Cardinals Sweep Kluber, Sox (5/14/23)

The good news was the Boston Celtics eliminated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 7 of their second round NBA playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox got swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. THAT was embarrassing. Corey Kluber (2-5, 6.41 ERA) got hammered again as the Sox got swept by the lowly Cardinals in empathetic fashion. Kluber allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings while Miles Mikolas shut down the Sox bats, holding them to 1 run in 6 innings. Brennan Bernardino and Ryan Brasier also got hammered for 5 runs as the Cardinals swept the Sox out of Boston 9-1 at Fenway Park. 

                                                                "Kluber....again...."

The Cards wasted no time getting to Kluber in the top of the first inning as Lars Nootbaar doubled off the Monster to start. Paul Goldschmidt got a base hit to right to score Nootbaar and put the Cards up just two batters into the game. Nolan Gorman flied out to right, Nolan Arenado struck out swinging and Wilson Contreras went down hacking to end the inning with the Cardinals up 1-0.

                                                     Cards strike first

The Sox answered against Mikolas in the bottom of the first as Alex Verdugo doubled to center to start. Verdugo moved to third on the Masataka Yoshida grounder to second. Justin Turner flied out to right but Rafael dumped a base hit to right to score Verdugo. Jarren Duran lined out to first to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                Devers ties it up

Brendan Donovan took strike three to start the top of the second but Paul DeJong hit a home run all the way to Madagascar to put the Cards up for good. Dylan Carson singled to right but Andrew Knizner popped up to second. Nootbaar lined out to left to end the inning with the Cards up 2-1.

                                                              Cards end it early

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Triston Casas grounded out to second to start. Enmanuel Valdez walked but Reese McGuire flied out to left. Pablo Reyes made his Sox debut by popping up to shirt to end the inning.

Goldschmidt lined out to center to start the top of the third but Gorman walked. Arenado forced Gorman at second then swiped second base. Contreras and Donovan walked to load the bases but DeJong struck out swinging to end the inning. Alec Burleson took over for Carson to start the bottom of the third and Verdugo grounded out to short to start. Yoshida and Turner both grounded out to third to end the inning. 

The Cards struck again in the top of the fourth as Burleson caught Kluber asleep with a bunt single. Knizner then hit a home run all the way to Morocco to ice the game. Nootbaar grounded out to first but Goldschmidt doubled to right. Gorman flied out to right and Arenado struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cardinals ahead 4-1.

                                                     Another damn home run

Devers dumped a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Duran lined out to center but Casas singled to left. Valdez forced Casas at second to end the inning.

Contreras grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Donovan flied out to center. DeJong flied out to left to end the inning and that was it for Kluber. He got hammered again for 4 runs in just 5 innings of work. Just not good enough.

                                                      Another beating for Kluber

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as McGuire grounded out to third to begin. Reyes walked and moved to second on the Verdugo grounder to second. Yoshida also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to take a beating in the top of the sixth as Burleson flied out to center to start. Knizner singled to center and Nootbaar singled to right, but Goldschmidt struck out swinging. Gorman walked to chase Bernardino and Ryan Brasier came in to face Arenado. Naturally Nolan ripped a base hit to center to score Knizner and Nootbaar. Contreras hit a bullet to Casas to end the inning but the Cards led 6-1.

                                                              Arenado drives in two

Turner flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Devers flied out to center. Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Casas threw a grounder by Donovan away for an error to start the top of the seventh but DeJong lined out to short. Burleson flied out to left and Knizner struck out swinging to end the inning. Genesis Cabrera came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Casas walked to start. Valdez struck out swinging and McGuire went down hacking but Reyes blooped a base hit to right to move Casas to third. Verdugo walked and with a chance to do some damage....Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Cards poured it on in the top of the eighth as Nootbaar doubled to left to start. A wild pitch moved Lars to third but Goldschmidt struck out swinging. Gorman pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Nootbaar and Arenado hit a home run all the way to London to wrap up the scoring. Contreras grounded out to short and Donovan grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cardinals up 9-1.

                                                        Arenado is number one

Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Turner took strike three to start. Devers whiffed but Duran walked. Casas watched strike three go by to end the inning. 

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the ninth and DeJong grounded back to the mound to start. Burleson singled to right but was forced at second by Knizner. Nootbaar grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Tommy Edman came in for Goldschmidt, Juan Yepez came in for Arenado and Chris Stratton took the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Valdez took strike three, McGuire grounded out to first and Reyes took strike three to end the game. The Cards had completed the sweep 9-1.

