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Saturday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 18, 2013 10:54 AM

Red Sox affiliates
1:00 p.m.
Binghamton Mets – Mark Cohoon (3-1, 3.15 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 22 Ks)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Anthony Ranaudo (5-1, 1.38 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 41 Ks)
NOTE: After last night’s loss the Sea Dogs now hold a slim, one-game lead over the BMets atop the Eastern Division of the E.L. Anthony Ranaudo has gone at least 5 innings in each of his 7 starts this season and has held his opponents scoreless on three of those occasions. He enters the game first in the league in WHIP and second in ERA.

6:05 p.m.
Indianapolis Indians – Daniel Rodriguez (2-3, 6.82 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 36 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Franklin Morales (rehab start)
NOTE: The PawSox welcome Indianapolis to McCoy Stadium for a four game series. Franklin Morales makes his second rehab start with the PawSox. On Monday he allowed 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 4 in 3 innings against Charlotte. Terry Doyle (3-3, 3.63 ERA) will piggyback Morales, looking for better results than on Monday when he allowed 5 runs and 5 hits in an inning of work.

Frederick Keys – Zach Davies (3-2, 4.43 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 26 Ks)
at Salem Red Sox – Michael McCarthy (2-2, 4.73 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 29 Ks)
NOTE: The Salem Sox, winners of 3 of their last 4, can inch over the .500 mark at LewisGale Field where they are 8-8 on the year. Michael McCarthy picked up the loss in his start on Monday, allowing 5 earned runs and 9 hits in 4 innings. He has allowed only 1 walk in his last 13 innings of work.

7:05 p.m.
Charleston RiverDogs – Jose Campos (1-1, 3.97 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 24 Ks)
at Greenville Drive – Cody Kukuk (2-4, 3.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 25 Ks)
NOTE: Last night’s win, only their third of May, helped the Drive halt a five-game losing streak. Cody Kukuk has picked up losses in his last two starts, despite not allowing an earned run over 4 innings last time out versus Asheville. He has allowed 9 walks in those two losses but only 6 hits and on the year he has allowed just 17 hits in 29 1/3 innings.

New England teams
6:35 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Sean Nolin (1-0, 1.93 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Logan Darnell (3-2, 3.06 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 34 Ks)
NOTE: On Friday night the Fisher Cats tasted victory for only the third time in ten meetings with New Britain this season. Scheduled to be the opening day starter, Sean Nolin was forced to stay behind in Dunedin for extended spring training following a leg injury. He has been worth the wait, allowing 2 runs and striking out 11 over 9 1/3 innings in his first two starts for the Fisher Cats this season. Rock Cats starter Logan Darnell’s 47 innings of work are fifth most in the league. He tossed a season-high 8 innings in a loss against Portland last Sunday.

The Cap on Friday; scores, highlights

Posted by Craig Forde May 18, 2013 01:32 AM

Red Sox affiliates
Gwinnett – 4
Pawtucket – 5
WP: Carter (1-0)
LP: Obispo (0-2)
HR: PAW-Brentz (7)
HIGHLIGHTS: Bryce Brentz smacked a one-out, three-run, walk-off homer for the PawSox, who earned a split of their four game series with Gwinnett. It was the seventh home run of the season for Brentz who went 2-for-5 with a double, 3 RBIs and 2 runs. Jackie Bradley Jr. went 1-for-3 with a triple, walk and a run in his return from the disabled list.

Binghamton – 6
Portland – 3
WP: Church (2-3)
LP: Couch (1-1)
S: Walters (11)
HR: POR-Almanzar (7)
HIGHLIGHTS: The BMets put up a three-spot in the top of the ninth thanks to a couple of throwing errors by Sea Dogs first baseman Michael Almanzar. Starter Matt Barnes struck out 7 over 6 innings, but left with the game tied 3-3. Right fielder Peter Hissey went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot with a run scored and his ninth stolen base of the season. He has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts also made two errors in the game and was hitless in 4 at-bats.

Frederick - 2
Salem – 10
WP: Stroup (2-2)
LP: Petersime (1-4)
HR: SAL-Blair (1)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Salem Six (18-21) pounded out a season-high 15 hits in their route of the Keys. Sean Coyle (3-for-5, double, run), Garin Cecchini (3-for-4, double, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) and Carson Blair (2-for-3, home run, 3 RBIs, 3 runs) led the offensive barrage. Starter Kyle Stroup allowed just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings to notch his first win since April 18th.

Charleston – 6
Greenville – 7
WP: Kraus (2-0)
LP: Smith (2-2)
HR: CHA-Bird (3)
HIGHLIGHTS: A Brian Johns two-out single in the bottom of the 11th plated Dreily Guerrero for a Greenville (13-28) walk-off win. The Drive smacked a season-high 17 hits, led by Drew Turocy’s 4-for-5, 2 RBI night. Mookie Betts (3-for-5, double, walk), one of three Drive batters with 3 hits, extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Reliever Kyle Kraus threw 3 scoreless innings for his first win of the season.

New England teams
New Hampshire - 4
New Britain – 3
WP: Crawford (2-1)
LP: Tonkin (1-2)
S: Carreno (3)
HR: NH-Nolan (3), Loewen (3)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Fisher Cats benefited from a two-out error by Danny Santana, scoring Kevin Pillar (20-22) for the go-ahead run in the ninth inning. Despite putting two runners on in the bottom half of the ninth, the Rock Cats (20-21) could not plate a run. Pillar went 4-for-5 with a double, run and stolen base. He has six multi-hit games in his last ten played and his .339 batting average is third best in the E.L. New Britain catcher Josmil Pinto went 3-for-5 with an RBI and run, raising his average to .335, fifth best in the league.

Hanrahan trade paying off...for Pirates

Posted by Craig Forde May 17, 2013 03:16 PM

Right as the Christmas hangover was kicking in for many, Boston and Pittsburgh announced a trade that seemed to sure up the Sox bullpen when they received Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan.

In full the trade was Hanrahan and minor league infielder Brock Holt, for back-end reliever Mark Melancon, shortstop Ivan De Jesus Jr., outfielder Jerry Sands and minor league pitcher Stolmy Pimentel.

In the wake of Hanrahan’s season-ending Tommy John surgery, let us take a look at how this trade truly breaks down (no pun intended) for both teams up to this point in the season.

Hanrahan.jpgOf course Hanrahan’s 2013 can now be deemed a complete bust. He never seemed comfortable coming out of the gate in the ninth inning, routinely allowing base runners even in the four games in which he would earn a save.

His ERA was 9.82, he allowed 10 hits (4 home runs), 6 walks and opponents were hitting .333 against him.

April set-backs and a hamstring issue forced Hanrahan to the disabled list, he rehabbed for two games with Pawtucket (allowing 2 runs, 2 hits and a walk in 2 innings) and in his third appearance after returning to Boston he tore the flexor tendon muscle in his pitching arm…season over.

So with Hanrahan down and out, the Red Sox focus on this trade turns to Brock Holt, a 2009 ninth round pick of the Pirates who has graduated through four levels in the minors in as many seasons, garnering all-star honors at three of those stops.

