Red Sox minor lines: Rafael Devers changes tactics

Pawtucket W 6-5

Deven Marrero: 2-4
Marco Hernandez: 1-4, 2B, K
Blake Swihart: 1-4, 2 K
Sam Travis: 1-4, 2B, 2 K
Sean Coyle: 0-3, K

Aaron Wilkerson: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Roman Mendez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

The Nava of the Mound makes his way to Triple-A, and is given a rough greeting at the newest level. Still, he's kind of come from nowhere to now be one step away from the majors, and the way Boston's pitching staff--both starting and relief--is put together, who knows when he'll get a chance? Certainly never expected William Cuevas to.

Portland L 0-2

Wendell Rijo: 1-3, BB

Ty Buttrey: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

What is it with Red Sox pitchers and walks this year?

Salem L 8-13

Yoan Moncada: 2-6, 2B, K, E
Mauricio Dubon: 1-4, BB
Andrew Benintendi: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, E
Nick Longhi: 1-5, K
Rafael Devers: 1-3, 2 BB, SB, E

All three of the big names in Salem err in the field! Such, uh, teamwork?

At the plate, Devers seems to have figured something out: if you can't seem to buy a hit from the baseball gods, then you may as well just draw a bunch of walks. He has seven in his last ten games now, drawing him even with his strikeout total. Players who manage that at the plate do not end up with a .531 OPS very often..

Greenville L 3-5

Michael Chavis: 0-4
Josh Ockimey: 1-3, HR, BB, K, E
Austin Rei: 0-4, 4 K
Kyri Washington: 2-4, 2B, K, CS

Marc Brakeman: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Another game, another Josh Ockimey homer.

Brakeman entered the sixth inning with just the first-inning single to his name. He was a reliever just a couple years back at Stanford, and even in his first year as a full-time starter averaged fewer than six innings per outing. This might be the sort of endurance issue which kept him from doing better...or it might just be a matter of needing to get some more time getting used to the full-time workload of a professional pitcher. Time will tell.