                                                                  Cardinals win

Jackass of The Night is Corey Kluber. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings. 

                                                                    Jackass Kluber

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Pablo Reyes was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Richard Bleier tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brennan Bernardino allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning. 

Ryan Brasier allowed 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 but walked. 

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This game and this series was a microcosm of ineptitude that's plaguing the Red Sox. How do you lose three straight at home to a team that bad? Kluber so far has been a 10 million dollar bust but the bullpen didn't do him or the Sox any favors by allowing 5 runs to put the game out of reach. Not that the bats were going to do much anyway. Then again, when you lose Trevor Story in spring training and lose two big bats in Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez in free agency, can't expect to have the same offense. I don't know what the Sox can do to fix anything, they may have to go with what they have for a while. Maybe they'll turn things around, who knows? The loss dropped the Sox to 22-19, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when they welcome in the Seattle Mariners in for a three game set. George Kirby goes for the Mariners against Tanner Houck (3-2) of the Sox. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Jansen Implodes, Cardinals Drop Sox (5/12/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox sent a sack full of money to the hapless Oakland A's for 29 year old utility infielder Pablo Reyes. With Adalberto Mondesi and Christian Arroyo out with injury, the Sox don't want to bring up David Hamilton to soon so they traded for an experienced veteran who can play the infield. Reyes was hitting .257 for Las Vegas when the A's sent him to Boston. Maybe he can at least field the ball.

                                                                          IN

As for the game, another kick in the ass in a season full of them. The St. Louis Cardinals tore a page out of the script from twenty years earlier when they rallied late to beat the Red Sox. The Sox took a 4-2 lead after five innings due to home runs from Enmanuel Valdez and Connor Wong. James Paxton made his long awaited Red Sox debut and delivered five gutty innings to keep the Sox in front. Then Josh Winckowski crapped his pants by allowing three runs in the sixth. The Sox scratched out two runs to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth but Kenley Jansen (1-1, 3.09 ERA) allowed three runs in the top of the ninth including a two run pinch hit home run by Nolan Gorman. The Sox went quietly in the ninth and the Cardinals had won the game 8-6 at Fenway Park.

Paxton made his Sox debut in the top of the first inning and the Cardinals wasted no time getting to him. Tommy Edman took strike three but Paul Goldschmidt singled to left. Willson Contreras took strike three but Nolan Arenado hit a home run all the way to Sweden to put the Cards up just four batters into the game. Juan Yepez grounded out to second to end the inning but the Cardinals led 2-0.

                                                            Cardinals strike first

Wainwright got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo watched strike three go by to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to center but Justin Turner grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Dylan Carlson flied out to right to start the top of the second before Paul Dejong struck out swinging. Lars Nootbaar walked but Andrew Krizner flied out to right to end the inning. Rafael Devers flied out to left to start the bottom of the second but Jarren Duran drew a walk. Triston Casas banged into a double play to end the inning.

Edman flied out to right to start the top of the third but Goldschmidt singled to right. Contreras flied out to right but Arenado got a hit to left. Yepez struck out swinging to end the inning. Kike Hernandez flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Enmanuel Valdez took strike three. Connor Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Paxton dazzled in the top of the fourth as Carlson took strike three to start. Both Dejong and Nootbaar watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Yoshida flied out to right but Turner walked. Both runners moved over on the Devers grounder to first and scored on the Duran single to right. Casas doubled to right but some idiot touched the ball for fan interference. Naturally Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Duran gets it done

Paxton returned for the top of the fifth and Knizner flied out to center to start. Edman took strike three and Goldschmidt went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Paxton who who threw 87 pitches in his return allowing just 2 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                          Welcome back Paxton

The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Valdez pounded his second home run of the season and Connor Wong smashed his fourth for back to back jacks. Verdugo lined out to first but Yoshida doubled to right. Turner flied out to right and Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                  Back to back

The lead didn't last long as Josh Winckowski came in to blow it in the top of the sixth. Contreras hit a home run into the outer reaches of Mongolia to cut the lead then Arenado got a base hit to center. Brendan Donovan pinch hit for Yepez and singled to right before Carlson got a base hit to right to load the bases. De Jong grounded into a double play but Arenado scored to tie the game. That was it for Winckowski as Richard Bleier came in to face Nootbaar. Lars doubled to left to score Donovan to put the Cardinals on top but Knizner popped up to first to end the inning with the Cardinals up 5-4.

