Basebawful Report of The Month

Wilyer Abreu - 10 Good, 4 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Hero

Chase Anderson - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Brayan Bello - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Brennan Bernardino - 7 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Cam Booser - 3 Good, 2 Bad

Isaiah Campbell - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Triston Casas - 9 Good, 3 Bad, 5 Ugly

Garrett Cooper - 1 Ugly

Kutter Crawford - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Cooper Criswell - 3 Good, 1 Jackass

Bobby Dalbec - 4 Good, 8 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Rafael Devers - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Jarren Duran - 11 Good, 5 Bad, 10 Ugly

Romy Gonzalez - 1 Good, 1 Bad

David Hamilton - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Taylor Heineman - 1 Good

Tanner Houck - 1 Good, 1 Ugly, 3 Hero, 1 Jackass

Joe Jacques - 1 Bad

Kenley Jansen - 7 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Zack Kelly - 3 Good

Chris Martin - 5 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Reese McGuire - 7 Good, 7 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Tyler O'Neill - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 6 Ugly, 2 Hero

Nick Pivetta - 1 Hero

Ceddanne Rafaela - 3 Good, 12 Bad, 10 Ugly, 1 Hero

Rob Refsnyder - 7 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero

Pablo Reyes - 5 Good, 5 Bad, 8 Ugly

Joely Rodriguez - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Justin Slaten - 7 Good, 1 Ugly

Trrevor Story - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly

Enmanuel Valdez - 6 Good, 9 Bad, 7 Ugly

Greg Weissert - 7 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Garrett Whitlock - 3 Good

Josh Winckowski - 3 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Connor Wong - 9 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Masataka Yoshida - 9 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Hero

Most Valuable Player with 11 Good is Jarren Duran

Least Valuable Player with 12 Bad is Ceddanne Rafaela

The Co-Ugliest Players of The Month with 10 Ugly are Rafaela and Duran

Hero of The Month with 3 Hero is Tanner Houck

There were too many Jackasses with just 1

The Honorable Players of The Month are Bobby Dalbec, David Hamilton and Reese McGuire

Criswell, Sox Blank Giants (4/30/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Pablo Reyes was designated for assignment and the Sox activated newly acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper. Reyes was expendable with David Hamilton's speed and Ceddanne Rafaela's glove and the Sox need Cooper at first with Bobby Dalbec unable to hit and Triston Casas out. Good luck Cooper.

                                                                         IN

                                                                         OUT

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Toronto Maple Leafs but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the San Francisco Giants. Here comes Garrett Cooper......anddddd he's gone. In what overshadowed tonight's win, newly acquired 1st baseman Cooper was hit on the wrist and had to leave tonight's game in his Sox debut. The dark cloud on this team continues although Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.65 ERA) picked up his team. He tossed 5 shutout innings while the Sox scratched out four runs off Logan Webb and the Giants bullpen. Rob Refsnyder drove in two runs while the red hot Wilyer Abreu had an rbi triple. Jarren Duran broke out of his slump with three hits and an rbi to pace the attack. The Sox bullpen preserved the shutout the rest of the way and the Sox had won the game 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Ariel approves of the win

Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jung Hoo Lee grounded out to first to start. LaMonte Wade Jr flied out to left and Matt Chapman popped up to first to end the inning. Webb got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran got a base hit to left to start. Rafael Devers immediately grounded into a double play but Tyler O'Neill got a base hit to right. Wilyer Abreu walked and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to center to score O'Neill. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         RBI for Refsnyder

Michael Conforto grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Patrick Bailey grounded out to second. Jorge Soler watched strike three go by to end the inning. Garrett Cooper made his Sox debut in the bottom of the second by taking strike three right down the middle. Reese McGuire walked and stole second before moving to third on the grounder to second by Ceddanne Rafaela. Duran got a base hit to center to score McGuire and Devers got a base hit to left. O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Duran with an rbi

Thairo Estrada struck out swinging to begin the top of the third and Mike Yastrzemski struck out swinging as well. Nick Ahmed went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Abreu doubled to left and scored on the Refsnyder base hit to right. Valdez flied to center and Cooper struck out swinging, but McGuire walked. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Refsnyder does it again

Lee grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth but Wade Jr walked. Chapman grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fourth as Duran got a base hit to left to open. Duran stole second and moved to third on the Devers grounder to second. O'Neill was frozen for strike three but Abreu tripled into the right field corner to score Duran. That was it for Webb as Sean Hjelle struck Refsnyder out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                             Abreu with a triple

Conforto got a base hit to right to break up the no-hitter in the top of the fifth but Bailey grounded into a double play. Soler singled to left and Estrada lined out to left to end the inning. That was it for Criswell who was great in his limited role, pitching 5 shutout innings while allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out four.

