Guardians Hold Off Sox (4/25/24)

All the injuries the Boston Red Sox have suffered reared it's ugly head in today's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Chase Anderson (0-1, 5.52 ERA) was forced to start today's game due to injuries to the rotation and he left trailing 5-0 mostly due to a grand slam from Jose Ramirez. The depleted Sox bats fought bravely, erasing most of the deficit to pull within 5-4 going into the eighth inning. Then the bats went quiet and two throwing errors by Reese McGuire led to an insurance run scoring. Emmanuel Chase slammed the door and the Guardians took 2 of 3 in Cleveland 6-4 at Progressive Field.

                                            Even Hawkeye can't keep up with all the injuries

Tyrone McKenzie got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to right but Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. Anderson got the ball in the bottom of the first and immediately was docked a ball because Abreu and Refsnyder went to the wrong parts of the outfield. It didn't matter as Steven Kwan popped up to short, but Tyler Freeman walked. Jose Ramirez got a base hit to right but Josh Naylor popped up to short. David Fry grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pablo Reyes led off the top of the second by drawing a walk but Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. David Hamilton dumped a pop up base hit in no mans land between short and center before Reese McGuire walked. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran went down hacking again to end the inning. Andres Gimenez flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Will Brennan hit a home run all the way into Lake Eerie to put the Guardians up for good. Gabriel Arias was hit with a pitch but Brayan Rocchio lined out to third. Arias stole second and Kwan walked. Freeman walked to load the bases and Ramirez pounded a grand slam to ice the game already. That was it for Anderson who allowed 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings. Brennan Bernardino came in and got Naylor to fly out to center to end the inning with the Guardians up 5-0.

                                                    Anderson gives up a grand slam

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Devers lined a base hit to left to start. Refsnyder tripled into the left field corner and scored on the Abreu sac fly to left. Reyes struck out swinging but Dalbec singled off the glove of Arias. Hamilton grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Sox start a comeback

Fry walked to start the bottom of the third but Gimenez grounded into a double play. Brennan doubled to center and Arias flied out to right to end the inning.

McGuire singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Rafaela grounded into a double play. Duran earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Rocchio struck out swinging to begin. Kwan caught the Sox infield asleep with a bunt single to Hamilton but Freeman flied out to center. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tim Herrin came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Devers singled to right to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to center but Abreu lined out to right. Nick Sandlin came in to face Reyes but Sox manager Alex Cora pinch hit Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to move the runners over and Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Dalbec. Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Connor Wong took over for Yoshida to start the bottom of the fifth and Naylor flied out to right to start. Fry walked but Gimenez forced him at second. Brennan flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Sox rallied in the top of the sixth as Hamilton was plunked to start. McGuire singled to right and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Rafaela grounded out to second but Hamilton scored and McGuire went to third. Hunter Gaddis came in to face Duran and Jarren got a base hit to left to score McGuire. Devers flied out to right and Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                  Duran inches the Sox closer 

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Arias grounded out to short to start. Rocchio dropped down a bunt that fooled Weissert for a single then stole second. Kwan hit a bullet to Duran who doubled off Rocchio at second to end the inning. 

Scott Barlow came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu grounded out to second to start. Wong grounded out to third and Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Freeman greeted him with a base hit to right. Freeman got thrown out at second trying to steal but Ramirez singled to center. Ramirez took off for second base and McGuire threw the ball over the first baseman's head for no reason for an error, Jose moving to third. Naylor was intentionally walked and he took off for second and McGuire spiked the ball like a football for another error to score Ramirez. Naylor went to third and tried for home on a fly ball to Abreu by Fry. Abreu gunned down Naylor at home to end the inning but the Guardians were up 6-4.

                                                                   Another damn error

Cade Smith came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hamilton lined out to center to start. McGuire watched strike three go by and Rafaela went down hacking to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gimenez struck out swinging to open. Brennan grounded out to short and Arias grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Emmanuel Chase came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran grounded out to second to start. Devers struck out swinging and Refsnyder popped up to third to end the game. The Guardians had won it 6-4.

                                                                  Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Chase Anderson. He gave up the grand slam that put the game out of reach.

                                                                   Jackass Anderson

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored. 