                                                              So much for that lead

Andrew Pallante came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to third to start. Casas singled to center but Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Edman grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh but Goldschmidt singled to center. Conteras grounded into a double play to end the inning. Valdez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Wong struck out swinging. Genesis Cabrera came in to pitch to Verdugo and Alex went down hacking to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Arenado grounded out to short to start. Donovan grounded out to second and Carlson grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the eighth as Yoshida walked to start. Turner walked and Devers hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Yoshida with the tying run. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran but Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol countered by bringing in Ryan Helsey to pitch to him. Sox manager Alex Cora countered that by having Railmel Tapia hit for Refsnyder and Bobby Dalbec in to run for Turner. Tapia grounded out to second but Dalbec scored to put the Sox on top. Casas flied out to right but it was 6-5 Sox.

                                                         Good work Devers

Kenley Jansen came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the ninth as DeJong walked to start. DeJong stole second, then scored on the Nootbaar single to center. Nootbaar took off for second and Wong threw the ball over the third baseman's head for no reason for an error to move Lars to third. Nolan Gorman pinch hit for Knizner and hot a home run to Cuba to ice the game. Edman doubled to left and that was it for Jansen. Ryan Brasier came in and Goldschmidt took strike three. Contreras grounded out to third but Arenado singled to left. Edman came around third but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning with the Cards up 8-6

                                                                 That'll do it

Tres Barrera came in to catch the bottom of the ninth and Valdez struck out swinging to start. Reese McGuire pinch hit for Wong and also went down hacking. Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Cardinals had won it 8-6.

                                                                Cardinals win

Jackass of The Night is Kenley Jansen for blowing the save. He allowed 3 runs to put the game out of reach.

                                                             Jackass Jansen

The Good:

Masataka Yohida was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Justin Turner walked twice and scored a run in four plate appearances.

Bobby Dalbec scored a run as a pinch runner.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Raimel Tapia drove in a run in his only plate appearance.

Triston Casas was 2 for 4.

James Paxton allowed 2 runs in 5 innings of work. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out nine.

Richard Bleier tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless ninth inning after Jansen was out.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

Josh Winckowski allowed 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a home run but struck out and committed an error.

Honorable Mention:

Rob Refsnyder "pinch hit" in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had this game in the bag but Jansen blew one of his only saves all season tonight. These are the games the Sox can't afford to lose in the era of the three wild cards because even as mediocre as they are, they're going to be in the hunt as long as they don't suffer any catastrophic injuries. The Cardinals are under .500 for a reason and this is a huge loss in the grand scheme of things. The Sox need to start winning these games to gain some ground on the other teams in the AL East. Paxton pitched well too so things may be looking up if he can rediscover his former form he had in New York and Seattle. Hopefully the Sox can put this loss in the rear view mirror because that was BAD. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-17, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Cardinals when Chris Sale takes the mound against Steven Matz. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News: Salem Red Sox Preview (5/11/23)

Its another off-day and its time for our last "preview" of the upcoming season for the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox. This time we head down to Salem, Virginia to catch the Low A Salem Red Sox. Low A is for recent draft picks, Dominican Sox call ups and prospects not doing so hot in High A. This year all eyes are on a few picks from the 2022 draft and even some from 2021. A preview like this should have been done in April but since the Sox had almost zero off days, its already May 11th. The 2023 draft is less than two months away and some of those guys may be in Salem by the end of the year. So far the Salem Sox are 13-15 and let's take a look at what's going on at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

                                                                Salem Memorial Ballpark

Up first is 25 year old right handed pitcher Brock Bell. He's one of the last of the ex-Sox GM Dave Dombrowski picks drafted in the 7th round back in 2019. He had some seriously bad luck as he looked impressive for the Gulf Coast Sox and Lowell Spinners but his 2020 season was wiped out by Covid. Tommy John surgery took 2021 and 2022 away. This year so far he's 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA with command issues. If he learns how to control his 95 mph fastball, they might get something out of him.

                                                      Trying to bounce back in 2023

Up next is last year's 7th round pick, right handed pitcher Caleb Bolden. Drafted last year out of Texas Christian University, he's currently 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA. The knock on him was he's already 24 and should have went pro out of high school in 2017, but hey....better late than never.

                                                                  Late Bloomer

Up next is last year's 8th round pick, right handed pitcher Jonathan Brand. He was one of Miami Ohio University's best starters and has allowed 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings so far this year. He's a junkballer with a nice curve, but let's see if he can get pro bats out as well as he did college.

