninth frame. Montero allowed two more runs to cross home in the ninth inning of a disastrous day for the WooSox staff. The WooSox offense held its own on Saturday, but it couldn’t compete with Toledo’s onslaught. Max Ferguson and Kristian Campbell led the offense with two RBIs apiece. Andrew Knizner started the scoring with a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the first, driving in Braiden Ward and Vinny Capra and forcing Mikey Romero to third. Romero was driven home later in the inning on a Campbell sac fly. Just one inning later, Max Ferguson drove in Tyler McDonough on a two-run shot to right. The WooSox last run came far too late to do any damage as Romero rounded the bases on a solo home run, his sixth of the year. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 3-2 Season Record: 38-35 TalkSox’s top two prospects took the field for Portland on Saturday as Franklin Arias returned to the lineup and Anthony Eyanson took the mound. The pair put up two excellent outings, leading the Sea Dogs to a 5-2 victory. Eyanson turned in yet another quality start, lasting 5⅔ innings. He allowed one run, his first run given up in the month of June. Eyanson only struck out two batters, his fewest mark all season. It was a successful start despite some minor struggles. Jedixson Paez took the next 2⅓ innings, allowing one more run on a solo homer and striking out three. Erik Rivera followed Paez, sealing Portland’s win with a two-strikeout save. Portland had a great offensive showing on Saturday, tallying 11 hits and five runs. The Sea Dogs were especially effective with runners in scoring position, going 4-for-13. The scoring started late for Portland, with the first two runs coming in the eighth inning. Down one run, Franklin Arias cranked a two-run homer to right center with Nelly Taylor on second. It was Arias’s 15th homer of the season, leading the Red Sox affiliate teams. Miguel Bleis wanted in on the fun, homering after Arias as the pair went back-to-back. It was Bleis’s third homer in just two nights as he continued a hot month at the plate. With a two-run lead in the ninth, Ahbram Liendo put the ball in play with runners on the corners. Liendo reached on a fielder’s choice as Marvin Alcantara crossed home. With the bases loaded, Miguel Bleis stepped to the plate and singled to left field, scoring Caden Rose. Bleis put an exclamation mark on what was a successful day at the dish for Portland. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros): 2-3 Season Record: 30-41 Greenville fell 11-9 in an extra-innings heartbreaker. Alex Bouchard took the mound to start the evening for Greenville. Bouchard limped through a 3⅔ inning start. He allowed five runs (one unearned) on eight hits before being replaced by Ben Hansen. Hansen undertook a bulk relief role, turning in 4⅓ innings of shutout ball. Danny Kirwin took the mound to start the ninth and escaped unscathed. However, in the tenth Kirwin was lit up, allowing six runs (one unearned) on five hits and three homers. Tyler Davis played damage control in the tenth, but it was too late to avoid the loss as the Drive fell apart late. Akin to Portland, Greenville was effective at the dish on Saturday. Going a combined 4-for-11 with RISP and good for nine runs on 11 hits, Greenville’s offense was nearly enough. Luke Heyman continued to impress on Saturday, going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs. Heyman started the scoring for the Drive, scoring Enddy Azocar on a single in the second inning. Then in the fourth inning, Heyman drove a solo home run over the wall in center and cut the deficit to three. Heyman capped off his three-hit performance with another RBI single, this one coming in the fifth inning and scoring Antonio Anderson. Down by two runs in the sixth, Yophery Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch as Ronny Hernandez advanced to second. Hernandez was subsequently driven home on a home run from Anderson. It was Anderson’s third home run in as many days as he gave Greenville a one-run edge. Mason White added to the lead with an RBI single in the seventh, scoring Gerardo Rodriguez. With their backs against the wall in the bottom of the tenth, the Drive tried to mount a comeback effort. Isaiah Jackson scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit to three. Finally, Rodriguez hit his twelfth homer of the season but it was too little too late as Greenville narrowly fell. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs): 1-3 Season Record: 28-45 Salem held on to a three-run lead, prevailing 8-5 behind a good start from Christian Foutch. Foutch turned in three innings of no-hit ball, walking three and racking up five strikeouts. It was a much-needed rebound from a disastrous last start. Yermain Ruiz took the mound next, allowing three runs on six hits over the next three frames. Ruiz struck out another five before turning the ball over to Adam Bates. Bates let up two runs on four hits, but still earned the win. Like the two pitchers before him, Bates recorded five more strikeouts across two innings. Devin Gartrell took the ninth frame and struck out the side in a perfect inning, sealing the win for Salem. Despite a collective 11 strikeouts, the RidgeYaks were more than sufficient at the plate. Down by two runs in the fourth, Louis Andujar put Salem on the board with an RBI double, driving in Skylar King. King hit an RBI single of his own just an inning later, scoring Givian Sirvania and Andrews Opata to take a one-run lead. Down by two in the seventh, Andujar hit another RBI single, tying the game with two more RBIs. Opata and Avinson Pinto scored as Salem evened the game. Andujar then scored as Anderson Fermin reached on a throwing error, giving Salem the lead. D’Angelo Ortiz put the game out of reach with a two-out RBI single, scoring Fermin and Andruw Musett. View full article

Let's check in on Friday’s action on the farm. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): 0-4 Season Record: 36-39 The WooSox skid continued on Friday as they were crushed 13-1. Not much went well for Worcester on Friday, especially on the mound. Seth Martinez got the start, lasting just two innings before being pulled. Over the course of his short outing, Martinez gave up five runs on four hits, raising his ERA to 6.65 while taking the loss. Devin Sweet took the next two innings and saw some more success. Sweet let up one run on two hits before turning the ball over to Angel Bastardo for the fifth. Bastardo let up two runs on two hits as Toledo began to run away with the ballgame. Zack Kelly put together the most successful outing for Worcester, allowing one walk in his inning-long outing. Noah Song took the seventh through eighth, allowing the Mud Hens to score five more runs. Song walked two and allowed five hits. Wyatt Olds took the ninth and matched Kelly’s inning, allowing a walk but preventing Toledo from tacking on anything else. At the dish, the WooSox struggled to get on base, recording only eight baserunners. A somewhat depleted roster didn’t help, as Anthony Seigler and Tsung-Che Cheng have both recently joined the big league club. Worcester’s only run came on a Mikey Romero solo home run in the first inning, his fifth of the year. Otherwise, newly signed Andrew Knizner and Max Ferguson recorded a double each while both Allan Castro and Jason Delay singled. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 2-2 Season Record: 37-35 Miguel Bleis clubbed two homers as Portland lost 4-3 in a close game. John Holobetz spun an absolute gem on Friday, turning in six innings of superb work. Holobetz gave up just one earned run throughout his start, allowing three hits and a walk. Holobetz struck out six for the third start in a row. Jeremy Wu-Yelland got the ball in a tense situation, hoping to carry over Holobetz’s momentum. Wu-Yelland faltered, however, allowing two runs on three hits in just an inning and earning his first blown save of the season. Reidis Sena ultimately lost the game for Portland, allowing one more run (although it was unearned) on one hit in the eight inning as Hartford prevailed. Franklin Arias was absent from Portland’s lineup on Friday evening. Whether or not Arias sat out in anticipation of a Triple-A call-up is unclear, but it’s certain that Portland struggled without him. Coming into Friday night, Arias carried a five-game multi-hit streak. Miguel Bleis stepped up in Arias’ absence, but he was alone in his efforts. He hit a leadoff home run to start off the game, giving the Sea Dogs an early lead. In the third, Bleis stole second as Ahbram Liendo scored on a throwing error. In the fifth, Bleis crushed his second home run of the night as Portland added to a short-lived lead. Liendo, Ronald Rosario, and Jack Winnay recorded a single each, making up the rest of Portland’s offense. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros): 2-2 Season Record: 30-40 Kyson Witherspoon is finally beginning to look like the pitcher Boston drafted last year. Despite early season struggles, Witherspoon has been terrific over his past few outings. Friday was no exception, as Witherspoon notched seven strikeouts and allowed just one run. He let up five hits and a walk over six innings, but minimized the damage as he turned in yet another great performance. Calvin Bickerstaff took the next two innings, letting up a solo home run and a walk before turning the ball over to Steven Brooks. The outings that preceded Brooks were not in line with his performance as he imploded. Brooks allowed five runs on four hits in the top of the ninth as Asheville took a late lead, and eventually the win. Greenville’s offense was solid for most of the game, but couldn’t rectify poor late-game pitching. Antonio Anderson shouldered most of Friday’s offense as he drove in two runs on two hits. His first RBI came in the fourth inning as he drove in Yophery Rodriguez on a single. Ronny Hernandez then scored on a Hudson White sac fly, taking a 2-0 lead. In the sixth, Hernandez and Anderson teed off. The pair went back-to-back as Greenville established a three-run lead. However, it was all the offense could muster for the rest of the night as Asheville stole a win on Friday night. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs): 1-3 Season Record: 27-45 Salem lost yet again, falling 8-1 in its 16th loss of the month. With three days until July, you can count the Salem RidgeYaks number of wins in the month of June on one hand. The RidgeYaks have won just four games in 20 contests, good for a .200 winning percentage. This trend continued on Friday as Salem barely put up a fight. The struggles on the pitching side started early. Myrtle Beach got to Brady Tygart early, forcing him out of the game after just 1⅔ innings. Tygart walked five batters and allowed two hits, letting up three runs (one unearned). Jacob Mayers took the next 2⅓ frames, walking four and allowing a hit but staving off any more runs from the Pelicans. Drew Allmer pitched just ⅓ of an inning before being pulled, allowing three runs on four walks and zero hits. Harry Blum took the next 2⅓ innings to the tune of one run on one hit. Wuilliams Rodriguez closed out the final 2⅓ innings of Friday’s game, letting up one unearned run and striking out four. Salem recorded just four hits on Friday, two of which were hit by Avinson Pinto. On a more positive note, Salem drew six walks but struggled to do much with runners on. Its only run of the evening came on an Andrews Opata double in the third inning, driving in Ilan Fernandez to cut the lead to two runs. However, Salem didn’t put up much of a fight as they were dispatched quite easily, striking out 12 times. Opata and Pinto each registered a double and Pinto and Adonys Guzman both singled as well. View full article

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. View full article

Let’s check in on Saturday’s action from the Boston Red Sox affiliate teams. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-3 Season Record: 35-35 Worcester lost 4-3, its third straight loss, falling to .500 on the season. Osvaldo Berrios has made five appearances for Worcester in the month of June, and it wasn’t until Saturday that he allowed his first run to score. The righty opened Saturday’s contest with two innings of one-run ball, striking out three. Eduardo Rivera took the next two innings, allowing one more run to cross home. He struck out two before turning the ball over to Alec Gamboa. Gamboa completed the longest stint of the night for Worcester, turning in three innings. He let up one more run and struck out three. Kyle Keller took over in the eighth and quickly allowed the go-ahead run to score. Wyatt Olds took the final two outs of the eighth, allowing one more hit but keeping the score the same. Worcester’s bats were on fire, led by Allan Castro’s three hit night. However, the bats faltered with runners in scoring position. Going just 1-for-10 with RISP, the WooSox left seven runners on base as they squandered plenty of opportunities. Mikey Romero put the WooSox on the board with a first-inning sac fly, scoring Braiden Ward. Allan Castro collected an RBI of his own, hitting his sixth homer of the season, a solo blast, in the fourth. Later in the inning, Tyler McDonough drove in Tsung-Che Cheng on a line drive single to grab a brief lead. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 4-1 Season Record: 35-32 Portland won in walk-off fashion, collecting its sixth win in the last eight games by a score of 7-6. John Holobetz took the mound to start Saturday’s contest for the Sea Dogs. However, he saw mediocre results. Over four innings, Holobetz allowed four runs on seven hits as his consistency struggles persisted. He struck out six before Jedixson Paez took over. Paez was better, but not by much. Over the next four innings Paez allowed two more runs on five hits, striking out two. Cooper Adams took the ninth inning for Portland, allowing one hit but sealing the one run victory. Franklin Arias made his first start of the season at second base on Saturday, leading the way for the offense with a 3-for-5 performance. Whether or not the position change was due to Romy Gonzalez’s injury or perhaps preparation for a more permanent role is yet to be seen. Additionally, Johanfran Garcia extended his recent hit streak to 13 games and his on-base streak to 20 games. It was Brooks Brannon who sparked the offense, hitting a solo homer in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Down by two runs in the third, Caden Rose scored on a wild pitch to lessen the deficit. In the fourth, Matt Fraizer drove in Nelly Taylor with his first double of the season, cutting the lead to one. Down by three in the ninth, Brooks Brannon got drilled with the bases loaded, scoring Arias. Garcia stepped to the plate next and nearly hit a walk-off grand slam, instead settling for a game-tying two-RBI single that scored Will Turner and Miguel Bleis. With the game in reach, Marvin Alcantara smoked a ball to the shortstop who bobbled the flip to second as Ahbram Liendo raced around third. Liendo crossed home safely as Portland capped off the three-run comeback. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies): 3-2 Season Record: 28-37 Greenville rode two dominant pitching performances to victory, winning 4-1. Alex Bouchard claimed his first win of the season for his performance on Saturday. It was well deserved as Bouchard turned in an excellent five-inning performance. He allowed one run on three hits, striking out five in one of his best starts of the season. Ben Hansen took the final four innings, turning in a gem of his own. He allowed just one hit and two walks but prevented Jersey Shore from scoring again. He struck out an additional five batters as he sealed Greenville’s second straight victory. Justin Gonzales got the offense going early, crushing his eighth homer of the season. It was a two-run shot that scored Enddy Azocar as well. Gonzales scored again in the fifth on a fielding error to widen the lead. Mason White drove in Greenville’s final run in the eighth on an RBI single that scored Isaiah Jackson. Despite the win, the Drive went an abysmal 1-for-15 with RISP and left nine runners stranded. Still, it was an encouraging game for a team that has struggled in close games throughout the season. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): 3-2 Season Record: 26-41 Salem’s season-long woes continued on Saturday night as the RidgeYaks fell 10-2. Christian Foutch lost his fifth game of the season, starting the night for Salem. Over a short two-inning outing, Foutch walked five and allowed four runs on three hits. Foutch was quickly replaced by Yermain Ruiz, who wasn’t any better. Over the next three innings Ruiz allowed five more runs on four hits and four walks before turning the ball over to Griffin Kilander. Kilander was the best pitcher of the night for Salem by far. He allowed three hits and an unearned run over two and ⅔ innings, but he struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced. Nicolas De La Cruz took the final ⅓ inning of the night, allowing a walk but shutting the Nationals down before the score got any worse. Salem collected eight hits, but didn’t do enough damage to challenge Fredericksburg. Kleyver Salazar, Louis Andujar, and Anderson Fermin had two hits apiece, and Ilan Fernandez and Justin Barry accounted for the RidgeYaks runs. The runs came late and with little impact. In the sixth, Barry drove in his first RBI for Salem, driving in Andujar on a single to left field. In the eighth, Fermin scored on a Fernandez groundout. It was a sharp turnaround for Salem, who scored at least seven runs in its last two games. View full article

With the trade deadline just about six weeks away, it is widely expected that the Boston Red Sox will look to trade away Aroldis Chapman. One of the game’s greatest closers in recent history, Chapman is in his age-38 season and playing for his seventh team. Despite being in the twilight of his career, Chapman has found success in Boston unlike anywhere else. Across 61.1 innings in the 2025 season Chapman posted a 1.17 ERA, the second-lowest mark over his 17-year career and the lowest since 2016. His success has carried over into 2026, as he is one of the lone bright spots of the Red Sox's underwhelming season thus far. Through 21.2 innings, the lefty has tallied an ERA of 0.83 and a 0.97 WHIP. His stellar stats amid a season of team disappointment make Chapman a clear trade chip. Should the Red Sox look to the future, there are a few candidates to take over the ninth inning in Chapman’s absence. Ranking Red Sox's 4 Best Replacement Plans for Aroldis Chapman We'll go in order here, with the best (and most likely) candidate first followed by a trio of less-heralded options. Garrett Whitlock Whitlock has blossomed into one of the league's most reliable set-up men over the past few seasons. The Rule-5 draft pick from the New York Yankees made an immediate impact in Boston, turning in a sub-2.00 ERA over 73.1 innings in his first big-league season. After missing the majority of the 2024 season with injury, Whitlock bounced back strongly in 2025. He pitched in a career high 62 games to the tune of a 2.25 ERA and 91 strikeouts, another career high. Through the start of the 2026 season Whitlock has played the same set-up role as last season, and he’s played it well. Through 21.2 innings, Whitlock has produced a 2.91 ERA and four wins. Inarguably one of Boston’s