Pablo Reyes walked in two plate appearances.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Cam Booser tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Connor Wong was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored but committed two costly errors.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Chris Martin allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox were THIS close to pulling off the win of the year but couldn't get it done. Being down 5-0 in the second inning of a bullpen game but coming back to win would be epic, but it didn't happen. Anderson put them in a hole and McGuire poured dirt on it with his errors at the end. There's no shame in the heart they displayed to get back in the game, but being without 3 of their guns came back to gaunt them. Vaughn Grissom walked 3 times in yesterday's Worcester Red Sox game so he might be back soon. All things considered, it was a game that simply slipped away. The less said of it, the better. The Sox now come back home for a three game set with the Chicago Cubs. Japanese sensation Shota Imanaga goes for the Cubs against Kutter Crawford (1-0, 0.66 ERA) of the Red Sox. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Criswell, Sox Blank Guardians (4/24/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got even more bad news. Brayan Bello was placed on the Injured List with a strained lat muscle and becomes the next member of the team to be knocked out. Zack Kelly was called up to take his place and now the Sox are down 4/5's of their intended starting rotation. Lucas Giolito, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock and now Bello are gone. The rumor is Pivetta may not be as injured as initially feared and lat/obliques take a few weeks to heal so they may get all three of them back by the middle of May. No idea what they're going to do until then.

                                                                          IN

                                                                                IN

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series but the good news was not only did the Boston Bruins defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the Boston Red Sox finally defeated the Cleveland Guardians. The road warrior Sox have done it again. Facing a red hot Guardians team, the Sox shut them out due to the brilliant pitching of Cooper Criswell (1-1, 2.38 ERA), Joely Rodriguez and the returning Zack Kelly. The undermanned Sox also got big lifts from the returning Rafael Devers and big games from Wilyer Abreu and Connor Wong. Wong slugged two home runs while Abreu went 4 for 5 with an rbi. The Sox as a unit pounded out 16 hits and 8 runs while holding the Guardians scoreless the entire game. The Sox may be losing players on a daily basis but they won tonight's game 8-0 at Progressive Field.

                                                    The Bruins approve of the win

The Sox jumped on Guardians starter Carlos Carrasco in the top of the first inning although Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers singled to center but Tyler O'Neill struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu hit a double to left to score Devers and put the Sox on top. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Abreu drives in a run

Criswell got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan flied out to right to start. Andres Gimenez was hit with a pitch but Jose Ramirez flied out to right. Josh Naylor flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Connor Wong belted his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Pablo Reyes struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec grounded out to first, but Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to left. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                   Home run Wong

Will Brennan flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Tyler Freeman flied out to left. Estevan Florial got a base hit to right but Bo Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning.

Devers walked to start the top of the third but O'Neill banged into a double play. Abreu ripped a base hit to center and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Valdez grounded out to first to end the inning. Brayan Rocchio struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Kwan singled to left. Gimenez struck out swinging and Ramirez popped up to second to end the inning.

Wong was plunked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on a passed ball. Reyes grounded out to short but Wong moved to third on a fly out to center by Dalbec. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning. Josh Naylor popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Brennan flied out to center. Freeman grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth although Duran took strike three to start. Devers pounded his third home run of the season to increase the lead but O'Neill flied out to center. Abreu singled to right but Valdez took strike three to end the inning with Boston up 3-0.

                                                             Home run Devers

Florial took strike three to start the too of the fifth but Bo Naylor singled to center. Rocchio banged into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Criswell as he did the best he could, throwing 5 innings of shutout ball while allowing just 3 hits.

                                                           Criswell gets it done

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Wong blasted his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Reyes singled to left and that was it for Carrasco. Tyler Beede came in to face Dalbec and Reyes promptly stole second. Dalbec struck out swinging but Rafaela ripped a base hit to left. Reyes came around to score and Rafaela took second on the throw. Ceddanne stole third but Duran grounded out to first. Devers pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Rafaela but O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                         That's two for Wong

Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Kwan grounded out to third to start. Gimenez struck out swinging but Ramirez hit a ground rule double to left. Ramirez stole third but Josh Naylor grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Pedro Avila came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu grounded out to first to start. Valdez grounded out to first but Wong singled to right. Reyes flied out to center to end the inning. Brennan grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Freeman lined out to third. Florial grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Dalbec singled off the glove of Rocchio to start the top of the eighth but was forced at second by Brennan when Rafaela's line drive fell in. Duran and Devers both struck out swinging to end the inning. Zack Kelly made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and Bo Naylor struck out swinging to start. Rocchio grounded out to second and Kwan beat out an infield single to short....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Kwan was out and sure enough, he was out to end the inning.