                                                          Good work Criswell

Things went south in the bottom of the fifth as Valdez got a base hit to right to begin. Cooper then got hit in the wrist with a fastball and had to leave the game. Bobby Dalbec pinch ran for Cooper and McGuire dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Rafaela hit a grounder to first but Valdez was thrown out at the plate. It looked like Duran beat out an infield single but the Giants challenged the call. Sure enough, the call was overturned and Duran wad out to end the inning. 

                                              Why can't we ever have nice things?

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Yaz was hit with a pitch in retaliation. Ahmed forced Yaz at second and Lee flied out to center to chase Bernardino. Greg Weissert got Wade Jr to ground out to first to end the inning. Wilmer Flores took over for Wade with Taylor Rogers on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Devers walked but O'Neill struck out swinging. Abreu struck out swinging and Refsnyder forced Devers at second to end the inning. 

Chapman struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Conforto also went down hacking. Bailey watched strike three go by to end the inning. Landen Roupp came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Valdez struck out swinging to start. Dalbec was hit with a pitch and promptly stole second. McGuire and Rafaela both struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Soler struck out swinging to start. Rafaela booted a grounder by Estrada for an error and Thaito stole second. Yaz struck out swinging and Ahmed popped up to short to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the eighth before Devers walked as well. It looked like O'Neill hit into a triple play but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged Tyler was safe. Tyler was ruled safe and Abreu got a base hit to right. Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Justin Slaten came on to close out the top of the ninth and Lee flied out to right to start. Flores singled to center and Chapman singled to center as well. Conforto beat out a double play ball to keep the game going but Bailey struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. He drove in 2 big runs including the go-ahead run.

                                                             Rob The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi, stolen base and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was hit with a pitch and stole a base.

Reese McGuire walked twice and scored a run.

Cooper Criswell tossed 5 shutout innings to earn the win. He allowed 2 hits and a walk while striking out four batters.

Brennan Bernardino got the first two outs of the sixth inning.

Greg Weissert pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Zack Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

The Ugly:

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

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Garrett Cooper was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox continue to lose players but are starting to win a few games. This was their third win in a row and for a team decimated by injury and not expected to compete this year, they've had a remarkable April. Some of their guns are out for the year and some for a long time, but the team they put on the field has a lot of heart. Guys like Connor Wong and Abreu have gotten off to a hot start and once Duran busts out of his slump, that's three guys to join established bats like Devers and O'Neill to give the Sox some punch. The other side of the ball has been the story this season and definitely tonight. Criswell was picked up off the scrap heap and he's pitched great since he's been called up. The bullpen once again didn't give an inch and to a man, all of them have roles they've been good at. The left/right combo of Bernardino and Weissert has been getting it done and Justin Slaten is pulling a 2021 Garrett Whitlock. If Chris Martin can shake off his recent failure and Kenley Jansen's back holds up, they can shorten games considerably....as long as Cora doesn't burn them out like he did the 2021 bullpen. All in all it was a good win and the Sox end the month of April on a high note. The win improved the Sox to 17-13, 2.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it four wins in a row and two straight against San Francisco tomorrow night when Kutter Crawford (1-1, 1.35 ERA) takes on Captain TBD of the Giants. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News: Salem Red Sox Preview (4/29/24)

11 years ago the Salem Red Sox won the Mills Cup and they may not win it this year, but they have some horses to do it if they don't get called up first. Usually by the end of the year the best players get called up to Greenville anyway but this year's draft has a new GM to make the picks and some Dominican graduates that could help. Let's take a look at their current roster.

