Sox Bats Wake Up, Beat Orioles (4/3/25)

Welcome back Boston Red Sox offense! After being relatively quiet for the first five games of the season, the Sox bats responded against the Baltimore Orioles. Alex Bregman and Triston Casas belted t8-4 atheir first home runs of the season while Kristian Campbell continued his hot streak with another one. Jarren Duran also drove in a run as well. On the pitching side, Tanner Houck was lifted in the fifth inning after allowing 3 runs but the Boston bullpen almost pitched a shutout the rest of the way. Zack Kelly (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got credit for the win and three others pitched in to hold the fort. The Sox bats pounded out 8 runs off 11 hits to win the game 8-4 at Camden Yards.

                                            Kailey "June Byers" Farmer approves of the win

Charlie Morton got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers walked and Alex Bregman clobbered his first home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Triston Casas took strike three and Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                              First for Bregman

The O's wasted no time responding in the bottom of the first against Houck as Cedric Mullins led off with a home run to Santo Domingo to cut the lead. Adley Rutschman singled to right but Jordan Westbrug grounded into a double play. Ryan O'Hearn struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's down 1-0.

                                                             Mullins with the quick strike

The Sox struck again in the top of the second when Wilyer Abreu walked to start. Kristian Campbel jacked his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging, Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to first and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                         Campbell with the bomb

Tyler O'Neill flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Heston Kjerstad went down hacking. Jackson Holliday flied out to left to end the inning.

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Bregman also swung at air. Casas got a base hit to left but Story flied out to left to end the inning. Ramon Urias struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Dylan Carlson took strike three. Mullins walked and stole second before Rutschman walked as well. Westburg singled to center to score Mullins but O'Hearn struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's down 4-2.

                                                             Westburg drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Abreu singled to right to start. Campbell got a base hit to center but Narvaez flied out to center. Rafaela got a base hit to center to load the bases and Duran hit a sac fly to left to score Abreu. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                           Rbi for Duran

The O's responded in the bottom of the fourth as O'Neill flied out to right to start. Kjerstad doubled to left then moved to third on the grounder to first by Holliday. Urias singled to center to score Kjerstad to cut the lead. Carlson struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's down 5-3.

                                                               Urias drives in a run

Morton turned up the heat in the top of the fifth as Bregman was called out on strikes to start. Casas and Story both went down hacking to end the inning. Mullins was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth and Sox manager Alex Cora had enough of Houck. Tanner was ineffective today, allowing 3 runs in just 4 plus innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks. Zack Kelly came in and got Rutschman to ground into a double play. Westburg grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                            Not the best start by Houck

Bryan Baker came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Abreu struck out swinging to start. Campbell grounded out to third but Narvaez singled to right. Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and O'Hearn grounded out to second to start. O'Neill struck out swinging and Ryan Mountcastle pinch hit for Kjerstad. Mountcastle doubled to left but Holliday grounded out to short to end the inning.

Keegan Akin came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran lined out to left to start. Devers flied out to left and Bregman doubled to left. Casas then smashed his first home run of the season to ice the game. Story popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                            Casas with his first of the year

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Urias got a base hit to left to start. Carlson took strike three and Mullins flied out to center. Rutschman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Matt Bowman came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Abreu flied out to left to start. Campbell grounded back to the mound and Narvaez grounded out to second to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Westburg walked to start. O'Hearn struck out swinging but O'Neill forced Westburg at second. Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the ninth as Rafaela was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Duran lined out to right but Devers got a base hit to center. Bregman doubled to right to score Devers but Casas grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                                 Bregman is all smiles

The Lock returned to close out the bottom of the ninth but Holliday doubled to left to start. Urias grounded out to short to move Holliday to third and Jackson scored on the sac fly to left by Carlson. Mullins took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Alex Bregman. He got the party started with a 2 run bomb and added another rbi for good measure.