O'Neill singled to center to start the top of the ninth and Abreu doubled to left. Valdez scored Tyler with a sac fly and Wong got a base hit to left to score Abreu but Reyes lined out to left. Wong took second on a wild pitch but Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                            Valdez drives in a run

Kelly returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Gimenez struck out swinging to start. Ramirez also went down hacking and Josh Naylor grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-0.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Connor Wong. He hit two home runs, went 4 for 4 and drove in 3 total runs.

                                                        Connor The Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 4 with a walk, a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 4 for 5 with an rbi.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, rbi and a run scored.

Cooper Criswell got the win by tossing 5 shutout innings. He allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 batters.

Joely Rodriguez tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Zack Kelly tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

A 16 hit Boston attack is just what the doctor ordered. Abreu and Wong have been hot lately and they definitely carried the load in this one. Devers made a triumphant return but the real story was the pitching. Criswell and Kelly started the year in Worcester and tossed a combined 7 shutout innings in this one. The other two were provided by the much maligned Joely Rodriguez. Offensively the Sox have been struggling big time but getting to Carrasco early set the pace. Even Rafaela got a couple of hits and that's encouraging considering the Sox are going to be without Triston Casas and Trevor Story pretty much the rest of the season. Losing Brayan Bello is going to hurt long term but for now the Sox got it done. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon when Triston McKenzie goes for Cleveland against Captain TBD of the Red Sox. The game begins at 1:10 PM at Progressive Field.

Guardians Late Rally Drop Sox (4/23/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Taylor Heineman became the latest player to join the growing Injury List with a hamstring pull. Taking his place is the returning Tyler O'Neill back from his concussion. The Arizona Diamondbacks also claimed Joe Jacques off waivers so he's gone. Lastly, Sox GM Craig Breslow signed independent league pitcher Adam Smith. Smith was drafted in the 14th round back by the San Diego Padres in 2021 twenty-four picks after the Sox took Jacob Webb. No idea what Breslow sees in him other than the Greenville Drive pitching staff isn't doing too well.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                             IN

As for the game, the Cleveland Guardians flipped a switch for the fourth consecutive game against the Boston Red Sox. Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.65 ERA) locked into a pitcher's duel with Ben Lively of Cleveland for six innings. Wilyer Abreu took Lively deep in the top of the seventh but the Guardians woke up in the bottom of the frame. The Guardians got two runs off Houck to take the lead and after Connor Wong was foolishly picked off in the top of the eighth, Cam Booser allowed two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth and the Guardians had won it 4-1 at Progressive Field.

                                                "Another late blown lead?"

Lively got the ball in the top of the first and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Jarren Duran lined out to center but the returning Tyler O'Neill singled to left. Wilyer Abreu grounded out to short to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan grounded out to third to start. Andres Gimenez struck out swinging and Jose Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Rob Refsnyder beat out a roller to third to start the top of the second but Enmanuel Valdez grounded into a double play. Connor Wong popped up to short to end the inning. Josh Naylor struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second but Will Brennan singled to left. Tyler Freeman forced Brennan at second  and Estevan Florial struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Bobby Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the third before Pablo Reyes took strike three. Rafaela also took strike three to end the inning. Bo Naylor grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Brayan Rocchio singled to center. Kwan walked but Gimenez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before O'Neill also went down hacking. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Ramirez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Josh Naylor got a base hit to left. Brennan flied out to left and Freeman grounded into a force to end the inning.

Refsnyder doubled to center to start the top of the fifth but Valdez struck out swinging. Wong popped up to first and Dalbec grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Florial struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Bo Naylor grounded out to second. Rocchio grounded out to second to end the inning.

Reyes grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth before Rafaela earned the hat trick by watching strike three go by. Duran lined out to center to end the inning. Kwan walked to start the bottom of the sixth before moving to second on the Gimenez grounder to second. Ramirez hit a bullet to Dalbec and Josh Naylor flied out to center to end the inning.

