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Red Sox minor lines: From peanut hitting to relief pitching

Williams Jerez has seen his career take an unexpected turn, but he seems to be making the most of things in his new role on the mound.

Pawtucket L 0-2

Jackie Bradley Jr.: 0-3, BB, K
Deven Marrero: 1-4, K
Allen Craig: 1-4
Bryce Brentz: 0-4, 2 K
Travis Shaw: 1-4, K
Garin Cecchini: 0-1, 2 BB

Henry Owens: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

At this point, it will only be noteworthy when Henry Owens doesn't walk everyone. When he does, it's just the status quo. So far he's had only two games this season with fewer than three despite only once recording an out as late as the seventh. He was never the stingiest pitcher in the world, but this is just a stunning loss of control.

Portland W 8-2

Carlos Asuaje: 2-4, 2 HR, K

Screw it, all aboard the Carlos Asuaje hype train! Sure, he was an 11th round pick. Sure, he's almost always been old for his level. Sure, he's not exactly drawn eyes in the scouting community. But all Carlos Asuaje has done is hit, hit, and hit some more. Maybe he's just Ryan Lavarnway with a halfway decent glove. Or maybe he's Daniel Nava with a halfway decent glove. That the chance exists for the latter to be true is reason enough to watch.

Salem W 4-0

Sam Travis: 0-3, BB
Wendell Rijo: 2-4, 2B, K

Teddy Stankiewicz: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Teddy Stankiewicz responds to one of his roughest outings of the year with domination. He's still working off the debt of his less impressive starts, but it's games like this that remind you that he was a 2nd round pick.

Greenville W 5-3

Nick Longhi: 0-3, K
Javier Guerra: 1-4, K
Michael Chavis: 0-4, K

Williams Jerez: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

I've liked Williams Jerez ever since we heard that story about him being discovered hitting peanuts in a park. Unfortunately, he kept on hitting peanuts once he made his way to professional baseball, if you catch my meaning, and now has found his way to the mound. Generally speaking, hitters-turned-pitchers don't stand much of a chance. But Jerez has put up 33 strong innings with the Drive this season, striking out 37 while walking just seven. Yeah, he's old for his league, and doesn't have a full repertoire just yet, but his fastball has enough power to get outs in low-A, and him having this much control of it so early on is a surprise. He's only been pitching professionally for a year now, and if you go by that scale, he's ahead of the curve.