Last year with Altoona, Holt’s .322 batting average was best in the Eastern League, he was bumped to Triple-A Indianapolis where he hit .432 in 24 games, earning him a late-season call to the big leagues and he continued to hit, collecting 19 hits in 24 games with Pittsburgh.

Holt - a career .317 hitter in the minors - was assigned to Pawtucket, but hasn’t even approached the production that made him a favorable addition to the trade.

Through 31 games he has just 20 hits and is batting .190, eighth worst in the International League for players who average 2.7 plate appearances per game.

So far, not so good for the Red Sox.

As it stands Hanrahan is only signed for this season and is Holt can't regain his stroke, he may be a complete wash as well.

On the flip side, the Pirates are getting results on their end, starting with Mark Melancon who has been near flawless at times serving as the setup man for Jason Melancon.jpgGrilli on a team with the exact same record as the Red Sox, 24-17.

Brought in as a closer option for Boston last season, Melancon failed miserably and was relegated to Pawtucket in April, unable to get back to the big club until June.

He managed to get stronger upon his return to a lesser role and by September was one of the more reliable arms in the Red Sox bullpen, posting a 0.90 ERA in the final month of the season.

That momentum has carried over in his move to the Pirates and in 21 games he has allowed just 1 earned run while striking out 22.

He has a 0.43 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, opponents are hitting just .182 against him and his 14 holds are most in the majors.

Melancon alone (and the money saved on Hanrahan) makes this trade a win for the Pirates, who hope to get some additional production from the other pieces that they obtained.

Ivan De Jesus Jr. was not long for the Red Sox after coming over in the blockbuster trade with the Dodgers last season.

He played 7 games with Pawtucket (batting .385) and got into 8 games with Boston late in the season, but couldn’t muster a hit in 8 at-bats.

Now with Triple-A Indianapolis this season De Jesus has regained the bat that makes him an ideal Quadruple-A guy, hitting .326, second best on the Indians.

De Jesus also has a .929 fielding percentage, splitting time between second, third and shortstop, while also DH’ing twice.

Much like Holt, Jerry Sands has not enjoyed the change of scenery as he has been unable to find that rarified air that he had in Albuquerque (some 5,300 feet above sea level) where he launched 55 home runs over two seasons.

So far, in 38 games with Indianapolis he has yet to send an offering over the fences and is batting .154, second worst in the I.L.

Now Holt, De Jesus and Sands are pretty much organizational depth guys at best, so not much should have been expected of them on a big league level to begin with it.

Stolmy.jpgBut Stolmy Pimentel, who teeters on the brink of prospectdom (was ranked 16th best prospect in Red Sox system by Baseball America prior to 2012 season), came storming out of the gates in April, giving Pittsburgh the notion that they have a steal in the 6’ 3” Dominican righty.

In the season’s first month, the 23-year-old allowed just one run for the Double-A Altoona Curve, posting a league best 0.30 ERA while holding opponents to a .179 batting average.

He has since come crashing back to earth in May, going 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in three starts, but he seems to have turned a major corner just two years after going 0-9 in 15 starts with Portland.

As it stands now the Pirates have become the big winners in this trade and if Pimentel can turn into a viable option for the Pirates than it will be looked back on with much more contempt from Red Sox nation in the future.

Maybe more concerning for the Red Sox is that they must continue to search for a reliable replacement for Jonathan Papelbon.

Friday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 17, 2013 02:31 PM

Red Sox affiliates
6:00 p.m.
Binghamton Mets – Erik Goeddel (3-2, 5.45 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 36 Ks)
At Portland Sea Dogs – Matt Barnes (3-1, 4.65 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 38 Ks)
NOTE: This will be the third time these two teams have gotten together this season. Portland (23-15) has a 4-2 lead in the season series and maintains a two game lead over the second place BMets (22-18) in the E.L. Eastern Division. Matt Barnes has been solid over his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 21 strikeouts while holding his opponents to a .177 batting average.

7:05 p.m.
Gwinnett Braves – Daniel Rodriguez (2-3, 6.82 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 36 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves (2-1, 3.50 WHIP, 1.39 WHIP, 17 Ks)
NOTE: After winning 10 straight games against Gwinnett (going back to the 2012 season), the PawSox will now look to escape with a series split after dropping two in a row to the Braves. Currently Pawtucket (24-17) is one game back of Buffalo in the I.L. North. Alfredo Aceves gets his fourth start but is coming off of a loss where he allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks. He did pick up a win against Gwinnett back on May 7th, scattering 9 hits over 7 innings.

Frederick Keys – Zach Petersime (1-3, 7.06 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 13 Ks)
at Salem Red Sox – Kyle Stroup (1-2, 4.18 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 24 Ks)
NOTE: This will be the first time that Salem (17-21) has seen Frederick since they were swept in three games by the Keys to open the season. Kyle Stroup had his best outing of the season in that series, dealing 5 scoreless innings in a no-decision. Over his last three starts Stroup has allowed 23 hits in 13 2/3 innings.

Charleston RiverDogs – Evan Rytckyj (4-2, 5.22 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 24 Ks)
at Greenville Drive – Pat Light (1-3, 7.71 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 22 Ks)
NOTE: It doesn’t help that the Drive (12-28), who could desperately use a few wins, are facing off against the hottest team in the South Atlantic League for three more games. Pat Light will look to stop the bleeding for both the team and himself, having picked up losses in his last three starts, including his worst as a pro his last time out. On Sunday he allowed 8 earned runs and 9 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

New England teams
6:35 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Tyson Brummett (0-3, 6.11 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 24 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Alex Meyer (2-1, 3.58 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 47 Ks)
NOTE: A current four-game losing streak puts the Rock Cats (20-20) back at .500 and four games behind Portland in the E.L. Eastern Division. The Fisher Cats (19-22) are a game and a half behind New Britain. Alex Meyer picked up a win in his lone start against New Hampshire back on April 25th, allowing only a run over 6 innings while striking out 7. He has allowed 11 earned runs over his last three starts. Tyson Brummett, still in search of his first win of the season, will make his seventh start for the Fisher Cats. In three May appearances batters are hitting .350 against Brummett.

The Cap on Thursday; scores, highlights

Posted by Craig Forde May 17, 2013 12:02 AM

Red Sox affiliates

Gwinnett – 6
Pawtucket – 4
WP: Poveda (3-2)
LP: De La Rosa (0-1)
S: Rasmus (7)
HR: GWI-Cunningham (2)
HIGHLIGHTS: The PawSox (24-17) made a valiant effort at a comeback with 3 runs in the ninht, but fell short and split their four-game series with Gwinnett. Rubby De La Rosa got hooked with the loss despite only allowing one run which was unearned. In four innings he struck out 3 and allowed just 1 hit, but also walked 4 batters. Jose Iglesias went 1-for-4 with an RBI after an off day. The shortstop stole his fifth base of the season, but was also caught stealing for the third time this year.

Portland – 15
New Hampshire – 4
WP: Workman (5-1)
LP: Tepera (4-3)
S: Celestino (1)
HR: POR-Shaw (3), Almanzar (6); NH-Pillar (4), Schimpf (9)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Sea Dogs (23-15) used a season-high 15 runs to take one win away from their trip to neighboring New Hampshire. Travis Shaw went 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, a 3-run homer in the third inning and 4 RBIs. Michael Almanzar went 3-for-5 with 5 RBIs, connecting on his first home run since April 28th. Brandon Workman allowed 3 runs and struck out 6 in 6 innings for the win. Kevin Pillar (3-for-5, RBI, 2 R) took Workman’s second pitch of the game over the right field wall.

