Red Sox Minor Lines: Thad Ward continues to shine

Pawtucket L 3-5

Chris Owings, SS: 2-3, 1 HR, 1 R< 1 RBI, 1 K

Tzu-Wei Lin, 3B: 1-4, 1 K

Rusney Castillo, RF: 1-4, 1 K

Sam Travis, 1B: 0-4, 2 K

Josh Ockimey, DH: 0-4, 2 K

Gorkys Hernández, CF: 2-4, 1 HR< 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K

Cole Sturgeon, LF: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI

Teddy Stankiewicz: 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K (96 pitches)

Mike Shawaryn: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K (28 pitches)

It’s been a rough go of late for the PawSox, and one player in particular is struggling mightily. Josh Ockimey got off to a torrid start at Triple-A this year, but the last couple of weeks have been brutal. He doesn’t have a multi-hit game since June 19, and in the twelve games since then he has only four hits total. In this slump, his OPS has dropped from .887 down to .820.

Portland W 9-2

Jarren Duran, CF: 1-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB

C.J. Chatham, SS: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 R, 1 K

Bobby Dalbec, 3B: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 R, 2 RBI

Joey Curletta, 1B: 0-4, 1 K

Brett Netzer, 2B: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI

Denyi Reyes: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K (98 pitches)

Durbin Feltman: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (19 pitches)

Dalbec has some power, you guys. The third base prospect obviously has his flaws, but when he’s hitting it is just a joy to follow. This latest dinger brings him up to 18 on the year and gives him four in his last five games. He’s got to be up in Triple-A after the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Feltman continues to improve out of the bullpen. He’s still not quite where he needs to be consistency-wise to get in the majors, as this did break a six-outing streak of allowing at least one walk.

Salem W 2-1

Pedro Castellanos, 1B: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K

Ryan Fitzgerald, SS: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 CS

Marcus Wilson, CF: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 K

Thad Ward: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K (82 pitches)

We are watching a true breakout from Ward this season. Last year’s fifth round pick has been electric all year, and it doesn’t seem the move from Greenville to Salem has affected him one bit. His numbers have been incredible all year and he now as a 1.65 ERA through three starts at High-A with 19 strikeouts and ten walks. On top of the numbers, the reports from his games have been stellar as well. The Red Sox just might have A Guy in Ward.

Greenville L 2-9

Cole Brannen, CF: 1-3, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 K, 1 CS

Tyler Esplin, RF: 0-2, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Devlin Granberg, 1B: 3-4, 1 R, 1 K

Brandon Howlett, DH: 0-4, 2 K

Alex Scherff: 0.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 2 K (45 pitches)

Logan Browning: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (31 pitches)

Yikes. Early in the year, Scherff was one of the more exciting pitchers in the Red Sox system as he got off to a hot start after he was gaining some helium over the winter and in camp. He has fallen off in a big way since then, with this hopefully being rock bottom. He can’t sink any further than this, one would think. Also, it’s not five days in a row without an appearance from Triston Casas.

Lowell W 1-0

Gilberto Jimenez, CF: 0-4, 2 K

Jaxx Groshans, C: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K

Nicholas Northcut, 3B: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K

Xavier LeGrant, 1B: 2-4, 1 RBI, 2 K

Yasel Santana: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (78 pitches)

It was a pitchers duel in this one between Lowell and Vermont, with LeGrant hitting a walkoff base hit in the ninth to drive in the game’s only run. The pitching was clearly the story here, with Santana dominating for six innings. The 22-year-old pitched a bit in Greenville this year and struggled, but he’s been solid with a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings at Lowell with 24 strikeouts and three walks.

GCL L 2-3

Daniel Bakst: 3-5, 1 3B

Danny Diaz, 3B: 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K

Dominic D’Alessandro, 1B: 3-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

The offense couldn’t get anything going consistently down on the complex on Wednesday, but they did get a couple of good games from late-round 2018 draftees. Both Bakst and D’Alessandro were picked in rounds 20-30, but they were also both college hitters. It’s always nice to see success, but this is what they are supposed to do at this level, even if they don’t have the pedigree.

DSL 1 W 10-3

Nelfy Abreu, RF: 5-5, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB

Eduardo Lopez, DH: 1-5, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K

Albert Feliz, LF: 2-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

Wilker Vargas, 3B: 2-4, 2 R, 2 K

Nixson Munoz: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K

DSL 2 L 0-1

Bryan Gonzalez, DH: 0-5, 2 K

Noelberth Romero, 3B: 2-4, 1 BB, 1 K

Moises Barajas, RF/LF: 2-4, 2 K

Carlos Reyes: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K

There were actually a couple of standout performances down in the DSL on Wednesday. Munoz has been electric on the mound this year, but ten strikeouts in four shutout innings is another level. He now has a 1.77 ERA in six appearances and 20 ¹⁄₃ innings with 33 strikeouts and only two walks. Abreu, meanwhile, was a relatively big signing out of the Dominican Republic a coule of summers ago but struggled a but last year. He’s actually been worse this year, but this five-hit game might be just what he needed.