                                                               Alex Hero

The Good:

Triston Casas was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Zack Kelly got the win with a scoreless 5th inning.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tanner Houck got rocked for 3 runs in just 4 innings. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored 2 runs.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaels was just 1 for 4.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in two innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its about time the bats busted out. When at the top of their game, this could be a deadly offense with Devers, Abreu, Story, Bregman, Casas and Duran. It would be unfair to expect Campbell to keep up this pace but if he does, the balance of power might have shifted in the AL East. Houck looked like Schmidt in this one so can't blame Cora for yanking him in the fifth inning. Still, he needs to pitch better because the Sox can't afford to burn out the bullpen by July for the fifth year in a row. Still, it was good to see Bregman and Casas go deep, maybe that'll get them back on track. Going 3-4 to start the season isn't ideal but they've been in every game so far. The Sox now come home for their opener tomorrow afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals. Walker Buehler (0-1, 8.31 ERA) takes on Erick Fedde of St. Louis. The game begins at 2:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Crochet, Sox Blank O's (4/2/25)

The streak is over! The Boston Red Sox ended their four game losing streak in style, shutting out the Baltimore Orioles. Garrett Crochet (1-0, 1.38 ERA) tossed an 8 inning masterpiece, allowing just 4 hits and no runs to keep the O's off the board. Trevor Story launched his first home run of the year but big hits from Ceddanne Rafaela and Rafael Devers added some insurance runs. Devers in particular busted out of his slump with two big hits and Kristian Campbell remained hot with a pair of hits too. Aroldis Chapman locked it down in the ninth inning and the Sox had beaten the O's 3-0 at Camden Yards. What did the O's get, John Cena?

O's starter Zach Eflin got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers popped up to third and Alex Bregman flied out to left to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jordan Westburg took strike three to start. Adley Rutschman flied out to right and Tyler O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Triston Casas struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story belted his first home run of the season but Wilyer Abreu flied out to center. Kristian Campbell doubled to right but Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                   First of the year for Trevor

Ryan Mountcastle flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Ramon Laureano singled to right. Gary Sanchez popped up to first but Ramon Urias walked. Jorge Mateo forced Urias at second to end the inning.

Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Duran grounded out to second. Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Cedric Mullins grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Westburg singled to right. Rutschman hit a bullet to Abreu who doubled off Westburg at first to end the inning.

Bregman got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but was immediately picked off. Casas took strike three but Story got a base hit to right. Abreu hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. O'Neill took a questionable strike three call to start the bottom of the fourth but Mountcastle singled down the third base line. Laureano struck out swinging and Sanchez took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Campbell doubled to right to start. Wong flied out to center but Rafaela dumped a base hit to center to score Kristian. Duran flied out to left but Devers got his first hit of the season with a double to right to score Rafaela. Bregman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Guess who's back, back again

Urias struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Mateo flied out to center. Mullins struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mullins made a great catch to rob Casas of a hit to begin the top of the sixth and Story was gunned down at second trying to stretch a single to left. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Westburg lined out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Rutschman flied out to left. O'Neill flied out to center to end the inning.

Bryan Baker came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Campbell grounded out to short to start. Wong grounded out to short and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Mountcastle grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh before Laureano struck out swinging. Sanchez flied out to left to end the inning.

Gregory Soto came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging. Devers ripped a bee hit to center but Bregman struck out swinging. Casas got a base hit to center but Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Crochet returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Urias got a base hit to center to start. Mateo lined out to center and Mullins grounded into a double play to end the inning. Crochet was outstanding, tossing 8 innings of shutout ball allowing just 4 hits.

                                                          Outstanding job by Crochet

Cionel Perez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Abreu walked to start. Campbell popped up to short but Wong drew a walk. Rafaela walked to load the bases but naturally Duran grounded into a double play to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Westburg lined out to left to start. Rutschman walked but O'Neill was frozen for strike three. Mountcastle grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had broken their losing streak with a 3-0 win.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He tossed an 8 inning shutout allowing just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 8

                                                       Hero Crochet

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Trevor Story was 3 for 4 with a home run.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Aroldis Chapman earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That's a big monkey off the back of the Red Sox to get Devers going. Going 0 for 21 on the season so far is the main reason why they started 1-4 despite every game coming down to the final pitch. The offense still didn't do much tonight but Story getting his first home run and Rafaela driving in run was a good start. Connor Wong looks as lost as Devers done and the Kyle Teel trade is looming large as there's not many other options if Wong is back to normal after the year he had last year. Crochet lived up to his billing and dominated tonight, kudos to Alex Cora for letting him go rather than pull him after 5 or 6. Also kudos to Aroldis Chapman for his first Sox save. All in all the Sox took a step in the right direction and it led to a good win. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Baltimore in their final road game before the home opener at Fenway. Tanner Houck (0-1, 6.35 ERA) battles Charlie Morton of Baltimore tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Off-Day News: 2025 Portland Sea Dogs Preview (4/1/24)

Today's an off-day and we'll be looking at the Boston Red Sox's AA farm team the Portland Sea Dogs. Their season starts on Friday so let's take a look at who will be on the roster....provided nobody gets hurt in the next few days. Last year the Sea Dogs finished 78-60 and thanks to a ridiculous playoff format, they didn't make it to October. Its a new year so let's see if they can get over the chicanery.