Salem – 4
Carolina – 5
WP: Tejada (1-2)
LP: Ott (2-4)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Mudcats rallied for 3 in the bottom of the ninth to sink Salem (17-21). Sean Coyle broke out of a 0-for-26 slump with a 2-for-4 night, scoring 3 runs and stealing 3 bases. Keury De La Cruz and Brandon Jacobs also had 2-for-4 nights at the plate. De La Cruz has hit safely in five straight games and Jacobs has done so in seven straight. In 5 innings of work Henry Owens allowed 1 earned run, 8 hits, no walks and struck out four.

Charleston – 6
Greenville – 3
WP: De Paula (4-2)
LP: Taveras (0-1)
S: Smith (2)
HR: CHA-Bichette (3), Bird (2); GRE-Tavarez (2), Betts (6)
HIGHLIGHTS: Tonight’s loss is the fifth straight for Greenville (12-28), their 13th loss in May, two shy of their April loss total with 15 to play in the month. Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his sixth of the year. Aneury Tavarez went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs on a fourth inning home run. Drive batters struck out 14 times, Charleston starter Rafael De Paula dealt out 11 of them in 6 innings.

New England teams

New Britain – 1
Bowie – 9
WP: Wright (5-0)
LP: May (2-2)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Rock Cats were swept down in Bowie, getting outscored 28-6 in the three game series. They have now lost a season high four straight games. Right fielder Danny Ortiz (1-for-4) threw out two on the base paths and drove in the only run for New Britain. Starter Trevor May lasted only 4 innings, allowing 9 hits and 5 earned runs.

Thursday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 16, 2013 11:23 AM

Red Sox affiliates
7:05 p.m.
Gwinnett Braves – Omar Poveda (2-2, 2.56 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 25 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 4.35 WHIP, 1.21 WHIP, 26 Ks)
NOTE: The PawSox ten game win streak over the Gwinnett Braves (dating back to last season) was snapped on Wednesday night. Prior to last night’s game Pawtucket manager Gary DiSarcina said of tonight’s starter Rubby De La Rosa, “He’s progressed really nice. He’s kind of growing in front of our eyes…he’s been one of the bright points so far, watching him develop.” De La Rosa is still limited in his action, throwing around 65 pitches or 4 innings per outing. In his last four outings he has logged 14 scoreless innings, allowing only 8 hits and 4 walks while striking out 19 batters.

Portland Sea Dogs – Brandon Workman (4-1, 3.54 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 48 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Ryan Tepera (4-2, 2.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 27 Ks)
NOTE: Sea Dogs (22-15) pitchers allowed more walks on Wednesday (14) than tonight’s starter Brandon Workman has allowed (10) in 40 2/3 innings this season. Workman is 3-1 in road games with a 2.88 ERA, holding opponents to a .198 batting average. The Fisher Cats (19-21) three-game win streak ties their longest of the season. New Hampshire starts Ryan Tepera has allowed an equal number of hits and walks in each of his last four starts. Tepera’s 1.10 WHIP is tied for fifth best in the Eastern League, Workman’s 0.96 is tied for second best.

Charleston RiverDogs - Robert Whitenack (N/A)
at Greenville Drive – Frank Montas (1-4, 5.90 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 38 Ks)
NOTE: Swept out of Ashville, the Drive return home to Fluor Field to host Charleston for four games. They opened the season with a four-game series split against the RiverDogs. Tonight’s starter, Frank Montas, has struck out 20 batters over his last 13 innings and has walked only 1 batter in his last five outings.

7:15 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Henry Owens (3-1, 3.57 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 45 Ks)
at Carolina Mudcats – (0-3, 5.91 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 27 Ks)
NOTE: Henry Owens returns to the hill for the Salem Sox (17-20) looking to shake off his shortest outing of the season last Saturday. He did manage to strike out 5, despite only going 3 1/3 innings, and his 45 Ks on the year are second most of any Red Sox farm hand.

New England teams
7:05 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Trevor May (2-1, 3.20 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 37 Ks)
at Bowie Baysox – Mike Wright (4-0, 4.33 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 30 Ks)
NOTE: The Rock Cats come into the night having lost three in a row. It’s the fourth time this season they have dropped three straight. In back-to-back starts versus Portland, Trevor May allowed only 1 run on 5 hits and 3 walks in 14 innings of work. He also struck out 13, including a season-high 10 last Friday.

The Cap on Wednesday; scores and highlights

Posted by Craig Forde May 15, 2013 10:54 PM

Red Sox affiliates

Gwinnett – 6
Pawtucket – 4
WP: Loe (2-0)
LP: Godfrey (2-3)
S: Rasmus (6)
HR: GWI-Mejia (11); PAW-Diaz (1)
HIGHLIGHTS: A four-run first for the PawSox looked like it was the start of something good at McCoy Stadium, until the Braves chipped away with 2 runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. In the first inning Jonathan Diaz launched a solo shot over everything in left field. Bryce Brentz went 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He has 2 hits in each of his last four games, and five of his last six. Chris Martin threw 2 scoreless innings in relief and has not allowed a run in 23 innings this season (3 innings since being called up to Pawtucket this week).

Portland – 4
New Hampshire – 5
WP: Carreno (2-1)
LP: Latimer (0-3)
HR: NH-Tolisano (3)
HIGHLIGHTS: It was an odd one in Manchester where Sea Dogs pitching allowed 14 walks on the night but only 4 hits. Down 4-1 in the ninth, Portland scored three to pull even but New Hampshire won it on a Brad Glenn sac fly in the bottom half of the inning. Fisher Cats third baseman Ryan Schimpf went did not register an at-bat on the night, but earned five free passes. Portland starter Charlie Haeger allowed 7 walks in his five innings and was followed by Daniel Bard who gave up 5 walks and 2 earned runs in just one inning of work.

Salem – 5
Carolina – 4
WP: Quevedo (1-2)
LP: Lee (0-4)
HIGHLIGHTS: Each team collected 8 hits but Salem got five of them in the seventh to plate 4 runs and take a lead that they would hold on to. Matt Gedman (1-for-4) plated two of those runs on a double and has now hit safely in all four games since arriving in Salem. Second baseman Sean Coyle went 0-for-3 and is now hitless in his last seven games.

Greenville – 1
Ashville – 8
WP: Oakes (4-3)
LP: Johnson (1-2)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Tourists used a 7-run fourth inning to sink the Drive (12-27) who are now 2-12 in May. Greenville has lost four straight. Starter Brian Johnson got lit up for 7 runs, 6 earned, on 7 hits and 2 walks. Anuery Tavarez, Jordan Weems and Jose Vinicio all went 2-for-4 on the day, accounting for 6 of the 8 Greenville hits. The Drive return to Fluor Field tomorrow to start a four game series with the Charleston RiverDogs.

