Red Sox minor lines: Mookie Betts' statement month

Pawtucket W 4-2 (In 11)

Brock Holt: 2-5, K, POCS
Ryan Roberts: 0-4, 2 K
Daniel Nava: 2-4, 2B, BB
Ryan Lavarnway: 1-5, 3 K
Bryce Brentz: 1-4, HR, BB, K
Christian Vazquez: 1-4, BB
Alex Hassan: 1-5, 3 K

Allen Webster: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Drake Britton: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

It doesn't feel like it, but Allen Webster has a 2.78 ERA in Pawtucket so far this season. But I'd give that up if it meant more encouraging peripherals. His 17 strikeouts in 32 innings would make one think he was trying to learn to pitch to contact...were it not for the 15 walks.

Portland W 8-6

Mookie Betts: 1-2, 2B, 3 BB, 2 SB
Deven Marrero: 1-2, 3 BB, K, SB
Travis Shaw: 1-5
Sean Coyle: 1-1
Henry Ramos: 0-4

We're almost a month into the season, and it's hard to imagine there are any Mookie Betts doubters left in the world. Coming into 2014 it would be fair to say he'd only had the one great year. Give him a higher level with any level of scouting involved and time to cool off, and he might well prove to be a one-hit wonder.

But, if a player can have a big outlier season, and a player can have a hot month, when you put the two together, back-to-back, with all those various potential speed bumps in between, it's time to accept that Mookie is just that good. A strikeout rate below 10%, a walk rate over it, 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and even some solid-to-better power numbers mixed in. In the rankings of those who believed, his bump will still be moderate. For those who did not, it's gonna be astronomical.

Salem W 11-8

Corey Littrell: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR

There's a fellow by the name of Carlos Asuaje who's tearing it up in Greenville. The problem is he's a mid-round draft pick and 22 years old, making it hard to really buy into that performance too seriously. He needs a promotion to Salem as much as Salem needs him promoted, just to get someone interesting into their lineup.