                                                                RHP - David Sandlin

Portland's starting rotation begins with 24 year old right handed pitcher David Sandlin. Acquired just before spring training for John Schreiber, Sandlin was AWFUL for Greenville and Portland last year. He was 0-4 allowing 39 runs in 57 innings. He did battle a shoulder injury though but they essentially gave up Schreiber for a guy who's best year was in Single A back in 2023. Still, he can throw smoke, he just needs some movement on the smoke.

                                                                LHP - Connelly Early

Speaking of struggling starters, look no further than 22 year old (23 on the 3rd) left handed pitcher Connelly Early. He was drafted in the 5th round back in 2023 and pitched in just one game for Salem. Last year he was dreadful, going 3-9 between Greenville and Portland. Still, not everybody gets it right their first year so hopefully a junkballer like Early can harness control this season.

                                                                RHP - Jedixson Paez

Just like Luis Guerrero the last few years, the "sleeper" pitcher of the future might be 21 year old right hander Jedixson Paez. Signed as a Venezuelan teenager in 2021, Paez broke out in 2023 going 5-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts for Salem. Last year he went 5-4 between Salem and Greenville, making 12 starts combined. He's been under the radar the last two years but a strong showing in Portland this year would help his future.

                                                                 RHP - Yordanny Monegro

Paez isn't the only one under the radar, 22 year old right hander Yordanny Monegro was right there as well. Signed as a Dominican teenager, he broke out in 2023 going 4-3 between Salem and Greenville. Last year he went 6-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 14 starts for Greenville. Clearly he's mastered Single A pitching so starting the year in Portland will be the best thing for him. Hopefully he and Paez can be a 1-2 punch in the rotation if Early and Sandlin falter.

                                                               RHP - Blake Wehunt

Another guy who needs to prove something is 24 year old right handed pitcher Blake Wehunt. Drafted in the ninth round back in 2023, Wehunt started out last year well in Salem going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 8 starts. After that it was all downhill as he went 1-7 between Greenville and Salem to end the season. It was his first real professional season so hopefully he has things figured out this season.

                                                              RHP - Tyler Uberstine

You got to feel for 25 year old right handed pitcher Tyler Uberstine. He was drafted in the 19th round back in 2021 and looked strong at the end of 2022 when he went 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 7 starts for Greenville. Disaster struck when he had Tommy John surgery in June of 2023 and only pitched in 3 games for Greenville to end the 2024 season. Still, in 2022 he pitched well and the end of last year he pitched well. If he can stay healthy this season, he might still make it to AAA or beyond.

                                                                  RHP - Yorvanny Cruz

Out of the bullpen will be 25 year old right handed pitcher Yorvanny Cruz. Yorvanny was drafted as a Dominican teenager by the Chicago Cubs in 2017 and never got above single A until last year. He went 1-2 with a 4.55 ERA for the San Antonio Missions in 23 games. He was signed as a minor league free agent in January and can throw gas, he just doesn't know where its going. If he learned control, he could be deadly.

                                                                RHP - Jacob Webb

For a while it looked like 26 year old right handed pitcher Jacob Webb would be the first of the class of 2021 to make the majors. He allowed 2 runs in 12 innings to end the 2021 season and ended 2022 in Portland after strong showings in Salem and Greenville previously. Then it all fell apart as he went 8-3 but with a 5.03 ERA in 2023 and 10-3 with a 4.28 ERA with Portland. He ended last year allowing 8 runs in 3 2/3 innings for Worcester as both Luis Guerrero and Niko Kavadas made their ML debuts. Time's running out for Webb to get his act together as the class of 2024 were nothing but pitchers. If he can't get the job done, someone else will.

                                                                 RHP - Christopher Troye

Speaking of time running out, 26 year old right handed pitcher Christopher Troye is in the same boat as Webb. Taken in the 12th round in 2021, Troye looked like had it figured out with a strong 2023 between Greenville and Portland going 2-0. Last year he was perfectly mediocre out of the bullpen for Portland going 2-2 with a 4.60 ERA in 28 appearances. Just like with Webb, if he can't get the job done...the class of 2024 awaits.