New England teams

New Britain – 3
Bowie – 10
WP: Gamboa (1-3)
LP: Dean (1-4)
HR: BOW-Joseph (6), Waring (2), Wheeler (1)
HIGHLIGHTS: Rock Cats starter Pat Dean (Boston College) took it on the chin in this one, allowing 7 earned runs in his shorting outing of the season, 1 1/3 innings. Daniel Ortiz had New Britain’s only extra-base hit, his eleventh double of the season, tied for second most in the Eastern League.

Wednesday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 15, 2013 12:13 AM

Red Sox affiliates
11:00 a.m.
Greenville Drive – Brian Johnson (1-1, 2.18 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 17 Ks)
at Ashville Tourists – Ben Hughes (3-3, 6.95 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 19 Ks)
NOTE: Of the Drive’s 11 loses in May, four have been by one run, including the last two. Brian Johnson has gone 5 innings in each of his last two starts and is coming off of his first win as a pro last Friday versus Augusta.

6:35 p.m.
Portland Sea Dogs – Charlie Haeger (2-0, 3.50 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 15 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Deck McGuire (2-3, 5.11 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 31 Ks)
NOTE: Despite Tuesday’s 3-0 loss the Sea Dogs (22-14) remain 2 ½ game up in the Eastern League’s Eastern Division. Charlie Haeger makes his third start for Portland, both prior starts having come against New Britain. Haeger has allowed only 6 hits in 10 2/3 innings, but has walked nine. The Fisher Cats (18-21) will look to pull to .500 at home (10-11) with a victory tonight. The inconsistencies of Deck McGuire continue, but he is coming off of his second win of the season. Unfortunately he is 0-2 with an ERA of 11.00 in two starts at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium this season.

7:05 p.m.
Gwinnett Braves – Tim Corcoran (1-3, 3.48 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 25 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Steven Wright (2-1, 2.57 WHIP, 1.67 WHIP, 20 Ks)
NOTE: The PawSox (24-15) moved into a tie atop the I.L. North with their 5-3 win on Tuesday. Steven Wright picked up a win in his start at Gwinnett last Thursday, but allowed a season high 6 hits and 3 earned runs.

7:15 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Williams Cuevas (1-4, 6.66 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 19 Ks)
at Carolina Mudcats – Jacob Lee (0-3, 5.91 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 27 Ks)
NOTE: Prior to their six-game losing streak the Salem Sox (16-20) has their heads just about the .500 mark. They’ll look to start treading towards the surface by adding to the momentum of Tuesday’s win with William Cuevas getting his seventh start of the year. The 6-foot righty from Venezuela has been tagged with a loss in his last three starts, allowing 10 earned runs in 13 innings.

New England teams
7:05 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Pat Dean (1-3, 4.23 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 22 Ks)
at Bowie Baysox – Eddie Gamboa (0-3, 4.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 32 Ks)
NOTE: With Tuesday’s 8-2 loss the Rock Cats (20-18) squandered a chance to pull within 2 games of Portland. Former Boston College lefty Pat Dean is making his eighth start having picked up his first victory in his last start against New Hampshire a week ago. Dean has not allowed a walk in 5 straight starts, a span of 30 2/3 innings.

The Cap on Tuesday; scores and highlights

Posted by Craig Forde May 14, 2013 10:49 PM

Red Sox affiliates

Gwinnett – 3
Pawtucket – 5
WP: Webster (2-0)
LP: Gilmartin (2-2)
S: Carter (5)
HR GWI-Boggs (3)
HIGHLIGHTS: The PawSox continued their winning ways against Gwinnett, taking their fifth straight against the Braves behind some solid pitching that allowed only 6 hits on the night. Starter Allen Webster walked 4 in his 5 innings, but allowed only 1 run (a Brandon Boggs solo homer) and struck out five. Justin Henry went 3-for-4 from the top of the order, scoring twice and swiping his sixth base of the season, and Bryce Brentz went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs to lead the PawSox offense.

Portland – 0
New Hampshire – 3
WP: Walden (2-4)
LP: Britton (3-3)
S: Stilson (1)
HIGHLIGHTS: Marcus Walden put together his best outing of the season for the Fisher Cats (18-21), holding the Sea Dogs to just two hits. He forced 13 ground ball outs and struck out 6 over 7 2/3 innings of work. Portland shortstop Xander Bogaerts did not reach base for the first time in 22 games. New Hampshire outfielder Kevin Pillar snapped an 0-for-15 streak, going 3-for-4 on the night with a RBI and a run, raising his batting average to .325. Brad Glenn (2-for-4) and Nashua native Kevin Nolan (2-for-3) also had multi-hit games for the Fisher Cats. The Sea Dogs move to 22-14 on the season.

Salem – 2
Carolina – 1
WP: Augliera (4-0)
LP: Anderson (4-2)
S: Striz (2)
HR: SAL-Gedman (1)
HIGHLIGHTS: Mike Augliera put together a solid outing, allowing only 3 hits in 6 scoreless innings, striking out 4 and allowing no free passes. The win snapped Salem’s six-game losing streak. In his third game since arriving from extended spring training Matt Gedman hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot in the 8th that turned out to be the difference in the game. Gedman has hit safely in all three games with Salem. Shortstop Deven Marrero went 0-for-4, striking out three times. Catcher Blake Swihart (2-for-3, RBI) stole his third base of the season.

Greenville – 8
Ashville – 9
WP: Fernandez (1-1)
LP: Haley (0-6)
HR: GRE-Roberson (1); ASH-Jones (6), Sosa (7)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Drive (12-26) suffered a heartbreaker in this one, giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth after they had taken a lead of their own with 2 in the top half of the inning. Tim Roberson’s two-run for Greenville broke a 6-6 tie, but Justin Haley loaded the bases with one out and a two-error play on a Tom Murphy fly ball to center field plated all three runs. Roberson went 3-for-5 with his first home run of the season and 5 RBIs. Catcher Jayson Hernandez also went 3-for-5, raising his average to .352. Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

New England teams

New Britain – 2
Bowie – 8
WP: Jones (1-2)
LP: Hermsen (1-3)
S: Gurka (3)
HR: BOW-Waring (1), Urrutia (3)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Rock Cats (20-18) bats were cold in Bowie, managing only 4 hits while striking out 10 times. New Britain also staked the Baysox four runs on two errors, but despite the Rock Cats getting within one, Bowie pulled away with 4 runs off of Bobby Lanigan in the eighth inning. Second baseman Jason Christian (1-for-4, run) picked up his second triple in four games, but led the strikeout parade with 3 on the night.

Tuesday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 14, 2013 12:57 PM

Red Sox affiliates
6:35 p.m.
Portland Sea Dogs – Drake Britton (3-2, 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 35 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Marcus Walden (1-4, 3.55 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 17 Ks)
NOTE: The Sea Dogs (22-13) remain in first place in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League as they pull into Manchester for the first time this season. Sox top prospect Xander Bogaerts has reached base in 22 straight games and 26 of 28 games on the year. Starter Drake Britton has pitched 6 innings in each of his last three starts, compiling a 2-0 record with 17 strikeouts. The Fisher Cats (17-21) enter the series with 29 home runs, second most in the E.L., as 5’9” third baseman Ryan Schimpf leads the power surge with a league high 8 round trippers. New Hampshire’s starter Marcus Walden has yielded 55 hits on the season, third most in the league.