                                                                      Matt Duffy

First up is 22 year old right handed pitcher Matt Duffy. Sox GM Chaim Bloom felt that his 6-3, 4.32 ERA performance his senior year at Canisius College up in Buffalo was worth spending a fourth round pick on.  He pitched in just three games to end last year and so far this year he's allowed 7 runs in 11 innings. There's a reason why Bloom is no longer the GM and if Duffy doesn't develop, just chalk it up to Bloom's incompetence. If he does, then its good news for Boston.

                                                               Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz

Speaking of fourth round picks, 20 year old right handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz was chosen in that round back in 2021 as a Puerto Rican high schooler. Rodriguez dazzled the Florida Complex League and 2 starts in Salem in 2022 before becoming Salem's ace in 2023. He was 6-3 with a 2.60 ERA in 14 starts and begins this season in Salem at least to start. So far he's allowed 6 runs in 16 innings but the season is young. Its just a matter of time before he's in Greenville.

                                                                      Luis Cohen

Its gut check time for 20 year old right handed pitcher Luis Cohen. This will be his first season at the A level and so far he's 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA. Obviously he's got all season to turn it around but it doesn't look good so far. Former Sox GM Chaim Bloom doesn't have a great track record and if Cohen doesn't develop then chalk it up to another Bloom miss fire.

                                                                    Jedixon Paez

20 year old right handed pitcher Jedixon Paez had a good showing last year as a 19 year old going 5-5 with a 3.31 ERA for Salem and needs to step it up this year if he wants to go to Greenville. So far he's allowed 7 runs in 9 innings but the year is young. Let's see if he can reach back to last year's success as this season move's forward.

                                                                  Noah Dean

23 year old left handed pitcher Noah Dean was taken in the 5th round back in 2022 and was batting practice for Salem last season, going 2-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 17 starts. This year he's allowed 4 runs in 7 innings already and once again, taking a look at Chaim Bloom's track record doesn't make this pick look any better. If he's struggling to get Low A batters out, how's he ever going to get High A or beyond?

                                                                Blake Wehunt

One of the main reasons why former Sox GM Chaim Bloom gets such a bad rap is he drafted pitchers that weren't even good in college. 23 year old right handed pitcher Blake Wehunt was 4-4 with a 4.83 ERA at Kennesaw State before being taken in the 9th round in the draft last year. If he was struggling in college, what was he going to do in the pros?  So far this season he's been perfectly mediocre, you get what you pay for. Can't expect much here.

                                                                     Max Carlson

22 year old right handed pitcher Max Carlson was taken in the 12th round last year after posting a 5.45 ERA his senior year at North Carolina. Would you be surprised to hear that he's allowed 8 runs in 12 innings so far between Salem and Greenville? No? Once again, thank you Chaim Bloom. There's still time to turn it around, but still.

                                                                 Francis Hernandez

You gotta feel sorry for the career arc of 22 year old right handed pitcher Francis Hernandez. He won 9 games for the Florida Complex Sox back in 2022 and was 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA last year. This year he started in Salem and has been an unmitigated disaster. He's allowed 20 runs in 13 innings and has an ERA of 11.48. He better turn it around in a hurry because there's plenty of Dominican kids and this year's upcoming draft class that would be more than happy to take his place.

                                                                Royman Blanco

Believe it or not, 23 year old right handed pitcher Royman Blanco is the oldest tenured player in the entire minor league organization. He was drafted as a Dominican teenager back in 2017 and spent the next FIVE years playing for the DoSox. He allowed 9 runs in 7 innings for Salem last year but so far he's allowed 4 runs in 10 innings. Hey, at least its an improvement. To put things in perspective, he was signed the same year the Sox drafted Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford.

                                                                 Nathanael Cruz

21 year old right handed pitcher Nathanael Cruz was another Dominican teenager signed by former Sox GM Dave Dombrowski. He may not be long for the team as his velocity has gone from 95-97 in the last couple of years down to 91-93 and not surprisingly, he's allowed 12 runs in 9 innings so far. Losing velocity is a death sentence for a pitcher already struggling in the minors. Hope he can snap out of it.

