Red Sox minor lines: Struggles at the top, success below

Pawtucket L 2-12

Jackie Bradley Jr.: 1-4
Travis Shaw: 0-3, BB, K
Allen Craig: 0-3, BB
Garin Cecchini: 2-3, 2B, BB
Marco Hernandez: 0-4, 2 K

As you can see, Pawtucket is struggling to cope with the demands the Red Sox have suddenly placed on their pitching staff. At least Garin Cecchini is doing stuff, though? A .308 average and .379 OBP in July. It's understandable if you've given up on him at this point, but hey, it's something.

Portland W 3-2 (In 10)

Manuel Margot: 0-5, SB
Carlos Asuaje: 2-4, BB, K, SB, POCS
Sam Travis: 0-3, BB, K

Justin Haley: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Believe it or not, this is the first time Margot and Travis have both gone hitless in a game for the Sea Dogs since joining the team a month ago. .

Salem L 0-12

Wendell Rijo: 0-2, BB, K

Kevin McAvoy: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR

Wendell Rijo is very much looking like a flash-in-the-pan prospect. Once he was matching Margot hit-for-hit in Greenville during the hotter days of 2014, but now he's languishing in Salem, not doing much to warrant interest.

And yes, I'm ignoring that McAvoy start as much as possible because, man, this day has already been terrible and I just can't.

Lowell W 2-1

Luis Alexander Basabe: 2-3, 2B, BB
Andrew Benintendi: 0-3, BB
Tate Matheny: 0-3, K
Victor Acosta: 0-3, BB
Josh Ockimey: 1-3, 2 K
Austin Rei: 0-3, 2 K

The clear highlight of the Spinners' season thus far is Andrew Benintendi, which is as it should be. But second place almost certainly goes to Luis Alexander Basabe. There's still plenty of problems there--the strikeouts in particular are very high--but he's putting up a solid batting line with a good combination of power and speed. Signed in the same international class as Wendell Rijo to a similar bonus, Basabe is the type you might expect to share a similar fate somewhere down the line, but as was the case with Rijo, it's not at all impossible to imagine he turns into something real.

Signed for half as much in that same class? Javier Guerra, whose star has risen rather more dramatically.

GCL Red Sox W 9-1 (In 7)

Kyri Washington: 2-4, K
Yoan Aybar: 2-4, K
Trent Kemp: 1-3

Anderson Espinoza: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, E

GCL Red Sox W 13-3 (In 7)

Kyri Washington: 2-3, 2B, BB
Yoan Aybar: 3-3, BB
Jagger Rusconi: 1-3

Finally, some offense! Aybar really is doing everything in his power to justify the folks who pegged him as a sleeper pick heading into 2014, and will definitely be one of the more interesting players to watch should he hit full-season ball next year. But it's Anderson Espinoza who's really stealing the lower-level spotlight. Remember, even before signing Yoan Moncada, Espinoza (along with Chris Acosta) was reason enough for the Red Sox to go over their bonus pool in the 2014-2015 signing period. And right now, he's just about untouchable on the mound.