O'Neill flied out to center to start the top of the seventh but Abreu crushed his second home run of the season to put Boston on top. Refsnyder singled to right to chase Lively. Scott Barlow came in to pitch and Refsnyder was thrown out at second trying to steal. Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                             Home run Abreu

Naturally as soon as the Sox took the lead Brennan effortlessly doubled to center to start the bottom of the seventh. Freeman laughed as he got a base hit to center to score Brennan with the tying run. Freeman easily stole second and Florial walked to chase Houck. It all fell apart for Tanner as he allowed 2 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out four. Brennan Bernardino came in and David Fry pinch hit for Naylor, drawing a walk to load the bases. Rocchio hit a sac fly to left but Kwan popped up to center to move Florial to third. Gimenez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Guardians up for good 2-1.

                                                   Houck deserved better

Hunter Gaddis came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Wong greeted him with a base hit to left. Reese McGuire pinch hit for Dalbec and struck out swinging before Wong got himself picked off. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Reyes and was hit with a pitch and was replaced by pinch runner David Hamilton. Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning, nice going Wong. The Guardians iced it in the bottom of the eighth against Cam Booser as Ramirez hit a home run all the way to Pasadena to start. Josh Naylor grounded out to first but Ramon Laureano pinch hit for Brennan. Laureano took strike three but Freeman walked and scored on the Florial double to right. Fry was intentionally walked and Rocchio struck out swinging with the Guardians up 4-1.

                                                             Ramirez ices it

Emmanuel Chase came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran, O'Neill and Abreu all went down hacking to end the game. The Guardians had won it 4-1.

                                                          Guardians win

Jackass of the Night is Connor Wong. You can't get yourself picked off in a situation like that, it was inexcusable.

                                                           You're out you Jackass

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 3 for 3.

Masataka Yoshida was hit with a pitch.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2.

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Cam Booser allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Tanner Houck took the loss but only allowed 2 runs in 6 innings. He allowed 5 hits on 3 walks while striking out four.

Brennan Bernardino allowed the go-ahead run to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton ran for Yoshida and played short in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Another frustrating loss in a season full of them. It was announced before the game that essentially Triston Casas is out for the year with a fractured rib. Yes, he fractured a rib simply swinging a bat. Sox manager Alex Cora said moving forward Bobby Dalbec is his starting first baseman and internally he must be puking his guts out that he's out of guys to stick in because his roster is decimated by injury. Niko Kavadas isn't on the 40 man roster so unless Sox GM Craig Breslow wants to release Dalbec outright, we're stuck with Bobby for a while. At least O'Neill is back and its a matter of time before Devers returns. Its too bad Houck took another loss because his offense couldn't score but that's also on Refsnyder and Wong for getting thrown out on the bases at critical moments. Gotta tip your cap to the Guardians who are now 17-6 on the season for seeming to know exactly when to turn up the heat against the Sox late in the game. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow evening against Carlos Carrasco of Cleveland. Who's pitching for Boston? Who the hell knows. The game begins at 6:10 PM at Progressive Field.

Off-Day News: Greenville Drive Preview (4/22/24)

Its another off-day so its time to take a look at the Boston Red Sox High A team. The defending South Atlantic League champion Greenville Drive are back for another season. Guys like Dalton Rogers, Eddinson Paulino and others were key contributors to the championship run. This year is a new year so let's see how the roster just as the season has started.

                                                                       Luis Perales

Up first is 21 year old right handed pitcher Luis Perales. Luis is the 10th ranked prospect in the system and he was a Dave Dombrowski Dominican signing back in 2019. He was 4-4 with a 3.21 ERA in 13 starts for Salem last year before being promoted to Greenville. He was 0-3 with a 4.95 ERA in 8 starts to end the season so there's room for improvement. He can reach 98-99 on the gun so let's see how he responds this season.

                                                            Connelly Early

Up next was last year's 5th round draft pick, 22 year old left handed pitcher Connelly Early. He started 1 game last year and pitched 2 innings for Salem so this will be his first full season in organized ball. He's mostly a junkballer with a good changeup. The Sox are desperate for good starting pitching depth so hopefully Early can develop.