                                                                      Jojo Ingrassia

The good news is Chaim Bloom did manage to draft a lefthanded pitcher in the draft last year in the 14th round. The great news is 21 year old Jojo Ingrassia has allowed just 2 runs in 10 innings so far this season with 16 strikeouts. He only throws 92 so ironically he's more like current Sox GM Craig Breslow. Having a control pitcher that doesn't walk people would be a huge addition to any team. If he keeps up the good work he'll be in Greenville soon.

                                                                   Trennor O'Donnell

Bloom drafted Ingrassia in the 14th round last year but in the 8th round he took 22 year old right handed pitcher Trennor O'Donnell. He's allowed no runs in 7 innings with 12 strikeouts so far this season. He also tops out at 92 with good control so he's the right handed version of Ingrassia. That's a 1-2 punch Salem is going to need going forward and hopefully Greenville.

                                                                 Denis Reguillo

On the opposite end of the spectrum is 20 year old right handed pitcher Denis Reguillo. He was signed as a Dominican teenager in January of 2022 and has been straight batting practice since. He allowed 42 runs in 57 innings between the Dominican Sox and Florida Complex in 2022 & 2023 and has allowed 5 runs in 7 2/3 innings so far this season. He's only 20 so he should get some time to develop but if he can't get low A batters out, it doesn't look good for High A and beyond.

                                                                     CJ Weins

Remember how I said Chaim Bloom drafted pitchers that weren't even good in college? 23 year old CJ Weins posted a 1-2 record with a 4.35 ERA for Western Kentucky out of the bullpen and Bloom felt that was good enough to use a 6th round pick on last year. So far this season he's allowed 2 runs in 4 innings but the season just started. This will be his first full pro season so let's see how he does.

                                                                Danny Kirwin

One thing is for sure about current Sox GM Craig Breslow, he's willing to try anything to win. Knowing their Dominican prospects were faltering and Bloom's draft picks weren't getting it done, Breslow has signed some indy leaguers to see what he can do. 24 year old Danny Kirwin was Rider University's closer in 2023 before going undrafted that July. He was playing for the Indy Ballers when he was signed by Breslow a week ago. He's allowed a run in two innings so far but he just got here. Let's see how he does long term before judging.

                                                                Michael Sansone

24 year old left handed pitcher Michael Sansone went undrafted in 2022 after posting a 4.48 in 11 starts for Fairfield University but was signed by the Tampa Bay Rays. Last year he was 3-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 15 games out of the bullpen for the Charleston River Dogs. For some reason that wasn't good enough for Tampa so they released him. He was playing for the Yolo High Wheelers in the indy leagues before Breslow signed him and Danny Kirwin. He's thrown 3 scoreless innings so far so let's see how he does with this change of scenery.

                                                                 Luis Talavera

22 year old right handed pitcher Luis Talavera was signed as a Dominican teenager in 2018 and was 0-2 with a 4.83 ERA in Salem last season. This year he starts the season on the injured list so we'll have to wait to see how he does. He can hit 95 on the gun with sink ability but doesn't really blow batters away. Time will tell on this one.

                                                                 Austin Ehrlicher

20 year old right handed pitcher Austin Ehrlicher was a "draft and follow" pick in the 18th round back in 2022. In other words, he was Red Sox property even though he was going to pitch for Santa Rosa University for 2023. He never made it to the minors as he suffered an elbow injury and hasn't pitched since July of last year. Reportedly Bloom knew about his injury when he drafted him. He can hit 93 on the gun...if he ever pitches.

                                                                  Elvis Soto

20 year old right handed pitcher Elvis Soto was a Dominican teenager signed back in June of 2022 and was 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA in 7 starts with Salem last season. This year he may not pitch due to injury and he's on the 60 Day Injured List to start the season. He's only 20 so we're going to have to wait to see how he turns out.

                                                               Johanfran Garcia

If Kyle Teel and Nathan Hickey are the catchers of the future, 19 year old catcher Johanfran Garcia wants in on that action. He signed as a Dominican teenager before the 2022 season and hit .303 for the Complex last year. This year so far he's got 15 hits in 45 at-bats including 2 home runs. He's off to a good start, hopefully he can keep it up.