                                                                   RHP - Alex Hoppe

To complete the tri-fecta, 26 year old right handed pitcher Alex Hoppe is also struggling along with the other two previously mentioned. Drafted in the 6th round back in 2022, Hoppe was 2-5 with an ERA over 4 between Greenville and Portland in 2023 and was dreadful in 2024, going 4-5 with a 5.43 ERA for Portland. If he's having this much trouble getting AA guys out, it might be time to cut the chord unless he figures it out quick.

                                                             LHP - Brendan Cellucci

One of the last of the Lowell Spinners, 26 year old left handed pitcher Brendan Cellucci is at a cross-roads. Also one of the last Dave Dombrowski draft picks, he's spent the last 3 seasons with Portland and has been mediocre at best. He finally got a call to Worcester last year and allowed 10 runs in 6 innings. If AA is the highest he's going to go, there will be plenty of other pitchers from the class of 2024 and incoming 2025 to take his place.

                                                               RHP - Gabriel Jackson

Its go-time for 23 year old right handed pitcher Gabriel Jackson. Signed as a Dominican teenager in 2017, he went 8-2 with a 4.89 ERA for Greenville last year. He did have a cup of coffee with Portland last year so he'll be in the bullpen to start the season. He can hit 96 on the gun but his specialty is a sinker, a good defense would help.

                                                                 RHP - Reidis Sena

Just like Gabriel Jackson, 23 year old (24 on the 7th) Reidis Sena was drafted as a Dominican teenager. Unfortunately his 2020 season was cancelled and his development was delayed for a year. Last year he started out strong with Greenville going 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 28 games but flopped in Portland by allowing 10 runs in 11 1/3 innings. It was his first season in Portland so let's see how he does moving forward this year.

                                                                  RHP - Jack Anderson

The Sox picked up 25 year old right handed pitcher Jack Anderson in the Rule 5 draft this past off-season. He was drafted in the 16th round by the Detroit Tigers one slot before the Sox took BJ Vela in the 2021 draft. He was 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA for the West Michigan Hubcaps but struggled for the Toledo Mudhens going 2-0 but with a 5.82 ERA. Still, if he pitched well in AA last year, he might do it again this year. At least the Sea Dogs can look forward to that.

                                                                  RHP - Zach Bryant

26 year old right handed pitcher Zach Bryant is at a career crossroads for sure. Traded to the Sox in February of 2021 by the Chicago Cubs, Bryant was 1-4 with a 7.64 ERA for Portland in 2022. Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2023 and most of 2024. He did go 4-1 with a 4.82 ERA in 19 games, but he's going to have to do better than that if he hopes to make Worcester. Chaim Bloom's trades for prospects haven't really worked out and this might just be another one.

                                                              RHP - Jonathan Brand

While not exactly dire straits like others on this list, 25 year old right handed pitcher Jonathan Brand also has to step up this year as well. He was taken in the 8th round back in 2022 and had a strong 2023 for Salem, going 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA. Last year he struggled in Portland going 2-3 with a 4.67 ERA but it was his first year in Portland. Maybe AA is his ceiling, maybe not, but he'll have this year to figure it out.

                                                                 RHP - Wyatt Olds

If there was ever a case of "now or never" its 25 year old right handed pitcher Wyatt Olds. Through no fault of his own, he was taken in the 7th round back in 2021 by Chaim Bloom after a terrible season at Oklahoma University. He pitched just as bad in the pros so far, culminating in going 3-2 but with an 8.39 ERA in 17 games with Worcester. Ironically he does have one thing going for him. Its one thing to flame out after being highly touted, its another thing to stink in college and fight your way to AAA. Maybe he can turn it around this year, otherwise, what was anyone expecting?

                                                            RHP - CJ Liu

Another guy on the list with something to prove is 25 year old right handed pitcher CJ Liu. He was signed out of Taiwan following the 2019 season and has struggled ever since. He was 7-8 with a 5.35 ERA in 24 starts for the Sea Dogs in 2023 and pitched in only 7 games in 2024 due to a bad arm injury. He'll be starting the season in the injured list as well, maybe a bum shoulder caused his mediocre 2023. Time will tell.