7:05 p.m.
Gwinnett Braves – Sean Gilmartin (2-1, 2.70 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 20 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Allen Webster (1-0, 2.70 WHIP, 0.90 WHIP, 26 Ks)
NOTE: The PawSox (23-15) return home after a successful 5-2 road trip that leaves them 1 game back of Buffalo in the International League North. Outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker hit 5 home runs in April, but has not gone yard since April 25th. Allen Webster returns to the hill for Pawtucket following a brutal outing in his return trip to the big club where he allowed 8 runs in 1 2/3 innings versus the Twins. In his last start for the PawSox on May 3rd – which followed his big league debut – Webster dominated the Durham Bulls for 6 innings, allowing only a run on 2 hits while striking out nine.

Greenville Drive – Justin Haley (0-5, 6.66 ERA, 1.87 WHIP, 27 Ks)
at Ashville Tourists – T.J. Oakes (3-3, 6.47 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 20 Ks)
NOTE: The Drive (12-25) could only muster 2 hits last night, which was not enough to back their pitchers who allowed just 5 hits and 1 run. Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to nine games with a third inning single in last night’s 1-0 loss. Tonight’s starter Justin Haley has gone 5 or more innings only once in his 7 starts this season. Over his last three starts he has allowed 14 earned runs, 14 hits and 9 walks in 10 1/3 innings.

7:15 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Mike Augliera (3-0, 3.67 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 23 Ks)
at Carolina Mudcats – Cody Anderson (4-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 28 Ks)
NOTE: The road-weary Salem Red Sox (15-20) continue on their tour of the Carolina League as they play their tenth road game of the month having lost six in a row. Mike Augliera remains a model of consistency, logging at least 5 innings in each of his starts, allowing only 7 earned runs in his last 23 1/3. Reliever Chris Balcom-Miller pitched 2 scoreless innings in last night’s 8-3 loss to Myrtle Beach, his second appearance since returning from a back injury that had him start the season in extended spring training.

New England teams
7:05 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – B.J. Hermsen (1-2, 5.49 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 11 Ks)
at Bowie Baysox – Devin Jones (1-2, 5.23 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 19 Ks)
NOTE: The Rock Cats (20-17) hit the road for just these three games in Bowie, the first meeting of these teams in 2013. Starter B.J. Hermsen picked up his first win of the season in his last outing, despite allowing 8 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings. Catcher Josmil Pinto is batting .348 in May with 3 home runs, 11 RBIs and 9 runs scored.

Monday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 13, 2013 11:36 AM

Red Sox affiliates
7:05 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Mike McCarthy (2-1, 3.49 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 27 Ks)
at Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Nick Martinez (3-2, 2.41 ERA, 29 Ks)
NOTE: Salem (15-19) will be looking to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Pelicans, winners of six in a row. Shortstop Deven Marrero was back in the lineup for the first time since April 22nd after a DL stint for a hamstring injury. The 2012 first-rounder went 1-for-4 in his return. Second baseman Sean Coyle has gone hitless in his last 5 games and his average has dropped from .317 to .242 since the start of May.

Greenville Drive – Cody Kukuk (2-3, 4.62 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 22 Ks)
at Ashville Tourists – Eddie Butler (3-1, 1.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 38 Ks)
NOTE: The Drive (12-24) had their modest two-game win streak snapped on Sunday. Pat Light had his toughest outing as a pro, allowing 8 runs on 9 hits in just 3 1/3 innings. After their brief four game home stand (which they split with Augusta) Greenville hits the road for a quick three games at Ashville. It will be the first time these two teams have met this season. Mookie Betts brings an 8-game hitting streak into the game.

7:15 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Terry Doyle (3-2, 2.56 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 33 Ks)
at Charlotte Knights – Zach Stewart (1-4, 4.22 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 30 Ks)
NOTE: Charlotte ended the PawSox (23-14) season-high 6-game win streak with a 6-4 win on Sunday. Jose Iglesias was without a hit for the third straight game and is 0 for his last 12 at-bats. Pawtucket is 8-2 in May as they wrap up their four-game series in Charlotte before returning home. Knights starter Zach Stewart was 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 11 starts with the PawSox a season ago after coming over from the Chicago White Sox in the Kevin Youkilis trade.

Trio of Sox Minor Leaguers nab weekly honors

Posted by Craig Forde May 13, 2013 11:01 AM

Three Red Sox farm hands earned their respective league’s player of the week honors for the period of May 6th through May 12th thanks to their work at the plate.

Garin Cecchini took the Carolina League’s nod for the second time in three weeks. CecchiniSalem.jpg

The Salem Red Sox third baseman strung together 7 hits on the week including 3 doubles and 2 home runs to go along with 6 RBIs, 7 runs and a stolen base.

Cecchini walked 3 times, struck out only twice and after catching a fast ball on the helmet Saturday he proceeded to go 2-for-3 with a double and solo home run on Sunday.

For the season Cecchini leads the C.L. in batting (.376), on-base percentage (.471) and slugging (.675) and is tied for the league lead in doubles (12).

Hamilton.jpgIn the International League, Pawtucket’s Mark Hamilton hammered his way to the team’s first weekly honor of the season.

The first baseman launched 4 of his 6 home runs during the period, including a 2-homer game versus Charlotte on Saturday.

Hamilton hit safely in all seven games during the week, posting a .400 batting average with 10 RBIs and 7 runs. His 27 RBIs on the season ranks him third in the I.L.

Coming into the week Greenville’s Mookie Betts was batting .150 on the season and inMookie.jpg just seven games raised his average 79 points to .229, earning him the South Atlantic League’s player of the week.

Betts has hit safely in 8 straight games and during the period he had 12 hits, drove in 5, scored 7 runs, stole 2 bases and had a 4-for-5 night against Augusta on Wednesday.

Most notably the second baseman jacked 3 homers, giving him 5 on the year, after not hitting one in 71 games with Lowell a year ago.

Mother's Day pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 12, 2013 09:27 AM

Red Sox affiliates
1:35 p.m.
Portland Sea Dogs – Anthony Ranaudo (4-1, 1.64 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 36 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Logan Darnell (3-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 29 Ks)
NOTE: The Rock Cats (20-16) had only six hits on Saturday, but used a 3-run eighth inning to complete a comeback victory, 5-4, over the Sea Dogs (21-13). Curt Smith’s two-run homer off of Miguel Celestino was the difference in this one. In 2/3 of an inning in relief Daniel Bard allowed 4 walks and a run in the sixth inning. A win by New Britain will pull them within one game of Portland atop the Eastern Division of the Eastern League.

2:15 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves (2-0, 1.38 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 12 Ks)
at Charlotte Knights - John Danks (rehab start)
NOTE: PawSox (23-13) pitching held the Knights to just 2 hits in a 4-0 win on Saturday. Rubby De La Rosa (4 innings) and Chris Hernandez (5 innings) combined for 12 strikeouts on the day. Alfredo Aceves makes his third start for Pawtucket while John Danks is making his second rehab start with Charlotte. The PawSox have a season-high six game win streak intact coming into the day.