                                                                Justin Reimer

22 year old Justin Reimer was yet another Chaim Bloom shortstop drafted in the 4th round in last year's draft. Only one problem, he was drafted after tearing his ACL just 12 games into the season for Wright State University. This year he's starting the season on the Injured List still recovering from the ACL tear. It'll be awhile until we see him so no sense to judge him now.

                                                                Brooks Brannon

Speaking of injuries, 20 year old Brooks Brannon was a catcher drafted in the 9th round back in 2022. He hit 20 home runs his senior year of high school and he clocked 6 of them between the Complex and Salem last season. He's on the Injured List to start the season with a knee injury so once again, going to have to wait to judge his performance.

                                                              Albert Feliz

22 year old first baseman Albert Feliz will be the starter for Salem to start this season. He was signed as a Dominican teenager back in 2018 and couldn't hit for beans in 2021 or 2022 for the Complex. He hit just .242 but with 10 home runs for Salem last year and so far this year he only has 8 hits in 63 at-bats. If he's struggling to hit Low A pitching, how is he going to hit High A? He might not be long for this team with 3 months to go before this year's draft.

                                                                Marvin Alcantara

Speaking of hitters struggling in Low A, here's 19 year old second baseman Marvin Alcantara. Marvin was signed as a Dominican teenager in January of 2022 and hit just .203 for Salem last year. This year so far he has 11 hits in 70 at-bats and is in the same position as Garcia. But, he's only 19 so judge slowly.

                                                                  Antonio Anderson

Now here's an interesting prospect. 18 year old third baseman Antonio Anderson was an amateur boxer before being drafted in the 3rd round last year by Chaim Bloom. He hit just .185 last year and has just 7 hits in 70 at-bats so far this season. Like Alcanatara, he's only a teenager so it would be absurd to judge a kid who's just out of high school this quickly. Time will tell how he develops.

                                                             Nazzan Zanetello

One of the biggest critcisms of Chaim Bloom was he drafted nothing but shortstops in the first few rounds every year from 2020-23 and if Anderson isn't the third round wasn't bad enough, Bloom took 18 year old Nazzan Zanetello in the second round 50th overall. So far he has 4 hits in 8 at-bats including a walkoff hit. Things are looking up for him! The problem with all the shortstops in the organization, its going to create a logjam. Someone has to go.

                                                               Nelly Taylor

21 year old "Woah" Nelly Taylor was drafted in the 11th round last year after being a standout at Polk State University. He only has 15 hits in 67 at-bats but he's doing better than some of his teammates. This is his first professional season so let's see how he handles the pressure before judging him. Good luck Taylor.

                                                                    Miguel Bleis

20 year old outfielder Miguel Bleis looked to be a future stud when he tore up the Florida Complex in 2022 after being signed as a Dominican teenager before the 2021 season. Its been all downhill as he hit .230 for Salem last year and has just 13 hits in 66 at-bats this season. Salem's entire team is struggling this season so its not even just Bleis. Still, to go from being one of the top ranked prospects heading into 2023 to doing poorly since is disappointing. He's only 20 so he may turn it around, stay tuned.

                                                                    Natanael Yuten

19 year old outfielder Natanael Yuten was signed as a Dominican teenager in January of 2022 and tore up the Complex last year before struggling to end the season in Salem. This year so far he's got just 16 hits and 70 at-bats. All these guys are very young and struggling so it may take a year for them to figure it out. Salem's record may not be great but if one of these guys develops, it'll be worth it.

                                                                Andy Lugo

20 year old infielder Andy Lugo might be Salem's best hitter by the end of the season. He was signed as a Dominican teenager in July of 2021 and missed last year with an injury. So far this year he's hitting .308 in 17 games for Salem so far. He hasn't hit any home runs but he's getting on base, that's good for something.

                                                                    Juan Montero

Speaking of last men standing, 21 year old catcher Juan Montero is one of the last of the 2020 rookie free agent class. He played two years with the Complex before hitting .247 for Salem last season. This year he's up to .267 this season so things are looking up. Still, he's got a lot of competition at the catcher position in his way, he's really going to have to step it up big time.