                                                                RHP - Caleb Bolden

Speaking of guys who sucked in college, 26 year old right handed pitcher Caleb Bolden was drafted in the 7th round back in 2022 after allowing 28 runs in 39 innings for Texas Christian University. He did have some measure of success last year going 1-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 starts with the Sea Dogs. He hadn't started a game since college so trying him as a starter might have worked. Let's see how he does in 2025.

                                                                  C - Ronald Rosario

Portland's starting catcher will be 22 year old right handed hitting Ronald Rosario. Signed as a Venezuelan teenager in 2019, he hit .244 with 8 home runs with Greenville last year before being put on the development list in Portland for the rest of the year. He must have "developed" well because he's going to be the starter when the season gets started. 

                                                                     1B - Blaze Jordan

The good news is Portland's starting first baseman, 22 year old right handed hitting Blaze Jordan, finally showed the power he showed as a teenager. He went viral for hitting tape measure blasts as a youth and smacked 13 home runs between Greenville and Portland in 2024. He also drove in 92 runs between both levels and could be on the verge of a breakout season this year. Hopefully it happens.

                                                                   2B - Ahbram Liendo

Portland's starting second baseman is 21 year old switch hitter Ahbram Liendo. He was signed as a Dominican teenager and has been hot garbage at the plate since 2022. He hit .205 for Salem in 2023 and hit .196 for Greenville and .197 for Portland last year. He can field the ball, he just can't hit it. Still, defensive specialists do have a place in baseball so you never know where he might end up.

                                                               3B - Tyler Miller

This is a big year for Portland's starting third baseman, 25 year old lefty hitting Tyler Miller. He was taken in the 9th round back in 2021 and was all or nothing, hitting .219 but with 13 home runs for Salem in 2022. He hit .275 for Greenville last year before getting promoted to Portland where he hit .228 with one home run. If his power numbers are gone and he's not hitting for average, that's not good. With the Dominican kids and the class of 2023 and 2024 on their way, Miller better improve or he's had it.

                                                                   SS - Mikey Romero

One guy you won't have to worry about is 21 year old lefty hitting shortstop Mikey Romero. The first round pick in 2022 lived up to his billing hitting .349 in Salem. He flopped in 2023 in his first full pro season but turned it around in 2024. He battled injuries but manage to blast 16 home runs for Greenville and Portland to end the season. With Marcelo Mayer as the chosen one in AAA, there's no pressure for Romero to perform. He might use that to his advantage by having a good season this year.

                                                                 LF - Zach Ehrhard

Its always amusing to see a guy drafted by the same team twice, but it happened in the case of 22 year old outfielder Zach Ehrhard. He was drafted in the 13th round back in 2021 but chose to go to Oklahoma State. 3 years later, the Sox took him in the fourth round in last year's draft. He hit just .156 for Salem last year but could surprise everyone with a strong 2024.

                                                               CF - Jhostnyxon Garcia

Portland's starting centerfielder will be 22 year old right handed hitting Jhostnyxon Garcia. He was signed as a Venezuelan teenager and he broke out for the Greenville Drive last season. He hit .311 with 16 home runs before being promoted to Portland. He hit .263 with 2 home runs to finish the season with the Sea Dogs so let's see if he can have a good year this year as well.

                                                                  RF - Allan Castro

Portland's starting right fielder is 21 year old switch hitter Allan Castro. He was signed as a Dominican teenager in 2019 and ended 2023 on a high note in Greenville, hitting .283 with 4 home runs. He belted 14 for the Drive last year to earn a trip to Portland. He struggled, hitting .180 with just 1 home run in 28 games. Still, with a full season in Portland on the horizon, he may replicate what he did in Greenville this year.

                                                                  DH - Max Ferguson

This is an important season for Portland's designated hitter, 25 year old second baseman Max Ferguson. He was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the 5th round of the 2021 draft 24 picks after the Sox took Nathan Hickey. He came over in the trade that sent Jay Groome to San Diego for Corey Rosier and Eric Hosmer in 2022. He's been punchless ever since hitting .234 for Greenville and .083 for Worcester in 2023 and .159 and .100 for Worcester in 2024 despite missing much of the season with an ankle injury. He's shown he can't hit at all so its put up or shut up for him.

                                                               INF - Karson Simas

Speaking of guys that can't hit, here's 23 year old utility infielder Karson Simas. He's one of the last of the Dave Dombrowski draft picks as he was picked in the 25th round back in 2019. He hit .190 for Greenville in 2023, then hit .188 in Greenville and .152 in Portland last year. Somehow he hit .268 for Worcester to end the season so maybe things are looking up. Otherwise, there will be plenty of others than can hit and field better than him.