3:05 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Kyle Stroup (1-2, 4.30 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 20 Ks)
at Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Alec Asher (2-2, 2.94 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 31 Ks)
NOTE: Henry Owens struggled through his shortest outing of the season (3 1/3 innings) in yesterday’s 9-8 loss to Myrtle Beach. The Salem Sox (15-18) have lost four in a row for the second time in less than two weeks. In the sixth inning third baseman Garin Cecchini, the Carolina’s League’s leading hitter, was struck in the helmet with a fastball and was removed from the game. He was able to get up and walk off on his own.

4:05 p.m.
Augusta GreenJackets – Jose Reyes (1-3, 7.56 ERA,
at Greenville Drive – Pat Light (1-2, 5.09 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 19 Ks)
NOTE: The GreenJackets seem to be just what the Drive (12-23) ordered as they have put together back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-April. In Saturday’s 6-5 win David Chester connected for a home run for the third straight game.

New England teams
1:05 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Sean Nolin (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 2.10 WHIP, 3 Ks)
at Trenton Thunder – Jose Ramirez (0-0, 0.69 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 17 Ks)
NOTE: The top five hitters in the New Hampshire lineup went 0-for-17 as the Fisher Cats (16-21) dropped a 6-2 decision on Saturday. The team’s scheduled starter, Chad Jenkins, was recalled by Toronto prior to the game. Nashua, New Hampshire native Kevin Nolan connected on his second home run of the season in the losing effort. Sean Nolin makes his second start of the season since returning from a groin injury. He has not lost a game since 2011 (Nolin was 10-0 in 2012).

Saturday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 11, 2013 12:59 AM

Red Sox affiliates
6:35 p.m.
Portland Sea Dogs – Matt Barnes (3-1, 5.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 31 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Alex Meyer (2-1, 3.31 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 40 Ks)
NOTE: The Sea Dogs (21-12) and Rock Cats (19-16) split their Friday doubleheader, with New Britain pitcher Trevor May standing out in game two, tossing a complete game (7 innings), 2-hit shutout, with 10 strikeouts. Portland took game one, 6-4, with reliever Chris Martin running his season long scoreless streak to 21 innings. Saturday's matchup features the top pitching prospects for the Red Sox and the Twins. Meyer is 1-0 in three starts against the Sea Dogs this season, allowing 10 runs over 15 2/3 innings. Barnes has two starts against New Britain this season, winning one of them while getting hit up for 5 runs in a 2 1/3 inning no decision in the other.

7:05 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Henry Owens (3-1, 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 40 Ks)
at Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Jerad Eickhoff (2-2, 3.90 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 22 Ks)
NOTE: Friday's 5-1 loss gives Salem (15-17) a 7-8 record at LewisGale Field this season. Henry Owens enters the game with a Carolina League best 0.88 WHIP to go with 40 strikeouts, tied for fourth most. Owens has won his last three starts.

Augusta GreenJackets – Joe Biagini (1-0, 5.57 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 21 Ks)
at Greenville Drive – Frank Montas (1-4, 6.23 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 32 Ks)
NOTE: The Drive (11-23) picked up their first win of May on Friday as 2012 first-rounder Brian Johnson picked up his first win of the season. David Chester hit a home run for the second straight game and Mookie Betts went 4-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to six games.

7:15 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 19 Ks)
at Charlotte Knights – Jason Berken (2-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 30 Ks)
NOTE: A 3-1 victory in Charlotte on Friday gave the PawSox (22-13) a five-game win streak, tying a season high. Rubby De La Rosa will hit the mound with a 10-inning scoreless streak (stretched over three starts) in hand. He has struck out 12 batters in that span.

New England teams
6:35 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Chad Jenkins (0-0, 3.60 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 1 K)
at Trenton Thunder – Matt Tracy (3-2, 8.31 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 23 Ks)
NOTE: The Fisher Cats (16-20) comeback efforts came up short in a 3-2 loss at Trenton. New Hampshire made it interesting, scoring two, two-out runs in the bottom of the ninth before leaving the bases loaded to end it. Chad Jenkins, the Blue Jays 2009 first-round pick, makes his second start of the season. He went 5 innings against New Britain on Monday, allowing 2 runs, 3 hits and a walk in a no decision.

Friday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 10, 2013 12:03 PM

Red Sox affiliates
4:30 p.m.
GAME 1
Portland Sea Dogs – Charlie Haeger (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 14 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Trevor May (1-1, 3.90 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 27 Ks)

GAME 2
Portland Sea Dogs – Brandon Workman (4-0, 2.80 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 42 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Cole DeVries (rehab start)
NOTE: Friday’s doubleheader is actually a makeup of a rainout from April 12th and not last night’s washout which will be made up later in the season. The Sea Dogs (20-11) took two of three games on their last trip to New Britain back in early April. On the year Portland is 7-3 against the Rock Cats (18-15). Brandon Workman’s 42 strikeouts are fifth best in the Eastern League, but all those ahead of him have made one more start. His 0.82 WHIP is tied with teammate Anthony Ranaudo as the low mark in the league.

7:05 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – William Cuevas (1-3, 7.84 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 16 Ks)
at Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Victor Payano (2-2, 5.34 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 37 Ks)
NOTE: The Salem Sox (15-16) dipped under .500 after getting swept by Carolina in Thursday’s doubleheader. They make their first trip of the season to Myrtle Beach for a four game set. The Sox took two of three at home versus the Pelicans back in April. Second baseman Sean Coyle is in the midst of a 1-for-19 slump since slugging two home runs on May 4th. His batting average has dropped 51 points - from .324 to .273 - since last Saturday.

Augusta GreenJackets – Kendry Flores (2-1, 1.23 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 22 Ks)
at Greenville Drive – Brian Johnson (0-1, 2.30 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 14 Ks)
NOTE: The Drive (10-23) chalked up loss number 8 of May last night with a 6-3 loss at Fluor Field. First baseman David Chester launched his team leading 5th home run.. Tonight’s starter Brian Johnson is coming off of a season high 6-strikeout performance last Friday versus Rome where he allowed only 2 hits and a walk over 5 innings.

7:15 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Graham Godfrey (1-2, 4.50 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 19 Ks)
at Charlotte Knights – Roman Colon (0-1, 4.32 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 5 Ks)
NOTE: The PawSox (21-13) roll into Charlotte for four games with the momentum of a four game sweep in Gwinnett. In Thursday’s 14-9 slugfest Ryan Lavarnway went 2-for-5, giving him 5 multi-hit games and 10 RBI over his last ten games. Six other PawSox had a multi-hit game yesterday, including Jose Iglesias who went 2-for-6 with 2 runs scored.

New England teams
7:05 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Ryan Tepera (4-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 22 Ks)
at Trenton Thunder –Mikey O’Brien (1-2, 4.39 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 34 Ks)
NOTE: The Fisher Cats (16-19) evened the season series (4-4) with the Thunder last night behind an 8-3 victory. Outfielder Kevin Pillar went 3-for-5, raising his batting average to .340, third best in the E.L. It was his third straight multi-hit game, and fourth in his last six games.

Thursday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 9, 2013 03:33 AM

Red Sox affiliates
10:35 a.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Steven Wright (1-1, 1.69 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 14 Ks)
at Gwinnett Braves – Roman Colon (0-1, 4.32 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 5 Ks)
NOTE: The PawSox (20-13) will be looking for their fourth straight win. They beat the Braves, 4-1, on Wednesday and Jose Iglesias went 1 for 5 in his first action since Saturday.