                                                                    Daniel McElveny

Its been a very trying three years for 2021 6th round draft pick Daniel McElveny. He hit just .167 for Salem in 2022 and just .208 last year with one home run. So far this year he has 2 hits in 8 at-bats and is basically a bench player. What makes this pick worse was McElveny was chosen at pick 166 while fellow Sox prospect Richard Fitts was picked at 183 by New York and Taylor Broadway at 185 by the Chicago White Sox. Hopefully McElveny turns it around, otherwise its just another wasted Bloom pick.

                                                                Freili Encarnacion

The mostly highly touted Dominican prospect signed back in January of 2022 was 19 year old shortstop Freili Encarnacion. Unfortunately he had just 6 hits in 33 at-bats for the Complex last year although he has 5 hits in 15 at-bats this year. Maybe he's starting to figure it out, and that's definitely a good thing. Chaim Bloom drafted or signed enough shortstops to last a lifetime. Law of averages means one of them will develop....right?

                                                                 Fraymi De Leon

Unlike Encarnacion, 19 year old infielder Fraymi De Leon actually did well at the Complex last year. He hit .295 in 29 games although he's hitting just .195 this year. You'd rather have Encarnacion's projection than this but there's still time to turn it around. A 19 year old in Single A needs time to develop so let's see how he turns out.

                                                               Stanley Tucker

22 year old outfielder Stanley Tucker was taken in the 19th round in last year's draft after hitting .273 with no home runs for Texas A & M. He managed to hit .195 for the Complex and .077 for Salem after that. This year he does have 6 hits in 25 at-bats so its an improvement. 19th round picks aren't expected to make the majors but it would be fun if Tucker made it. Good luck to him this season.

                                                                     Diego Viloria

21 year old catcher Diego Viloria had 17 hits in 23 games for the Complex last year after signing as a Dominican teenager in 2019. This year so far he has just 2 hits in 11 at bats but the season just started. Time will tell if he can make it or not. Not being able to hit Low A pitching is a bad sign but again, its early in the year.

                                                              Jhostynxon Garcia

21 year old outfielder Jhostnyxon Garcia signed as a Dominican teenager back in 2019 and hit just .230 last year for Salem. This year so far he has 13 hits in 40 at-bats including 2 home runs. He's the older brother of catcher Johanfran Garcia so for the first time since the Basabe twins, we got a pair of brothers on the same team. So far both of them are doing well. Hope they can keep it up.

Salem looks to be in trouble this year with a really young team of Dominican kids and 2023 draft picks. Breslow tried to strengthen the team with some indy leaguers so we'll see how the season turns out from here. They do have some talent in Elmer Cruz but otherwise they're banking on their younger guys to break out. Still, it might be an exciting season for Salem, especially once the 2024 draft is over. Come down to Salem Memorial Ballpark and check them out.

Red Sox Walkoff Cubs (4/28/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Mercifully, the Sox pulled the plug on the Joely Rodriguez experiment by designating him for assignment. In his place the Sox called up spring training pickup, 30 year old right handed pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa. Uwasawa was batting practice for the Tampa Bay Rays and they cut him, so naturally the Sox picked him up. For Worcester he was mediocre allowing 8 runs in 15 innings. Can't be any worse than Rodriguez...right?

                                                                           OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, talk about a roller coaster. The Boston Red Sox cruised to a 4-1 lead over the Chicago Cubs due to Tanner Houck and the Boston bats. Connor Wong drove in two runs and Jarren Duran drove in two with a triple. Houck left the game in the seventh after allowing a run but the Cubs spoiled the party in the top of the eighth. Mike Tauchman hit a three run homer off Chris Martin to tie the game but the Sox wouldn't go quietly. With Rafael Devers at first and Jarren Duran at third, Tyler O'Neill hit a pop up to Dansby Swanson that he dropped, scoring Duran to win the game. The Sox had walked off the Cubs 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Happy fans

Houck got the ball in the top of the first and Nico Hoerner grounded out to third to start. Mike Tauchman flied out to left and Ian Happ grounded out to first to end the inning. Hayden Wesneski got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound to start. Rafael Devers hit a routine grounder to Hoerner but he booted it for an error. Tyler O'Neill drew a walk but Wilyer Abreu flied out to center. Connor Wong grounded a base hit up the middle to score Devers and move O'Neill to third to put the Sox on top. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Wong helps out