                                                              INF - Luis Ravelo

In keeping with the theme of guys that can't hit, this includes 21 year old infielder Luis Ravelo. He was signed as a Dominican teenager in 2021 and hit .217 in Salem in 2023. Last year he hit .225 for Greenville and .205 in Portland to end the season. He may make it on his glove but he definitely won't make it on his bat.

                                                                UTL - Drew Ehrhard

Last but not least is 26 year old utility player Drew Ehrhard. Zach's older brother was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023 and played just 27 games for Greenville and Portland to end the 2024 season. Not since the Basabe twins have the Sox had a pair of brothers in the organization so would be cool to see the Ehrhard brothers do well.

That's going to do it for this year's Portland roster. They have some touted prospects with Mikey Romero, Blaze Jordan and Connelly Early but other than that, this is the dregs of the Chaim Bloom years (sprinkled with Dave Dombrowski Dominican signings). If the classes of 2021-23 don't produce much, hopefully 2024 and 2025 will. If Portland struggles this year, just have to survive through it.

Basebawful Report of The Month

Wilyer Abreu - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Hero

Brennan Bernardino - 1 Good

Alex Bregman - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Walker Buehler - 1 Jackass

Kristian Campbell - 4 Good, 1 Ugly

Triston Casas - 3 Bad, 2 Ugly

Aroldis Chapman - 1 Good

Cooper Criswell - 1 Ugly

Garrett Crochet - 1 Good

Rafael Devers - 1 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Jarren Duran - 2 Good, 3 Ugly

Richard Fitts - 1 Ugly

Romy Gonzalez - 2 Good

David Hamilton - 1 Good, 2 Bad

Tanner Houck - 1 Bad

Zack Kelly - 1 Good

Carlos Narvaez - 1 Good

Sean Newcomb - 1 Bad

Ceddanne Rafaela - 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Rob Refsnyder - 1 Good

Justin Slaten - 2 Good, 1 Bad

Trevor Story - 1 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Greg Weissert - 2 Good, 1 Ugly

Garrett Whitlock - 2 Good

Justin Wilson - 2 Good

Connor Wong - 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Hero of The Month is Wilyer Abreu with 1 Hero

The Jackasses of The Month are Alex Bregman, Rafael Devers, Walker Buehler and Connor Wong with 1 Jackass

Most Valuable Player is Kristian Campbell with 4 Good

Least Valuable Player is Triston Casas with 3 Bad

The Ugliest Players of The Month are Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran and Trevor Story with 3 Ugly

The Honorable Players of the Month are Ceddanne Rafaela and Trevor Story with 1 Honorable Mention

O's Send Sox To Fourth Straight Loss (3/31/25)

So far the Boston Red Sox seem to invent new ways to lose this season. After dropping three straight to the Texas Rangers that came down to the final pitch, they did it one more time against the Baltimore Orioles. Spot starter Sean Newcomb (0-1, 9.00 ERA) got lit up for 4 runs in the first inning. The Sox managed to rally for three runs but the bullpen that hadn't allowed a run in the first four games reared its ugly head in the bottom of the eighth. Justin Slaten got tagged for four runs to seemingly put the game out of reach. The Sox rallied again for two runs in the top of the ninth and got the tying run to the plate, but Alex Bregman failed to deliver to end the game. The O's sent the Sox to their fourth straight loss 8-5 at Camden Yards.

                                                James Caan's had enough of the losing

Povich got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to left to start. Rafael Devers walked and Alex Bregman singled to left, but naturally Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging. Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Newcomb got the ball in the bottle of the first and crapped his pants. Jordan Westburg singled to center, Adley Rutschman got a base hit to left and old friend Tyler O'Neill singled to left to score Westburg to put the O's up for good just 3 batters into the game. Ryan Mountcastle lopped a base hit to left and Duran did a moonsault on the ball for an error to score Rutschman. Heston Kjerstad took strike three and Ramon Laureano struck out swinging, but Cedric Mullins doubled home O'Neill and Mountcastle to ice the game. Ramon Urias struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                      O's strike first

The Sox rallied in the top of the second as Kristian Campbell walked to start. Romy Gonzalez got a base hit to left but Connor Wong took strike three. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging but Duran tripled into the centerfield gap to cut the lead in half. With a chance to do damage....Devers struck out swinging again to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                          Duran motors around

Jackson Holliday got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second before he was thrown out trying to steal....but wait! O's manager Brandon Hyde challenged he was safe, but the call stood. Westburg walked but Rutschman hit into a double play to end the inning.