5:30 p.m.
GAME 1
Carolina Mudcats – Cody Anderson (3-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 23 Ks)
at Salem Red Sox – Mike Augliera (3-0, 4.12 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 18 Ks)

GAME 2
Carolina Mudcats – Jacob Lee (0-2, 5.13 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 25 Ks)
at Salem Red Sox – William Cuevas (1-3, 7.84 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 16 Ks)
NOTE: Wednesday’s rainout was the third of the season for Salem (15-14). A sweep of the doubleheader will make it five wins in a row for the Sox. Third baseman Garin Cecchini’s .379 batting average is best in the Carolina League.

6:35 p.m.
Portland Sea Dogs – Charlie Haeger (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 14 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Trevor May (1-1, 3.90 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 27 Ks)
NOTE: The Sea Dogs (20-11) took two of three games on their last trip to New Britain back in early April. On the year Portland is 7-3 against the Rock Cats (18-15).

7:00 p.m.
Augusta GreenJackets – Chris Stratton (2-2, 2.83 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 36 Ks)
at Greenville Drive – Justin Haley (0-4, 6.14 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 24 Ks)
NOTE: The month of May has been unkind to the Drive (10-22) who are 0-7 since the calendar turned. The pitching staff boasts the highest ERA (4.89) in the South Atlantic League and the second lowest team batting average (.224).

New England team
7:05 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Deck McGuire (1-3, 5.34 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 29 Ks)
at Trenton Thunder –Zach Nuding (1-3, 2.27 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 27 Ks)
NOTE: The Fisher Cats (15-19) are in the midst of a three game losing streak. It is the fourth time this season they have had such a run of loses. The team’s 25 home runs are one behind Altoona in the Eastern League.

Iglesias deals with struggles, attitude

Posted by Craig Forde May 8, 2013 12:03 PM

The 2013 season couldn’t have started any better for Jose Iglesias, but now the sure-JoseIggy.jpghanded shortstop prospect is mired in a sea of doubt, leading to a benching that has left many to speculate the issues behind it all.

The Red Sox top defensive prospect found himself with the big club to start the season, taking over for the position that many expected him to inherit by this point for 6 games before being optioned to Pawtucket to make room for Stephen Drew.

In his time with Boston he hit .450 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored, making many believe that the guy who had a .262 average in his three minor league seasons might actually turn into a decent hitter.

But alas Drew came off of the disabled list and Iglesias found himself back in Pawtucket for the third straight season.

The hot bat did not make the trip and Iglesias has a .232 average since joining the PawSox, despite a career high three home runs.

On Tuesday night the shortstop found himself out of the lineup for the third straight night.

It seemingly starts on Saturday (and most likely a little before that), when in the fourth inning versus Durham, Iglesias grounded a one-strike pitch to the first baseman and failed to run down the line on what was a sure out.

He was replaced by Jonathan Diaz at shortstop when the team took to the field in the top of the fifth and he hasn’t played since.

Manager Gary DiSarcina called it a “manager’s decision” and echoed that statement to Pawtucket Times writer Brendan McGair on Sunday when Iglesias’ name was not in the starting lineup.

In the presence of the “big brotherly” David Ortiz, who rehabbed with Pawtucket for 6 games, Iglesias seemed a bit more upbeat and emotionally invested, tagging alongside the slugger in the clubhouse and on the bench.

All reports since Ortiz rejoined the big club point to a much more discontented Iglesias, including Sean McAdam’s which quotes Boston manager John Farrell as saying that the shortstop is, “dealing with some things."

Iglesias is healthy and capable of playing, but has shown at times that he would rather be elsewhere...that elsewhere being Boston of course.

Ultimately, it seems clear that Iglesias is having a tough time with his struggles at the plate on the Triple-A level, and after hitting well in the majors (albeit over a very small time frame) it all starts tying together in his mind, possibly leading to an issue in his attitude where he feels that he should have never been back to this point.

However, he is back to this point because the Red Sox went out and got Drew in the offseason to play shortstop because they were unsure of Iglesias' readiness to be an everyday big-leaguer.

With attitude issues the club may have more to be unsure about, but are hoping that maybe some off days will quell this situation all-together.

Craig Forde can be reached by email at cforde@globe.com and follow him on Twitter @OnDeckBDC.

Wednesday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde May 8, 2013 09:35 AM

Red Sox affiliates
10:30 a.m.
GAME 1
Greenville Drive – Cody Kukuk (2-2, 3.63 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 19 Ks)
at West Virginia Power – Joely Rodriguez (1-2, 4.06 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 26 Ks)

GAME 2
Greenville Drive – Jason Garcia (2-2, 3.63 ERA, WHIP, 19 Ks)
at West Virginia Power – Orlando Castro (3-2, 1.36 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 29 Ks)

11:00 a.m.
Carolina Mudcats – Cody Anderson (3-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 23 Ks)
at Salem Red Sox – Mike Augliera (3-0, 4.12 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 18 Ks)

6:00 p.m.
Reading Fightin’ Phils – David Buchanan (1-3, 5.09 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 17 Ks)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Franklin Morales (rehab start)

6:05 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Terry Doyle (2-2, 3.03 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 28 Ks)
at Gwinnett Braves – Sean Gilmartin (2-1, 2.70 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 20 Ks)

New England team
5:05 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Pat Dean (0-3, 4.22 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 17 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Marcus Walden (1-3, 2.97 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 15 Ks)

Tuesday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde May 7, 2013 01:23 PM

Red Sox affiliates
5:05 p.m.
GAME 1
Greenville Drive – Pat Light (1-1, 4.91 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 23 Ks)
at West Virginia Power – Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 16 Ks)

GAME 2
Greenville Drive – Cody Kukuk (2-2, 3.63 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 19 Ks)
at West Virginia Power – Joely Rodriguez (1-2, 4.06 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 26 Ks)

6:00 p.m.
Reading Fightin’ Phils – Hector Neris (2-1, 3.91 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 23 Ks)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Anthony Ranaudo (4-0, 1.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 30 Ks)

6:05 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 6 Ks)
at Gwinnett Braves – Daniel Rodriguez (1-2, 7.48 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 27 Ks)

7:05 p.m.
Carolina Mudcats – Joseph Colon (0-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.022 WHIP, 16 Ks)
at Salem Red Sox – Kyle Kaminska (0-3, 7.56 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 15 Ks)

New England team
5:05 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – B.J. Hermsen (0-2, 4.91 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 9 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Sean Nolin (NR)

Monday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde May 6, 2013 01:28 PM

Red Sox affiliates
6:00 p.m.
Reading Fightin’ Phils – Greg Smith (NR)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Matt Barnes (2-1, 6.75 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 27 Ks)

6:05 p.m.
Pawtucket Red Sox – Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 7.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 13 Ks)
at Gwinnett Braves – Omar Poveda (2-1, 1.93 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 24 Ks)

7:05 p.m.
Greenville Drive – Pat Light (1-1, 4.91 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 23 Ks)
at West Virginia Power – Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 16 Ks)

New England team
6:35 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Logan Darnell (3-1, 2.16 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 27 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Chad Jenkins (NR)