                                                             Hayden Mullins

Former Sox GM Chaim Bloom loved taking crapshots with injury riddled pitchers and 23 year old left handed pitcher Hayden Mullins was no different. He had a serious arm issue that not only ended his career at Auburn University, but he didn't make his debut until August of last year despite being drafted in the 12th round back in 2022. When healthy he can touch 94 on the gun with a decent changeup so hopefully he can bounce back this season after an off-season of rest.

                                                                   David Sandlin

23 year old right handed pitcher David Sandlin has big shoes to fill. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Kansas City Royals the same round the Sox took Marques Johnson and was 4-1 with a 3.37 ERA in 12 starts by the Single A Columbia Fireflies. He pitched two games for the Quad Cities River Bandits to end the season and was traded to the Red Sox in February for veteran relief pitcher John Schreiber. Schreiber had two good seasons for the Sox in 2022 and 2023 so if Sandlin doesn't develop, people aren't going to like Sox GM Craig Breslow shipping out Schreiber for essentially nothing. If he does develop, then the trade won't be so bad.

                                                                    Dalton Rogers

Through no fault of his own, 23 year old left handed pitcher Dalton Rogers was the top pitching prospect drafted in the 2022 draft albeit in the third round. Last year he was 2-6 with a horrible 5.52 ERA in 17 starts for the Greenville Drive. This is a crucial year for Rogers as the Sox desperately need starting pitching depth. They haven't developed a true lefty starter since Jon Lester 18 years ago so Rogers needs to step up this year.

                                                                    Cooper Adams

Sox GM Craig Breslow took a flier on 23 year old right handed pitcher Cooper Adams back in February after he went undrafted in the 2023 draft. Not only that, he had a 5.03 ERA in 14 starts his senior year at Mt St. Mary's. How he's in Greenville to start the year over guys like Elmer Cruz is certainly a choice but maybe Breslow sees something no team in the MLB did last July. If it doesn't work out, oh well.

                                                                     Reidis Sena

Here's another instance of perform or you're gone. 23 year old Reidis Sena was signed as a Dominican teenager back in 2018 and in 2022 he made 11 starts for Salem going 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA. Last year he missed two months with an injury then came back in the bullpen where he allowed just 3 runs in 15 innings. Promoted to Greenville, he allowed 11 runs in 14 innings. He can hit 97 on the gun but if he's struggling to get A+ batters out, that's not a good sign moving forward. Going to be an important year.

                                                           Jeremy Wu-Yelland

Its been a tough career for 24 year old left handed pitcher Jeremy Wu-Yelland. He was drafted in the fourth round back in 2020 and went 1-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 20 starts in 2021 but had Tommy John surgery in April of 2022. He missed the entire year and pretty much all of last year as well. This will also be an important year because if he can't get A+ batters out, he may not last too much longer. Let's see how he does coming back from injury.

                                                                   Gabriel Jackson

This is going to be an important year for 22 year old right handed pitcher Gabriel Jackson. Another Dominican teenager signed in 2018, he had a good season for Salem last year going 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA shuffling between starting and relieving. Unfortunately he bottomed out in Greenville allowing 7 runs in 7 innings to end the year. He doesn't turn 23 until September but he has to prove he can get Single A batters out to get to the next level.

                                                            Nathan Landry

15th round picks rarely develop but the Sox are hoping that 24 year old left handed pitcher Nathan Landry does. The junkballer looked like he was breaking out last year when he allowed no runs in 10 innings for Salem but hit the wall in Greenville, posting a hideous 7.54 ERA in 19 games out of the bullpen. The draft is a few months away and if Landry gets pounded again, there will definitely be reinforcements more than happy to take his place.

                                                               Juan Encarnacion

23 year old right handed pitcher Juan Encaracion was a Dominican free agent signed in 2018 and was 10-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 23 starts for Salem back in 2022. Last year he was batting practice, going 4-9 with a 6.32 ERA for Greenville in 21 starts. He better pick it up or else he'll be batting practice in Portland if he even gets there.

                                                                   Caleb Bolden

This is a crucial season for 25 year old right handed pitcher Caleb Bolden, Taken in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, Bolden started out solid with the Salem Red Sox last year before allowing 9 runs in 9 innings out of the bullpen for the Drive at the end of last season. He can hit 95 on the gun but needs to start missing bats if he wants to get to Portland or beyond this season.

