RED SOX MINOR LEAGUE REPORT
(For the week of June 22-28)
Highlights of the Week
-- RF Brandon Moss (Double-A Portland) earned Eastern League Player of the Week honors for the period ending June 25…the 22-year-old batted .478 (11-for-23) with 4 doubles, a triple, a homer and 7 runs scored in 6 games last week…Moss is the 2nd Sea Dogs batter to take home Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season, joining 3B Chad Spann…LHP Phil Seibel and LHP Kason Gabbard have been named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week this year.
-- Moss is riding a 9-game hitting streak, batting .432 (16-for-37) with 12 runs scored and 11 RBI during the tear…Boston’s 8th-round pick in 2002 is batting .372 (29-for-78) with 7 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored in 22 games in June after batting .178 (16-for-90) in 22 games in April and .260 (26-for-100) in 26 games in May.
3B Andrew Pinckney, CF Jacoby Ellsbury and closer RHP Mike James represented Wilmington at the Carolina League vs. California League All-Star Game Tuesday in Salem, a 6-3 win by the Carolina League…Pinckney made the start and went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored…Ellsbury went 0-for-1 as a defensive replacement and James allowed one run on 2 hits and a walk in 1.0 inning, striking out one.
Pawtucket reliever LHP Craig Breslow yesterday was named to the International League team for the 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game in Toledo on July 12…PawSox manager Ron Johnson was named as a coach for the IL team.
-- Breslow has gone 5-1 with 5 saves and a 3.23 ERA (14 ER/39.0 IP) in 23 games out of the bullpen…the 25-year-old has 43 strikeouts in 39.0 innings, while limiting International League opponents to a .214 batting average…the Yale product and Trumbull, CT resident signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in February.
The rosters for the 2006 Eastern League All-Star Game were announced today…4 Portland Sea Dogs have been selected to participate in the mid-summer classic: OF Tyler Minges, RHP Chris Smith, 3B Chad Spann and 1B/DH Jeremy West…the All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 12 at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona, Pennsylvania…the Sea Dogs’ coaching staff consisting of manager Todd Claus, hitting coach Russ Morman, pitching coach Ace Adams and trainer Masai Takahashi will coach the Northern Division All-Star squad.
Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox
International League North Division
38-38, Tied for 4th Place, 6.5 Games Back
STERN RETURNS: OF Adam Stern has gone 9-for-16 (.563) in his last 3 games to break out of a 1-for-12 (.083) slide in his previous 3 contests…the 26-year-old went 4-for-5 with 2 homers, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored on Tuesday vs. Ottawa (Orioles)…he is batting .254 with 13 doubles, 7 homers, 23 RBI, 38 runs and 13 stolen bases in 57 games overall.
PEDROIA-LTY: 2B/SS Dustin Pedroia is riding a 10-game hitting streak, batting .386 (17-for-44) with 5 doubles, a homer, 7 RBI and 4 runs…during the streak, he has lifted his average from .269 to .290…rated by Baseball America as the “Best Hitter for Average” in the Red Sox farm system, the 22-year-old is batting .340 (34-for-100) in 24 June games.
THE FILE ON KYLE: RHP Kyle Snyder made his first start for the PawSox on Monday vs. Ottawa, limiting the Lynx to one run on 5 hits in 6.0 innings (no-decision)…he is scheduled to make his next start on Saturday night at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Phillies)…claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on June 16, Snyder made one start with Boston (June 19 vs. Washington) before being optioned to Pawtucket on July 20.
Double-A Portland Sea Dogs
Eastern League Northern Division
46-28, First Place, 6.0 Games Ahead
MR. SMITH THRIVES IN PORTLAND: Chris Smith joined recently-promoted Sea Dog Kason Gabbard as the lone 9-game winners in the Eastern League with a 7-3 win at New Britain Tuesday…he improved to 4-0 with a 1.74 ERA (6 ER/31.0 IP) in 5 starts in June and now boasts a 2.27 ERA this season…the 25-year-old righthander now owns a 7-game winning streak and has 11 quality starts this season.
GO WEST, YOUNG MAN: 1B/DH Jeremy West is batting .372 (29-for-78) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, 15 RBI and 16 runs scored in 23 games in June…he has hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games…the 24-year-old has seen action in 26 games at first base and 39 games at designated hitter this season.
STILL THE ONE: Portland has won 6 of its last 8 games and is 18-6 (.750) in June…the Sea Dogs enter the day with a 6.0-game lead in the Eastern League’s Northern Division.
THEY’RE MADE TO BE BROKEN: Last Thursday the Sea Dogs set a single-game attendance record with 7,368 fans at Hadlock Field to see Portland’s 5-4 win against Connecticut…the Sea Dogs are just a few games away from welcoming their 5 millionth fan in Hadlock Field history.
