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Red Sox minor lines: Minor league season starts with a no-hitter (again)

It wasn't Brian Johnson's (pictured), but the Red Sox farm system once again got off to an excellent start on the mound with an Opening Day no-hitter.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Pawtucket W 4-0

Jackie Bradley Jr.: 1-5, 2B, 2 K
Rusney Castillo: 2-4, BB, SB, CS
Travis Shaw: 1-5, K
Bryce Brentz: 1-2, 3 BB, K
Garin Cecchini: 1-5, 2 K
Blake Swihart: 1-5
Deven Marrero: 0-3, BB, 2 K
Sean Coyle: 0-3, BB, K

Brian Johnson: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Noe Ramirez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Heath Hembree: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Rusney Castillo wastes no time beginning his campaign for a call-up, but Shane Victorino met his challenge last night with a strong performance in Philadelphia, with perhaps the most important bit being his excellent grab in right field to kill a seventh-inning rally that almost let the Phillies back in the game.

Brian Johnson is a little late arriving to Pawtucket at 24 years of age, but that's just a result of a conservative approach from the organization. He's excelled at every level without any real stumbles along the way. He's always coped well with promotions and the new challenges they present, and this last one before the majors is no different if Opening Day is any sign.

Portland

Photo Credit: Marc Normandin, the greatest photojournalist of all time truly mankind has never known a better photographer help me I am not saying this of my own fre

For some reason their game was postponed.

Salem W 2-0 (In 6)

Manuel Margot: 3-3, 2 SB
Sam Travis: 0-3, K
Wendell Rijo: 1-3, HR
Tzu-Wei Lin: 0-3, 2 K

Jacob Dahlstrand: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Alright, so it's only a 6(.1) inning no-hitter, but this is two years in a row that a Red Sox minor league team has started the season with a complete game no-hitter, however many innings may have been involved. At 23, Dahlstrand has a long way to go to prove himself, but after an excellent end to 2014 he's at least earned some attention as a possible late-bloomer.

Wendell Rijo and Manuel Margot were putting on a show in Greenville early last year. Margot kept right on running through the season, while Rijo fell off for a while in the middle of the summer. By the end of the season, however, Rijo managed to put on a surprising show of power, and now both seem to have carried over their 2014 strengths into 2015.

Greenville W 3-2

Nick Longhi: 1-3, BB
Rafael Devers: 0-3
Michael Chavis: 2-4, 2B, HR
Javier Guerra: 0-3, 2 K

Ty Buttrey: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

As tends to happen with first-round picks in systems with a bunch of upper-level talent, Michael Chavis has flown a bit under the radar despite getting off to a decent start in the GCL. The Red Sox have decided to skip the Lowell formalities, sending the 19-year-old right to Greenville where, if he keeps on hitting anything like this, he could find himself on the verge of being a household name before the end of the year.

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