                                                                 Conor Steinbaugh

Here's a Craig Breslow reclamation project. 24 year old right handed pitcher Conor Steinbaugh went undrafted after graduating from Akron University in 2022 after posting a 2.39 ERA in 10 starts. Despite being out of baseball last year, Breslow signed him as a rookie free agent in March. Maybe Craig thinks they can fix him and turn him into a major leaguer. Only time will tell.

                                                                 Max Carlson

22 year old right handed pitcher Max Carlson was drafted in the 13th round last year and was just called up from Salem on Saturday. Kind of strange he got the call because he's allowed 7 runs in 8 innings before the call up. I don't know what they saw but hey, good luck in Greenville.

                                                                  Cade Feeney

Late round picks are hit or miss so time will tell what 22 year old right handed pitcher Cade Feeney will be. Drafted in the 13th round in the draft last season, he pitched in one game for the Florida Complex last year. This will be his first pro season so let's see what he's got to offer.

                                                                  Zach Fogell

Things are looking up for 23 year old left handed pitcher Zach Fogell. He was drafted in the 18th round in last year's draft and allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings to end the season between the Complex and Salem. This year he didn't allow a run in 6 innings and got promoted to Greenville. Now let's see what he's made of in A+. 

                                                              Yordanny Monegro

This could be a sleeper pick for a breakout season, 21 year old right handed pitcher Yordanny Monegro. He blew through the Complex, Salem and Greenville last year as a starter going 4-3 in 10 starts between A and A+. The Sox are hoping for Brayan Bello to break out and be a start, Monegro could be the next one if Bello can't.

                                                                Bryce Bonnin

As far as reclamation projects go, 25 year old right handed pitcher Bryce Bonnin could be the biggest head scratcher. He was taken in the 3rd round back in 2020 by the Cincinnati Reds and pitched well in 5 starts for the High A Dayton Dragons in 2022, but had rotator cuff surgery and missed the 2023 season. Cincinnati cut their losses and the Sox picked him up as a minor league free agent. If he can regain his 96 mph fastball that made him a Reds prospect, this could be a sneaky good pickup once he pitches again.

                                                                  Enderso Lira

Greenville's starting catcher is 20 year old Dominican prospect Enderso Lira. Quite simply, he can't hit for beans. He hit just .238 for Salem last year but with no other catcher's drafted the past few years besides Kyle Teel and Nathan Hickey, there aren't any other options. Still, maybe he'll learn how to hit. You never know. Now would be a good time to learn.

                                                                  Tyler Miller

This will be a crucial year for 24 year old starting first baseman Tyler Miller. He was taken in the 9th round back in 2021 and is still in Greenville. He hit just 9 home runs and batted .263 last year for the Drive and it would be nice for him to step it up to get to Portland at some point. He's only hitting .242 right now but the year has just begun. 

                                                                 Ahbram Liendo

20 year old second baseman Ahbram Liendo has a lot of work to do. He hit just .205 for Salem last season but did steal 30 bags. The Sox already have a guy like that in David Hamilton but Liendo could be the next version. Having him learn how to hit better would be a bonus as well. He's only 20 so he'll have a few years to see what he's made of.

                                                                  Cutter Coffey

Former Sox GM Chaim Bloom's legacy was he took nothing but shortstops in the early rounds for four years straight. 19 year old Cutter Coffey was Bloom's second round pick back in 2022. He hit just .226 for Salem last year and just .136 after being promoted to Greenville. He's only 19 so he's going to get time to develop but still, two picks after Coffey the Arizona Diamondbacks chose Ivan Melendez and he reached AA last year.

                                                                       Luis Ravelo

20 year old third baseman Luis Ravelo quite simply has a hole in his bat. He was a Dominican free agent signed back in 2021 and he managed to strike out 126 times and hit just .217 last year in Salem. So far he's hitting .244 with 2 home runs for Greenville this season so he's already improved on last year. Let's hope he keeps up the good work.

                                                                        Juan Chacon

Grenville's starting left fielder is 21 year old Juan Chacon. Last year he hit .241 with no home runs for Salem but does have 8 hits so far this season in 9 games. A lot of the players on the roster are ridiculously young so they're going to have some growing pains for sure. Hopefully Chaco develops a gold glove or a power stroke soon.