                                                                      Good luck Brand

Up next is 22 year old right handed pitcher Felix Cepeda. Cepeda was one of Dombrowski's Dominican teenagers back in 2018 and he was straight batting practice from 2019 to 2022. This year so far he's 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA so hopefully he's figured things out. The good news was he went from throwing 91 in 2019 to 93 now, that's a major difference.

                                                                 Starting to figure it out

Up next is 20 year old right handed pitcher Nathanael Cruz. A Chaim Bloom Dominican teenager, Cruz got hammered last year but already throws 93-95. Just like Cepeda, Cruz is going to need some time to figure things out. So far this year he hasn't allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings so let's see how he turns out.

                                                                      Can throw 94

Up next is 20 year old right handed pitcher Luis De La Rosa. He was one of the players to be named later in the Andrew Benintendi trade and struggled out of the bullpen last year for Salem. He throws 93 consistently and is currently 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA. Like Cruz and Cepeda, he's going to need time to develop and he just might.

                                                                Benintendi for De La Rosa

Up next is 22 year old left handed pitcher Noah Dean. Drafted in the fifth round last year out of Old Dominion, Dean can throw gas but doesn't have the best command. So far this year he's 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA but its his first professional season. Not everyone gets it right their first year. If he learns command, he could be good down the road.

                                                       Someone teach this guy control

Next up is the team underdog, 24 year old right handed pitcher Jhonny Felix. Felix was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2021 draft and has been straight batting practice since. He was a shortstop at West Oklahoma State and pitched on occasion. Maybe he's better off as a shortstop because this year he's 0-1 with a 7.53 ERA. Keep fighting Felix.

                                                                   Need to improve

Up next is 21 year old right handed pitcher Gabriel Jackson. He was a signed as a Dominican teenager back in 2019 and was lousy in Salem last year going 7-8 with a 5.25 ERA. He has a 93 mph fastball but the breaking stuff has little movement. If he improves his breaking stuff, he may have potential. This year so far he's 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA.

                                                                  So far so good

Up next is 22 year old right handed pitcher Marques Johnson. Drafted in the 11th round last year out of Long Beach State, Johnson has a lively fastball but his breaking stuff isn't good yet. So far this year he's 2-2 with a 12.00 ERA but also its his first professional season. Someone needs to teach him a better curveball.

                                                          Long Beach in the house

Up next is injured 24 year old right handed pitcher Matt Litwicki. Drafted in the 10th round in the 2021 draft out of Indiana, he hasn't made his organizational debut yet due to various injuries. He only threw 31 career innings in college due to injuries but he throws absolute gas. If he ever makes his debut, the 97 mph fastball he has may come in handy.

                                                      Still hasn't pitched yet

Up next is injured 22 year old pitcher left hander Hayden Mullins. Drafted in the 12th round last year, he had Tommy John surgery during his senior year at Auburn and isn't expected to make his debut until later this year. What's with Bloom and injured pitchers?

                                                             Get well soon Mullins

Up next is the team youngster, 19 year old right handed pitcher Jedixon Paez. Signed as a Dominican teenager, he looked good for the DoSox and the Florida Complex last year. He's a junkballer but is still filling out so he may add more speed to his pitchers down the line. This year so far he's 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA but at only 19 years old, its going to take a while for him to develop.

                                                                      Good luck Paez

Up next is the number 8th ranked prospect in the system, 20 year old Venezuelan right handed pitcher Luis Perales. Last year he allowed 11 runs in 35 innings between the Complex and Salem but this year he's 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. He can throw 98 mph and is being stretched out to see if he can handle a full workload. It'll take some time but he could be a stud down the road.

                                                                    Number 8 ranked

Up next is 21 year old right handed pitcher Railin Perez. Another Dominican teenager signed by Dombrowski, he allowed just 3 runs in 23 innings for the Complex last year. This year he's 0-1 with a 9.75 ERA and needs some serious work done on his pitches if he hopes to get Single A batters out this year.

                                                                  Not doing great

Up next is 22 year old right handed pitcher Jose Ramirez. Signed as a Dominican teenager by Dombrowski in 2018, he was straight batting practice for the Complex and Salem last year. He throws a 94 mph fastball and is currently 0-1 with a 0.50 ERA. If he's figured it out, that would be great.

