Pawtucket G1 L 1-2
Tzu-Wei Lin, LF: 3-4, 1 SB, 1 CS
Brock Holt, SS: 0-2, 1 BB, 2 K
Michael Chavis, 2B: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 K
Rusney Castillo, CF: 0-2, 1 BB
Sam Travis, 1B: 0-2, 1 BB, 2 K
Josh Ockimey, DH: 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Mike Shawaryn: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K (95 pitches)
Josh Taylor: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (20 pitches)
Pawtucket G2 L 4-5
Mike Miller, SS: 1-3, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K
Rusney Castillo, DH: 0-3, 1 K
Michael Chavis,3B: 0-3, 1 K
Sam Travis, LF: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 K
Josh Ockimey, 1B: 0-2, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 K
Bryce Brentz, RF: 0-3, 2 K
Gorkys Hernández, CF: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 K
Jordan Romanski, C: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K
Domingo Tapia: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (29 pitches)
Travis Lakins: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K (16 pitches)
Jenrry Mejia: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 H, 2 BB, 0 K (30 pitches)
This is a tough doubleheader for the PawSox, who lost a pair of one-run games. They lost the first in the sixth (minor-league doubleheaders are seven-inning games) and the second was a 4-0 game up until the sixth when Buffalo scored a run in the sixth and four more in the seventh. Brutal stuff. On the plus side, Shawaryn was fantastic yet again and he continues to make a case for himself to earn a major-league role. I’ll put it this way: it shouldn’t be too long until Shawaryn gets the call instead of Erasmo Ramírez. On the more negative side, Mejia struggled mightily for the first time this year, which should put a damper on the increasingly loud calls for him to head up to the majors.
Portland L 2-5
Jeremy Rivera, 3B: 2-2, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI
C.J. Chatham, SS: 1-4, 1 K
Bobby Dalbec, 1B/3B: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Brett Netzer, 2B: 1-4, 1 K
Darwinzon Hernandez: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (90 pitches)
Durbin Feltman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (11 pitches)
It’s been a brutal start to the year for the Sea Dogs, who fall to 2-7 with this loss on Tuesday. The pitching was the big story here, with Hernandez drawing all eyes from Red Sox fans every time he takes the mound. Once again, we saw the stuff with a strikeout per inning. He now has 15 strikeouts across five innings of work through his first two outings. On the other hand, his command was clearly off with three walks and six hits being allowed. It’s also worth nothing that it’s been nine days between outings, which probably doesn’t help matters. Still, Hernandez has a ton of talent and we should definitely be excited, but there’s still work to do. Feltman, on the other hand, is ready right now. The 2018 draftee has six strikeouts and two walks on the year in four innings, and over his last three outings he has five strikeouts and no walks. They’re going to take their time a big more with him, but I’d be more than okay seeing Feltman up right now.
Salem L 0-2
Jarren Duran, CF: 2-4, 2 K
Ryan Fitzgerald, SS: 1-3, 1 BB
Pedro Castellanos, 1B: 0-4, 2 K
Charlie Madden, C: 2-4
Victor Acosta, LF: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 K
Kutter Crawford: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K (80 pitches)
This game was tied at zero heading into the ninth before Jake Cosart came out for a second inning of work and allowed a go-ahead home run that would eventually lose the game. Before that, though, Crawford was fantastic. One of the biggest breakouts in the system last year, Crawford still isn’t super highly thought of by scouts but he’s trying to prove them wrong with another big year in 2019. He’s off to a nice start. The righty is yet to go beyond these 5 2⁄3 innings in any start, but he still has a 1.32 ERA over his first 13 2⁄3 innings and three starts with 20 strikeouts and six walks. Additionally, Duran has another two hits under his belt and he’s now hitting .386 with an .890 OPS.
Greenville W 4-3
Cole Brannen, CF: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 SB
Triston Casas, 1B: 0-4, 2 K
Tyler Esplin, RF: 2-4, 1 R, 2 K
Brandon Howlett, 3B: 1-4, 2 K, 1 CS
Grant Williams, SS: 2-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Thad Ward: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 7 K (85 pitches)
Yorvin Pantoja: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (34 pitches)
Greenville saved the organization from a winless Tuesday with a big, comeback win that came on the back of a two-run ninth. It was Williams playing hero with a two-run double in the top half of the ninth to put Greenville out in front. Before that happened, there wasn’t much to write home about. Pantoja isn’t really a prospect, but he was phenomenal in relief. Ward is more of a prospect, and while the strikeouts are great to see the baserunners and efficiency are not. Brannen continues to struggle at the plate with a .146 batting average and .368 OPS, but he does already have seven stolen bases. Casas is certainly the biggest name here, and he is also struggling. The 2018 first round pick is striking out in 39 percent of his plate appearances. Of course, it’s still very early.
Player of the Game: There were a few really impressive pitching performances on Tuesday, but Kutter Crawford has to get the call here. The righty, who was drafted in the 16th round in 2017, is coming off a year in which he finished with a 2.96 ERA and over a strikeout per inning in 21 Greenville starts last year before struggling a bit in six starts with Salem to close out the year. He’s looking much better to start this year, and a midseason promotion to Portland is far from out of the question. He was only drafted a couple years ago, but Crawford turned 23 at the start of the year so they won’t be afraid to push him a bit if he’s performing.