most consistent and reliable bullpen pieces this decade, Whitlock seems to be the heir apparent to the closer role. It makes too much sense to give Whitlock the extra responsibility. He has consistently proved his ability to perform under pressure and has long been one of the league's premier late-inning relievers. Tommy Kahnle Should the Red Sox desire to leave Whitlock in his current role, the next logical closer option would be Tommy Kahnle. A 12-year MLB veteran, Kahnle signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox late in the offseason and began his 2026 campaign in Triple-A Worcester. In early June. Kahnle triggered an upward mobility clause, forcing the Red Sox to add him to the roster, lest he would opt-out and seek other opportunities. He impressed upon arrival, tossing four consecutive scoreless appearances (though he's allowed three runs over his last two innings). Despite the small big-league sample size in 2026, Kahnle’s career 3.58 ERA and his track record of success in the majors make a convincing argument for him to take over as the teams closer. Just two years ago, Kahnle posted a 2.11 ERA as a member of the Yankees. His changeup played a big role in his success, holding batters to a .157 average and generating a 38.9% whiff rate. He used the pitch 73% of the time and has similarly leaned into his changeup in 2026. While his smaller 2026 sample size doesn’t display astounding results, it isn’t a far-fetched possibility that Kahnle with his 17 career saves could be a reliable option for the remainder of the season. Tyron Guerrero Another player recently promoted from Triple-A, Guerrero is a power throwing righty. However, his career path has been less than conventional. The 35-year-old has played in parts of four seasons dating all the way back to 2016 and found a consistent role with the Miami Marlins from 2018-2019 but saw undesirable results. Guerrero bounced around the minors and overseas leagues before landing in Worcester this past January. He settled into a closing role with the WooSox, posting a 0.92 ERA across 19.2 innings pitched and earning a call up to Boston in late May. Guerrero has a four-pitch mix but relies heavily on his sinker, utilizing it 76% of the time. His fastball velocity is in the 99th percentile according to Baseball Savant and he averages 99.9 MPH on his sinker. Guerrero clearly has the tools to be an effective closer, but it all comes down to application. He gave up four runs through his first three big league appearances in 2026, good for a 9.82 ERA. However, in eight outings since then, Guerrero has only allowed one run, settling into a 4.35 ERA. Given his recent reliability, the veteran could be the most logical option to take over the closer role if Whitlock stays in his set-up role and Kahnle follows Chapman out the door at the trade deadline. Additionally, Guerrero has seen success as a closer in Worcester and has proven that he can be trusted to take over in high-stakes situations. Eduardo Rivera If Boston decides to look fully to the future, Eduardo Rivera is an intriguing name who could see more playing time as the season continues to slip away. A well-regarded pitching prospect, he got attention earlier this season when he was promoted to the big-league club without making a single appearance in Triple-A. In one relief appearance in Boston, he dominated. Over 3⅓ innings against the Yankees, Rivera allowed just one hit as he struck out three batters. In the two months since then, he has accumulated a 3.29 ERA while holding opponents to a .188 batting average, albeit entirely in the minors. While Rivera isn’t a traditional closer and typically fills in a multi-inning role, his ability to perform well under pressure helps make a case for a potential role change. Additionally, if the season continues to unravel, the experience of high-leverage work could be beneficial for Rivera’s development down the line. View full article

Let's check in on everything that happened down in the Boston Red Sox's farm system on Friday. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-2 Season Record: 35-34 Worcester fell 9-3 as Brayan Bello’s struggles continued to mount up. Bello’s miscues have been well documented throughout 2026, eventually resulting in a demotion to Worcester. In his second appearance since being sent down, Bello struggled to find solid ground, a consistent trend throughout most of his starts this season. Over four and ⅔ innings pitched, Bello allowed three runs on seven hits. He struck out five but his woes continued despite being a step below the big leagues. Joe La Sorsa, another recent demoted player, took the next 1⅓ innings and was excellent. He allowed one hit but that was all as he turned the ball over to Angel Bastardo. Bastardo got the loss for his one inning outing, allowing one more run on two hits. Seth Martinez took the next ⅔ innings as the game got out of hand. Martinez allowed five more runs on five hits before first baseman Nathan Hickey took the final out of an embarrassing defeat. The WooSox struggled to get much going from the plate, reaching base eight times and only having two opportunities at the plate with runners in scoring position. Anthony Seigler and Matt Thaiss had two hits apiece as they generated most of Worcester’s offense. Thaiss got the WooSox on the board with a two RBI single in the fourth. The WooSox only other run came an inning later on Tyler McDonough’s third homer of the season as Worcester grabbed its only lead of the day. The bats were all but silent for the rest of the game as Worcester dropped its second in a row. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 3-1 Season Record: 34-32 Portland triumphed 6-2 behind a nine-strikeout appearance from Gage Ziehl. Ziehl put together one of his best appearances of the season on Friday night. He notched a season-high nine punchouts as he lowered his ERA to 4.56. Ziehl allowed two runs on four hits but didn’t allow a walk over five innings, earning his third win of the season. Max Carlson took the next three innings, allowing two hits but no runs. He struck out three before turning the ball over to Erik Rivera. Rivera was excellent, allowing one hit and striking out one as he sealed the win for Portland. Ahbram Liendo led the way with two hits and three RBIs during Friday night's contest. However, it was Marvin Alcantara who struck first for the Sea Dogs. Alcantara drove in Johanfran Garcia and Miguel Bleis on a double in the second inning. Portland grabbed the lead and didn’t look back as Stanley Tucker drove in Alcantara with an RBI double of his own. Not to be left out, Liendo joined in on the fun. He smashed his fourth homer of the year, driving in Tucker and capping off a five-run second inning. In the seventh, Liendo struck again. He drove in Nelly Taylor on an RBI single as he put an exclamation mark on the four-run victory. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-2 Season Record: 27-37 Greenville won behind a strong three-run ninth inning. Kyson Witherspoon has slowly begun to replicate his stellar final season at Oklahoma over his past few starts. This trend continued on Friday as he pitched five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, but struck out a season-high eight batters. He allowed two walks, but it was a successful appearance for the young righty. Joe Vogatsky took the next three innings and was equally as impressive. Vogatsky allowed three hits but prevented Jersey Shore from scoring any runs as he sat down five batters on strikes, earning Friday’s win. Steven Brooks closed out the victory with a perfect ninth inning, completing the save opportunity. Despite a slow start, Greenville’s bats came up clutch to give it the win. Ronny Hernandez gave the Drive their first run of the day, clubbing his sixth homer of the season and cutting the lead to one run. In the top of the ninth inning, with the score 2-1 in favor of Jersey Shore, Mason White stepped to the plate with hero aspirations. He came through clutch, hitting his third triple of the year and tying the game as Hernandez scored. Then, Yoeilin Cespedes hit his first triple of the year, driving in White and giving the Drive a one run advantage. Cespedes crossed home on a Luke Heyman groundout as the lead was extended. It was better late than never on Friday as the Drive overcame early struggles to claim the win. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals): 2-2 Season Record: 26-40 Salem won its second game in a row as the top of the order was excellent. Brady Tygart started Friday’s game for Salem and turned in a great outing. Over 2⅓ innings Tygart allowed two hits and walked two as he struck out three. Tygart is closing in on a return from injury and could be added to Salem’s roster in the near future. It wasn’t a lengthy outing from Tygart as he turned the ball over to Jacob Mayers in the third inning. Mayers earned the win for his 3⅔ innings of ball. He allowed one run on two hits as he walked four. He struck out six before Wuilliams Rodriguez took over in the seventh inning. Rodriguez struggled, allowing four runs on five hits. He also struggled with command, surrendering four walks. Adam Bates took the final 1⅓ innings, allowing four walks and a run but doing just enough to give Salem the victory as he earned a save. Salem’s top five batters each recorded an RBI, led by Andrews Opata and Kleyver Salazar who had two hits each. Ilan Fernandez scored in the top of the third to open the scoring, crossing home on an Avinson Pinto groundout. Later in the inning, Andruw Musett and Kleyvar Salazar scored as Skylar King reached on a fielding error. Salazar added to the lead in the seventh inning with an RBI single, driving home Justin Barry. Pinto then scored as Musett drew a bases loaded walk. Later in the seventh, Opata scored on a Skylar King sac fly. In the eighth, Opata added another run, driving in Justin Barry on a single to right. Despite a late-innings fight from Fredericksburg, Salem was able to hold onto the win behind efficient hitting. View full article