                                                               Kind of looks like Ludacris

Up next is the 16th ranked prospect in the system, 19 year old right handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Drafted in the 4th round back in 2021 out of high school in Puerto Rico, Cruz made his debut last year by posting a 1.88 ERA in 13 games between the Complex and Salem. This year so far he's 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA. He's still filling out so he definitely could add life to his fastball and slider in a year or two. The Sox may have something here if he continues to improve.

                                                               Keep your eye on him

Up next is 22 year old left handed pitcher Dalton Rogers. Drafted in the 3rd round last year, Rogers can throw a 95 mph fastball but needs to learn command. So far this year he's 0-1 with a 2.55 ERA. With Shane Drohan having the most potential as a left handed starter, it would be nice for Rogers to be good as well. The Sox haven't had a decent homegrown lefty since Jon Lester, hopefully one or the other will be. Recently he struck out 8 batters in 5 shutout innings.

                                                             Could be the next Lester

Up next is 22 year old right handed pitcher Reidis Sena. Another Dominican teenager signed by Dombrowski in 2019, Sena can throw gas but has little control. He was 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA last year in Salem and this year he hasn't pitched yet due to injury. Let's see what he's got when he's ready.

                                                                      Get well soon

Up next is 21 year old right handed pitcher Luis Talavera. Yet another Dominican teenager signed by Dombrowski in 2019, he showed potential by going 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA last year between the Complex and Salem. He can throw 93 but has horrible command right now. So far this year he's allowed 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings so at least he knows what he has to improve on if he wants to climb the ranks.

                                                                    Needs to learn command

Up last for the pitchers is 24 year old right handed pitcher Michael Valera. He made his organization debut as a 20 year old in 2019 for the DoSox and has been straight batting practice since. Last year he went 1-1 with a 6.58 ERA between the Complex and Salem. This year so far he's allowed 10 runs in 10 2/3 innings so it doesn't look like he's going to make it. If you get lit up in the Complex and Salem, what's High A or Double A batters going to do for him?

                                                                 10 runs in 10 innings

Now for the catchers. Up first is 19 year old right handed hitting Enderso Lira. He signed as a Dominican teenager in 2021 and hit just .246 for the DoSox that year. Last year he hit .129 in 21 games for the Complex. He's only played in 1 game this year and he's strictly bench material at this point. He's only 19 so let's see what happens.

                                                            Potential future catcher

Up next is the starting catcher, 22 year old right handed hitting Yorberto Mejicano. He was a Venezuelan teenager signed by Dombrowski in 2019 and he hit .262 with 5 home runs last year with Salem as Nathan Hickey's backup. This year so far he's got 12 hits in 10 games and looks to be turning the corner himself. Let's hope he keeps it up.

                                                            Keep up the good work

Up next is 20 year old right handed hitting Juan Montero. He was an undrafted rookie free agent signed in 2020 out of Ed Correa's Baseball Academy. He hit just .258 for the Complex last year and so far this year he's got 1 hit in 6 at-bats as a backup. If he couldn't hit well in the Complex, that's a bad sign. Still, he could just be getting started. We'll know in a year or so.

                                                                    1 hit in 6 at bats

Now for the infielders, first up is (about to be) 19 year old right handed hitting starting third baseman Cutter Coffey. Drafted in the second round last year as a shortstop, the number 21 prospect Coffey had 4 hits in 32 at-bats for the Complex last year. This year so far he's hitting .219 with 23 walks in 23 games. He's not going to be 19 until May 21st so it would be unfair to judge him already. One year ago he was in Liberty High School and now he's the starting third baseman for the Salem Red Sox. Judge slowly.

                                                                Long way to go for Coffey

Up next is 20 year old starting first baseman, right handed hitting Lyonell James. James tore up the DoSox in 2021 and the Complex last year hitting .340. This year so far he's hitting .244 with a home run in 22 games. Single A is a big leap from the Dominican and Rookie leagues so he's definitely going to need time to adjust.

                                                            "Vhat do you mean freeze?"

Up next is 19 year old starting second baseman, switch hitting Ahbram Liendo. Liendo hit just .251 for the DoSox in 2021 and just .219 for the Complex last year but had 6 hits in 6 games for Salem to end the season. This year so far he's hitting just .160 and that's not going to cut it. The Sox have 22 picks in the draft coming up and I'm sure one of them will be a first baseman. He's only 19 but he's going to have to do better than .160.

                                                               .160? Boooooo!