Single-A Wilmington Blue Rocks
Carolina League Northern Division
5-2, Tied for First place, Second Half
35-35, First Place, First Half
BACK AT IT: Fresh off their All-Star Break, the Blue Rocks tonight return to action for the first time since Sunday to start a 6-game homestand…tonight, Wilmington plays the first of 3 with Lynchburg…the Blue Rocks conclude their homestand with 3 games against Salem starting Sunday.
A VARIED BUNCH OF LEADERS: At the All-Star Break, CF Jacoby Ellsbury leads the Blue Rocks with a .313 batting average and 18 stolen bases…1B Ian Bladergroen leads the club with 7 home runs while LF Jeff Corsaletti has 35 RBI and 19 doubles to lead the way…RF Mickey Hall leads the team with 7 triples while 2B/SS Iggy Suarez paces Wilmington with 32 runs scored.
AND ON THE PITCHING SIDE…: LHP Tommy Hottovy leads Wilmington’s starting rotation with 7 wins and RHP Kyle Jackson paces the bullpen with 6 wins (a perfect 6-0 mark)…Jackson also leads all Blue Rocks pitcher with 63 strikeouts…closer RHP Mike James has 13 saves to lead the team…LHP Justin Sturge leads the team with 25 appearances, posting a 1.57 ERA.
Single-A Greenville Drive
South Atlantic League Southern Division
5-2, Tied for First Place, Second Half
35-35, Tied for 5th Place, 7.0 Games Back, First Half
YOUNG BUCH: RHP Clay Buchholz has allowed just one earned run in 20.0 innings over his last 4 starts for a 0.45 ERA…Boston’s 3rd pick (sandwich round) last year has gone 4-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 13 starts, striking out 73 batters in 62.1 innings of work.
JAY WALKING: RF Jay Johnson set a Greenville single-game season high for hits on Tuesday vs. Lexington (Astros), going 5-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored…Boston’s 16th pick (13th round) last year ranks 7th in the league with 50 runs scored, while batting .275 with 8 homers and 35 RBI in 61 games for the Drive.
FOLLOW THE LEADERS: There are several members of the Drive who currently rank among South Atlantic League leaders…LF Chris Turner is 2nd with 16 homers and tied for 5th with 49 RBI…CF Yahmed Yema is tied for 3rd with 6 triples…C Mark Wagner ranks 9th with a .315 batting average…RHP Blake Maxwell is tied for 3rd with 30 appearances and tied for 6th with 10 saves.
Short-Season Single-A Lowell Spinners
New York-Penn League Stedler Division
3-5, 3rd Place, 4.0 Games Back
FIRST THINGS FIRST: 1B Aaron Bates has hit safely in 7 of his 8 games (including 7 in a row), batting .323 (10-for-31) with a double, homer, 2 RBI, 3 runs and 3 walks…the 22-year-old was Boston’s 6th pick (3rd round) in this year’s draft out of North Carolina State.
PAPELBON CATCHING ON: RHP Joshua Papelbon has tossed 4.0 scoreless innings over his first 3 appearances…the University of North Florida product has 5 strikeouts and no walks in 4.0 innings, while allowing just one hit…the 23-year-old was selected by the Sox in the 48th round of this year’s draft.
THE BUSINESS ON BEAZLEY: RHP Travis Beazley boasts a 2.45 ERA (3 ER/11.0 IP) through 2 starts (both no-decisions)…the 23-year-old allowed just 3 hits over 6.0 shutout innings last night vs. Tri-City (Astros).
Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox
Gulf Coast League Southern Division
3-5, 4th Place, 1.5 Games Back
CATCHING ON: C Roberto Sosa is off to a strong start, batting .409 (9-for-22) with 3 doubles, a homer an RBI and 4 runs scored…2006 marks Sosa’s first season of pro ball in the United States…he played the last 3 years with Boston’s Dominican Summer League club.
HOMER HAPPY: In addition to Sosa, both Carlos Fernandez and Michael Jones have hit a home run for the GCL Red Sox thus far…Jones is batting .267 (4-for-15) in early action while Fernandez is 5-for-22 (.227).
GOOSE EGGS: LHP Jose Capellan has not allowed a run in 10.1 innings this season, including 6.0 scoreless frames Tuesday vs. the Pirates…he has 11 strikeouts in 10.1 innings…Capellan combined to go 5-4 with a 1.84 ERA in 25 appearances (9 starts) during the last 2 seasons with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox, earning the club’s Pitcher of the Year honor in 2004.
IN HIS PLACE: Boston’s first pick of the 2006 Draft, OF Jason Place, made his pro debut this week and is 3-for-6 (.500) through his first 3 games.