                                                                  Allan Castro

20 year old centerfielder Allan Castro might be the unsung hero of this team by season's end....if he's not promoted first. Last year he hit .247 for Salem before becoming a house of fire in Greenville hitting .283 with 4 home runs. So far this season he's hitting just .161 but the season just started. Having him develop would be a welcome addition to last year's champs.

                                                                   Bryan Gonzalez

22 year old right fielder Bryan Gonzalez was a Dave Dombrowski Dominican signing back in 2018 and last year clubbed 11 home runs while hitting .252 for Salem. So far this year he's already hit four home runs despite hitting just .229. If he's going to be all or nothing, he'd fit right in by 2024 standards.

                                                               Kristian Campbell

The team's designated hitter is 21 year old Kristian Campbell. He was the compensation pick for the Sox losing Xander Bogaerts to San Diego and played relatively well in 22 games between the Complex and Greenville last year. This year he's off to a slow start hitting just .212 but the year is young. It would be the ultimate irony if Campbell made not the only the Red Sox but started a game at shortstop since he was compensation for Bogaerts.

                                                                    Ronald Rosario

The team's backup catcher is 21 year old Ronald Rosario. Ronald played 62 games last year for Greenville and hit .260 with just 3 home runs. This year he's on a similar pace to start the season. Being perfectly mediocre in High A isn't exactly ideal but its better than being completely useless. There's hope for him yet.

                                                               Drew Ehrhard

Back in 2021 the Red Sox drafted Zach Ehrhard in the 13th round only for him to sign with Oklahoma State University. Apparently Sox GM Chaim Bloom lost his mind and ended up signing his older brother Drew as a rookie free agent following the 2023 draft. 25 year old Drew is a second baseman and spent SIX years playing D2 ball. He only has one hit for Greenville so far this season but it was a home run, at least that's good for something.

                                                                 Karson Simas

22 year old infielder Karson Simas might be the most frustrating prospect in the system. He was actually taken in the 25th round back in 2019 as a 17 year old and never learned how to hit. He hit just .197 for Salem in 2022, .238 in Salem last year and .190 in Greenville last year. So far this season he only has 2 hits for 17 at bats so the writing is on the wall. If you've been in the minors for five years and can't get past High A, something's wrong. Who knows, maybe he'll turn it around.

                                                                Eduardo Lopez

Much like Simas, 21 year old outfielder Eduardo Lopez was signed back in 2018 and is still in High A. He hit just .234 in Salem last year but improved to .261 in Greenville last year. So far he's hitting just .192 but the season is young. Some guys take longer to learn how to hit, hopefully he figures it out.

                                                                Caden Rose

Last year the Sox took 22 year old outfielder Caden Rose in the 7th round out of Alabama University where he hit 9 home runs. So far he's already hit two home runs for Greenville so he might be able to develop a power stroke. Sitting on the bench at Greenville isn't a good look but with injuries, ineffectiveness and his own play, that situation may change very shortly.

                                                                  Miguel Ugueto

21 year old outfielder Miguel Ugueto has something to prove this season. In 2022 he hit .311 for Salem but was down to just .216 last year for Greenville when he suffered a season ending broken ankle in July. So far he has 6 hits in 21 at-bats so things are looking up. Hopefully one of these guys will be able to develop.

                                                                 Mikey Romero

In many ways, 20 year old shortstop Mikey Romero is the embodiment of the Chaim Bloom regime of stockpiling shortstops. Despite having Xander Bogaerts and fourth overall pick Marcelo Mayer, Bloom took Romero in the first round back in 2022. His problem is he can't stay healthy. He was limited to just 34 games last year due to various injuries and is starting the season on the Injured List this year. He tore up Salem back in 2022 so the hope is he can rediscover his form when he's back on the field.

So that's this year's Greenville Drive at least at the start of the season anyway. Its not pretty with mostly Dominican kids signed during the Dombrowski regime and Bloom draftees that are currently struggling or dealing with injuries. Its a blessing and a curse because your best prospects are rarely in A for very long because they get promoted to AA in the blink of an eye. Still, guys like Romero and others have to prove they can tear up A ball if they have any hope of progressing past AA. As for the pitchers, it would be nice to see Early, Rogers, Sandlin and Mullins start dominating. They may not repeat as SAL champions but head on to Fluor Field anyway to check them out.