Up next is 20 year old right handed hitting infielder Daniel McElveny. Drafted in the 6th round back in 2021, he hit just .250 for the Complex and .167 for Salem last year. This year he's hitting just .208 with one home run for Salem. The ultimate kick in the pants is 16 slots after the Sox chose McElveny, the Toronto Blue Jays picked Hayden Juenger who's currently pitching for the Buffalo Bisons, the Toronto Blue Jays AAA team. Still, at only 20 it would be wrong to judge Daniel too soon. Let's see how he does in 2023.

                                                                   Needs to start hitting

Up next is the number 29th ranked prospect in the system, 19 year old switch hitting starting shortstop Luis Ravelo. Ravelo hit just .187 for the Complex last year but got 6 hits in 25 at-bats for Salem at the end of the season. This year so far he's hitting .267 with 3 home runs. Sounds good so far, just needs to hit the weight room.

                                                                     Give him time

Up next is the team's chosen one, the number 7 ranked prospect in the system. Injured 19 year old lefty hitting shortstop Mikey Romero. He was Bloom's first round pick last year and he lived up to his billing, hitting .304 in 19 games for the Complex and Salem to end the year. He's been out with a bad back to start the year but when he comes back, it'll be interesting to see how well he does. With Marcello Mayer as the shortstop of the future, Romero could be a sleeper pick moving forward.

                                                             The Cho-cho-chosen one

Up next is 21 year old right handed hitting infielder Karson Simas. Simas was one of the last of the Dombrowski picks, taken in the 25th round back in 2019. He hit just .197 in 78 games for Salem last year and if he can't hit Single A pitching, how's he going to make it to Portland? A utility infielder in Single A doesn't really have a high ceiling.

                                                                   25th round pick

Up next is the number 9th ranked prospect in the whole system, (about to be) 19 year old starting right fielder Roman Anthony. Anthony was a compensation pick for Eduardo Rodriguez signing with the Detroit Tigers and he did not disappoint, hitting .429 for the Complex before finishing with 7 hits in 10 games for Salem. This year he's hitting just .234 in 20 games but it would be unfair to judge a kid turning 19 on Saturday for not hitting well. He's got plenty of time and a lot of chances to turn it around. Let's see what he's made of.

                                                               Rodriguez for Anthony

Up next is the Number 2 ranked prospect in the whole system behind Mayer, right handed hitting 19 year old starting centerfielder Miguel Bleis. Bleis smashed 5 home runs and hit .301 for the Complex last year. According to international scouts he has the best swing in the system and it will only improve with age. He's currently hitting .267 with 1 home run so he's not knocking at the door of Greenville just yet. Still with such raw power its only a matter of time.

                                                                Could be a future star

Up next is the number 26th ranked prospect in the system, switch hitting 19 year old starting DH Allan Castro. Castro was signed as a 16 year old by Dombrowski and hit .279 with the Complex last year before hitting just .188 to finish the season in Salem. This year he's hitting just .185 with one home run and its feared he's only good from the right side. He's turning 20 on the 24th so let's see how he turns out.

                                                                    Need to pick it up

Up next is the team's starting left fielder, right handed hitting 20 year old Juan Chacon. Chacon was signed by Dombrowski as a 16 year old in 2019 and hit .311 for the DoSox in 2021. Unfortunately he hit .225 for the Complex and .129 for Salem last season. He has potential but hasn't really shown it yet. This year he's hitting just .240 in 53 games. Still plenty of time to turn it around though.

                                                         Another Dombrowski special

Last but not least is right handed hitting 21 year old outfielder Albert Feliz. Signed as a Dominican teenager in 2018, Feliz hasn't hit above .250 since his debut with the DoSox in 2019. He hit just .194 with the Complex last year and just .233 so far this year. Normally you don't give up on 21 year olds bust he hasn't hit well ANYWHERE yet. Still, plenty of time to turn it around but there could be other Dominican kids or 2023 draft picks coming that could do better. We'll see how it turns out.

                                                                  Can he hit at all?

All in all this is a motley mix of Dombrowski's Dominican kids, Bloom's Dominican kids and draft picks from the last few seasons. Mikey Romero hasn't played yet but the pitching needs to improve for sure. Still, the goal of Single A is to teach the kids how to improve. If they win games, that's a bonus. Its going to be a long year for Salem since anyone that shows life will be brought up to Greenville. Still, it'll be interesting to see who does get the call and who stays to be the team leader. Come to Salem Memorial Ballpark to find out how they do.

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the St. Louis Cardinals. James Paxton makes his long awaited Sox debut against Cards ace Adam Wainwright. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.