Minor Lines 8/20/23: Drohan Drubbed Again

Worcester: L, 1-13 (BOX SCORE)

Saturday’s game was full of fun. The pitching staff gave up a dozen runs, but it also featured three home runs by Worcester, Yu Chang stealing home, and tons of strikeouts from both sides. An Enmanuel Valdez RBI in the first inning was all the scoreboard heard from Worcester, as Shane Drohan again got hit around by the Scranton RailRiders (Yankees AAA). Drohan allowed six runs in just three innings, and just clearly looks outmatched at the Triple-A level. This is the third time this month he’s allowed at least four earned runs, and matches his season high from July 16. The WooSox pitching staff as a whole gave up four home runs including two to Austin Wells. This bout was decided early, but some more offensive juice from Scranton - and a costly Christian Arroyo fielding error - added insult to injury. Hey, at least the Major League team fared better this weekend.

Portland: W, 1-2 (BOX SCORE)

While Worcester’s pitcher looked easily shaken, Grant Gambrell pitched another gem for the Sea Dogs in Binghamton facing the Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) as he struck out five and allowed just three hits in six innings. Meanwhile, Blaze Jordan smacked a home run in the third and a Nick Yorke 7th-inning double scored a speedy Corey Rosier (who had just picked up his 43rd stolen base), which was the difference in this one. You can say a lot of positive things about this speed coming through the Red Sox organization and Corey Rosier is, save for Rafaela and maybe David Hamilton, the best example of a difference maker on the base paths down on the farm. The biggest problem Portland has, as usual, is the strikeouts: Brainer Bonaci looks to have Double-A pitching figured out but struck out three times, and Matthew Lugo earned himself a golden sombrero for four strikeouts, for a team total of 11. Not great, but a win is a win.

Greenville: L, 4-8 (BOX SCORE)

I’ll start with some bad news: The Drive lost all six games against the Winston Salem Dash (White Sox High-A) this week. They were totally dominated, and this game may have been the least dominant the Dash played. No pitcher emerged from this one unscathed. And, as like the rest of the organization, Greenville struggled to make contact, striking out a dozen times. Oh, yeah, and Kyle Teel recorded his first error as a pro. Good news, and there isn’t a lot of it: Man, can that Roman Anthony hit! He smacked a double and a triple off Winston Salem and drew a walk, and despite the error, Teel was the only Drive batter without a strikeout, and got two hits himself.

Salem: W, 8-6 (BOX SCORE)

Strikeouts, strikeouts, strikeouts! 14 in total against the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles A) but luckily, Salem had a big sixth inning with two home runs (from Luis Ravelo and Albert Feliz) and seven runs. The inning was capped off by a two-run, bases loaded, two-out double by Albertson Asigen, who, with an OPS approaching ,900, appears ready to get a taste of Greenville. This offense was enough to overcome some questionable pitching and the multitude of K’s to still score 8 runs. Now, if they, along with the rest of the organization, can learn to stop whiffing, that would be even greater!

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Hope your Monday is better than it would have been had the Red Sox not swept the Yankees over the weekend.... mine will be!