Christopher Morel went down hacking to start the top of the second before Michael Busch took strike three. Dansby Swanson struck out swinging to end the inning. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Bobby Dalbec got a infield single by the pitcher's mound. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to first but Dalbec swiped second base. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Mervis grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Miguel Amaya struck out swinging. Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded out to short to end the inning. Devers got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third before moving to second on an O'Neill grounder to the mound. Abreu grounded out to first but Wong lined a base hit off the third base bag to score Devers with another run. Yoshida got a base hit to center to move Wong to third but Valdez popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                              "I'm a bear, rawr" - Wong

The Cubs threatened in the top of the fourth although Hoerner grounded to second to start. Tauchman got a base hit to left and Happ got a base hit to right. Morel struck out swinging and Busch lined out to left to end the inning. Dalbec took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela went down hacking. Duran flied out to left to end the inning. 

Abreu made a great catch to rob Swanson of extra bases to start the top of the fifth before Mervis struck out swinging. Amaya went down hacking to end the inning. Richard Lovelady came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Devers walked to start. O'Neill took strike three, Abreu flied out to right and Wong flied out to center to end the inning. 

Armstrong grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Valdez made a great play to rob Hoernerof a hit. Tauchman struck out swinging to end the inning. Yency Almonte came in to pitch and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida. Rob walked but Valdez hit one up the elevator shaft. Dalbec struck out swinging but Rafaela doubled to right. Duran cleared the bases with a triple into the centerfield triangle. Devers was intentionally walked but O'Neill took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Duran with a triple

The Cubs struck back against Houck in the top of the seventh as Happ took strike three to start. Morel lined out to right but Busch was a plunked. Swanson singled to short and Mervis got a base hit to right to score Busch. That was it for Houck as he allowed just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings off 4 hits while striking out 9. Chris Martin came in and got Amaya on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Cubs down 4-1.

                                                     Houck did a good job

Daniel Palencia came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Abreu struck out swinging to start. Wong and Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Cubs roared in the top of the eighth as Armstrong got a base hit to left to start. Hoerner singled to right but Tauchman hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to tie the game. Happ struck out swinging, Morel went down hacking and Busch flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                        Tauchman jacks one

Valdez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth before Dalbec took strike three. Rafaela lined out to center to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Swanson grounded out to short to start. Nick Madrigal pinch hit for Mervis and popped up to first and Amaya struck out swinging to end the inning. Mark Leiter Jr hadn't allowed an earned run all year when he came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Duran walked to start. Devers lined a base hit to left that moved Duran to third but O'Neill hit a pop up to Swanson.....DROPPED! Duran scored and the Sox had won the game 5-4.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Tyler O'Neill. He drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

                                                              Tyler O'Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 2.

Rob Refsnyder walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.

Tanner Houck allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits while striking out 9.

Kenley Jansen got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Martin allowed 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but stole a base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a roller coaster as the Sox dominated this game for seven innings then immediately fell apart in the eighth. Connor Wong is on fire lately and it comes at a good time with Triston Casas gone and Jarren Duran slumping....although it was Duran who got the two run triple and scored the winning run. Houck once again looked damn good but Chris Martin stole a victory from him. Still, O'Neill is fast becoming a legend in Boston and his big hit tonight is another notch on his gun. The best news wasn't on the field but off of it. Brayan Bello looked good and felt pain free while Vaughn Grissom went 4 for 4 in Worcester tonight, plus Garrett Cooper is on his way. If those three are back healthy soon, then we won't have to worry about Valdez, Dalbec and Chase Anderson....if nobody else gets hurt. Still, even though the team is only 3 games over .500, the fact they're surviving with all the injuries they've had is hope for the future when they get their guns back....or at least the ones that aren't out for the season. The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have been struggling so the Sox aren't even last place for now. One has to wonder how good the team would be with no injuries the way Abreu, Wong and Rafaela seem to be turning the corner with Devers and O'Neill delivering. Gotta roll out the team you have and the team they have is still in the thick of things. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow then welcome in the San Francisco Giants for a three game set starting Tuesday night. Cooper Criswell (1-1, 2.38 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Logan Webb of the Giants. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.