Sunday was an eventful day down on the farm for the Boston Red Sox. Let's take a look at all that happened. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 5-1 Season Record: 32-28 Excellent relief efforts helped Worcester win their fourth straight game by a score of 5-3. Michael Sansone spun one of his best starts all season on Sunday. He went five innings and allowed four hits and two runs, the lowest number of runs he’s allowed in a start since April 19. Additionally, Sansone K’d five batters, his highest mark in over a month. Osvaldo Berrios took the sixth inning, allowing two walks but escaped unscathed. Seth Martinez pitched the seventh inning, allowing one run before turning the ball over to Kyle Keller. Keller allowed one hit in the eighth before Wyatt Olds closed the game in the ninth. Olds allowed a walk but struck out the other three batters he faced as he sealed Worcester’s fifth win in six days. Matt Lloyd led the WooSox offense with two RBIs while Braiden Ward tallied two hits. Worcester struck quickly as Nate Eaton singled with men on the corners. Ward scored as the WooSox took an early lead. Matt Lloyd extended the lead to three with a two-RBI single later in the first, scoring Eaton and Vinny Capra. Capra didn’t wait long before adding an RBI of his own, scoring Tyler McDonough on a sac fly in the second. Ward added the final run of Worcester’s afternoon in the fourth with a double to right field, scoring Tsung-Che Cheng. From there the bullpen took care of business as they locked down the victory. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 3-3 Season Record: 29-27 Portland snapped their three-game skid with a 3-1 win behind a monster home run from Brooks Brannon. Gage Ziehl threw an excellent game and earned the win, allowing just one run over a six inning start. He let up five hits and one walk, but punched out a season-best eight batters. Max Carlson threw two superb innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three more batters. Reidis Sena earned his fifth save of the year as he shutout Hartford in the ninth. He allowed one hit and one walk as he lowered his ERA to 3.72. Before Brannon’s blast, Portland’s offense found life in Ronald Rosario and Ahbram Liendo. Rosario hit his third homer of the year in the fourth, tying the game at one run apiece. In the fifth, Ahbram Liendo drove in his tenth RBI in the past three games. He scored Nelly Taylor on a slow grounder to third. In the eighth, Brannon put an exclamation point on the day. He swung on and absolutely crushed a low pitch to the fences. The ball rocketed off his bat, clocking in at 115 MPH and travelling an astonishing 464ft. Brannon wasn’t done with his highlight reel day, however. In the ninth, Franklin Arias beat out a ground ball headed for the outfield, slinging it over to Brannon at first and making the play. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves): 2-3 Season Record: 22-32 Greenville’s series finale was cancelled due to rain. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Wilson War Birds (Milwaukee Brewers): 1-5 Season Record: 24-33 Salem fell for the fifth time in six days behind a struggling pitching staff. Cole Tolbert started Sunday’s contest, but didn’t last long. The 23-year-old let up four runs (one unearned) on four hits and two walks over just an inning and ⅓. Yermain Ruiz pitched the next three and ⅔ innings and got the loss for his efforts. He let up two more runs (one unearned) on three hits. He did strike out five, however, as his ERA rose to just 2.45 over six appearances. Devin Gartrell entered for the sixth inning and promptly allowed three more runs to cross home. Wuilliams Rodriguez was the final RidgeYak to pitch as he closed the loss. He allowed two more runs as he punched out three. Despite the loss, Salem fought hard. The RidgeYaks put up seven RBIs on nine hits as they drew a collective five walks. Kleyver Salazar led the way with four RBIs as Avinson Pinto contributed three of his own. It didn't take long for Salem to score. In the first, Andrews Opata scored on a passed ball. Later, Salazar crossed home on a Pinto ground out. Skylar King added another run as he scored on a wild pitch. Pinto added his second RBI with his third homer of the season, tying the game at 4-4. Pinto then tripled in the fifth, tying Salazar as he tied the game once again. Down by six runs in the eighth, Salazar clobbered a grand slam to left center to put the RidgeYaks within reach. Ultimately, Salem fell just short as they lost yet again. View full article