Sunday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde May 5, 2013 11:19 AM

Red Sox affiliates
1:00 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Alex Meyer (2-1, 2.57 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 34 Ks)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Brandon Workman (4-0, 2.73 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 34 Ks)

1:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls – Jake Odorizzi (2-0, 3.33 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 36 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Steven Wright (1-0, 1.93 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 13 Ks)

2:00 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Mike McCarthy (1-1, 3.74 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 21 Ks)
at Winston-Salem Dash – Terance Marin (2-1, 6.57 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 19 Ks)

5:05 p.m.
Greenville Drive – Frank Montas (1-3, 6.00 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 13 Ks)
at West Virginia Power – John Kuchno (0-1, 5.14 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 15 Ks)

New England team
1:35 p.m.
Reading Fightin’ Phils – Seth Rosin (1-2, 3.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 20 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Ryan Tepera (3-1, 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 18 Ks)

Saturday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde May 4, 2013 12:03 PM

Red Sox affiliates
1:00 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Trevor May (1-1, 4.62 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 24 Ks)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Charlie Haeger (1-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 6 Ks)

1:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls – J.D. Martin (2-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 21 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Terry Doyle (2-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 17 Ks)

7:00 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Henry Owens (2-1, 2.80 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 30 Ks)
at Winston-Salem Dash – Christopher Beck (2-3, 1.45 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 19 Ks)

New England team
5:05 p.m.
Reading Fightin’ Phils – Jesse Biddle (2-1, 1.74 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 40 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-3, 2.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 30 Ks)

Friday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde May 3, 2013 01:57 PM

Red Sox affiliates
6:00 p.m.
New Britain Rock Cats – Pat Dean (0-3, 4.56 ERA, 11 Ks)
at Portland Sea Dogs – Drake Britton (2-2, 4.44 ERA, 25 Ks)

6:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls – Alex Colome (1-3, 2.28, 27 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox – Allen Webster (0-0, 3.21 ERA, 17 Ks)

7:00 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Michael McCarthy (1-1, 3.74 ERA, 21 Ks)
at Winston-Salem Dash - Chris Bassitt (3-0, 2.10 ERA, 28 Ks)

Greenville Drive – Brian Johnson (0-1, 3.38 ERA, 8 Ks)
at Rome Braves – Mauricio Cabrera (1-2, 2.70 ERA, 13 Ks)

New England team
6:35 p.m.
Reading Fightin’ Phils – David Buchanan (1-3, 4.91 ERA, 14 Ks)
at New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Tyson Brummett (0-2. 5.00 ERA, 16 Ks)

Wednesday's pitching matchups, notes

Posted by Craig Forde May 1, 2013 10:11 AM

Red Sox affiliates
11:35 a.m.
Portland Sea Dogs – Charlie Haeger (1-0, 2.70 ERA, 6 Ks)
at Reading Fightin’ Phils – Brody Colvin (1-0, 3.97 ERA, 4 Ks)

6:35 p.m.
Salem Red Sox – Mike Augliera (3-0, 4.24 ERA, 14 Ks)
at Wilmington Blue Rocks – Kyle Smith (0-1, 2.33 ERA, 29 Ks)

7:00 p.m.
Greenville Drive – Cody Kukuk (1-3, 6.00 ERA, 27 Ks)
at Rome Braves – Patrick Scoggin (3-2, 4.98 ERA, 17 Ks)

NOTES: After two starts with Pawtucket, knuckleballer Charlie Haeger returns to the Sea Dogs (14-9) where he last pitched in 2011 before missing the entire 2012 season with an elbow injury. In his prior stint with Portland, Haeger went 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 50 innings. He has pitched parts of five seasons in the majors throughout his 11 year career, compiling a 2-7 record with a 6.40 ERA...Mike Augliera will look for this third straight win tonight in Wilmington. The Salem Sox (12-11) starter has allowed 2 earned runs in each of his last two outings, including a 7 inning start last Thursday against the Blue Rocks where he had a season high 6 strikeouts. With three hits last night third baseman Garin Cecchini extended his hitting streak to seven games, including six straight multi-hit games. Cecchini is batting .519 during the streak. Teammate Sean Coyle had his seven game hit streak snapped last night...Cody Kukuk makes his fifth start of the season for Greenville (10-15) tonight and his fourth on the road. The lefty is 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA away from Fluor Field, striking out 4 batters in each of his three road starts. Kukuk has allowed only 9 hits over 17 1/3 innings, but his 11 free passes pushes his WHIP to 1.15, a reasonable number that can easily be wittled down with more work.

New England team
6:35 p.m.
Harrisburg Senators – Brian Broderick (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 20 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats – Logan Darnell (2-1, 2.73 ERA, 21 Ks)

7:05 p.m.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Marcus Walden (1-3, 3.29 ERA, 12 Ks)
at Trenton Thunder – Jose Ramirez (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 Ks)

NOTES: Rock Cats (13-12) starter Logan Darnell enters the day with the 11th best ERA in the Eastern League, looking to secure a successful homestand with a win. On the flip side, he also brings with him the 12th highest WHIP (1.52) in the league, so he will need to limit the hits, of which he has yielded 15 over his last two starts. Darnell threw 5 innings of 1-run ball against Harrisburg back on April 9th, but did not factor in the decision and did not strike out a batter...Marcus Walden will look to build off the success of his first win in his last start against Reading on Friday. In his last two starts the right-hander from Fresno has allowed only 2 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. However, he has allowed 7 or more hits in each of his five starts and the 42 hits he has given up are most in the E.L. The good side on those numbers is that none of those 42 hits have left the yard and he has only walked 6 batters. Fisher Cats (11-15) first baseman Clint Robinson (.318 batting average) has a five game hit streak brewing.

Tuesday's pitching matchups

Posted by Craig Forde April 30, 2013 11:33 AM

Red Sox affliates
12:05 p.m.
Columbus Clippers - Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 16 Ks)
at Pawtucket Red Sox - Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 9.31 ERA, 8 Ks)

6:35 p.m.
Portland Sea Dogs - Brandon Workman (3-0, 3.13 ERA, 28 Ks)
at Reading Fightin' Phils - Seth Rosin (1-1, 3.60 ERA, 17 Ks)

Salem Red Sox - Kyle Stroup (1-1, 3.72 ERA, 15 Ks)
at Wimington Blue Rocks - Kyle Zimmer (0-2, 4.76 ERA, 34 Ks)

New England teams
5:35 p.m.
GAME 1
New Hampshire Fisher Cats - Ryan Tepera (3-0, 2.42 ERA 13 Ks)
at Trenton Thunder - Matt Tracy (1-2, 13.17 ERA, 9 Ks)

GAME 2
New Hampshire Fisher Cats - Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-3, 3.16 ERA, 26 Ks)
at Trenton Thunder - Caleb Cotham (1-1, 5.29 ERA, 15 Ks)

6:35 p.m.
Harrisburg Senators - Caleb Clay (2-0, 2.70 ERA, 18 Ks)
at New Britain Rock Cats - Alex Meyer (2-0, 1.64 ERA, 26 Ks)

About the author

Craig Forde covers baseball talent as it develops into the next big thing. He has covered high school and college sports for the Boston Globe, and the minor league teams More »

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