Bregman took strike to start the top of the third before Refsnyder got a base hit to left. Story got a base hit to right and both runners moved over when Laureano threw the ball away for an error. Campbell grounded out to second but Refsnyder scored and Story moved to third. With a chance to tie the game....Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                              Another RBI for Campbell

O'Neill got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third before Mountcastle walked. Kjerstad took strike three and Laureano grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt to start the top of the fourth as Wong grounded back to the mound to start. Rafaela grounded out to third and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Mullins popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Urias singled to left. Holliday banged into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Newcomb who allowed 4 runs in 4 innings, that first inning killed him.

Devers took strike three to start the top of the fifth before Matt Bowman came in to pitch to Bregman. Alex flied out to center but Refsnyder got a base hit to left. Rob stole second but Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth before Westburg grounded out to third to start. Rutschman struck out swinging but O'Neill doubled to center. Mountcastle flied out to right to end the inning.

Seranthony Dominguez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Campbell took strike three to start. Gonzalez flied out to right and Wong lined out to second to end the inning. The Lock returned for the bottom of the sixth and Kjerstad popped up to third to begin. Dylan Carlson pinch hit for Laureano and struck out swinging before Mullins grounded out to first to end the inning.

Keegan Akin came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela flied out to right to start. Duran struck out swinging and Devers completed the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Urias got a base hit to left to start. Holliday took strike three, Westburg lined out to right and Rutschman flied out to right to end the inning.

Yennier Cano came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bregman grounded out to short to start. Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder and grounded back to the mound before Story struck out swinging to earn the hat trick to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to vomit up his intestines in the bottom of the eighth as O'Neill got a base hit to right to start. Mountcastle hit a routine grounder to Bregman who totally faceplanted on the ground allowing both runners to advance on the error. Kjerstad did the honors with a base hit to left to score O'Neill. Jorge Mateo came in to run for Kjerstad and promptly stole second base. Carlson walked to load the bases and that was it for Slaten. Cooper Criswell was brought in to pull the Houdini and he failed. Mullins singled to center to score both Mountcastle and Mateo to ice the game. It looked like Urias hit into a double play, but the umpires looked at BOTH calls and kept the out at first, but not the force at second. Holliday singled to nleft to score Carlson but was forced at second by Westburg. Rutschman lined out to second to end the inning with the O's ahead 8-3.

                                                          "Well this sucks" - Slaten

With the game out of reach, the Sox suddenly rallied with Felix Bautista on the mound in the top of the ninth. Campbell drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Gonzalez doubled to left to score Kristian but Wong grounded out to short. Triston Casas pinch hit for Rafaela and naturally grounded out to first. Somehow Duran singled to left to score Gonzalez and Devers drew a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. With the game on the line....Bregman popped up to third to end it. The O's had won 8-5.

                                                               O's win

Jackass of The Night is Alex Bregman. He made a key error in the eighth inning to allow Baltimore to rally and failed to extend the game in the ninth. 

                                                          Nice one, Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Kristian Campbell walked twice in four plate appearances, drove in a run and scored twice.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Triston Casas was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Sean Newcomb took the loss allowing 4 runs in 4 innings. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.

Justin Slaten was charged with 4 earned runs without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked twice.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Cooper Criswell allowed 3 inherited runners to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

Who would have thought the strength of the team last year would be its achillies heel to start this year? Devers, Story, Casas, Wong, Bregman and Rafaela have been borderline useless so far at the plate but most, if not all, will turn it around eventually. Still, starting the season 1-4 sucks and the bats not being there is the biggest reason. The Sox being down 3 starting pitchers doesn't help, but apart from the bullpen meltdown today, can't really blame the pitching for the start they've had. If anything everyone but Justin Slaten didn't allow a run in the first 5 games. Still, hopefully the Sox bats will warm up come April because this is going to be a LONG year if this team goes 1992 on us. There are a few silver linings like The Lock looking healthy again, Campbell and Abreu playing well and the running game appears to be back. Just have to get 6 out of the 9 bats going....god help us. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to break their four game losing streak this Wednesday night in Baltimore. Garrett Crochet (0-0, 3.60 ERA) takes on Zach Eflin of Baltimore. The game begins at 6:35 PM at Camden Yards.