Full Count
A Furiously Updated Red Sox Blog
WEEI.com Blog Network
RSS
Red Sox Minor League Roundup: A step forward for Daniel Bard; Justin Germano’s decision; Garin Cecchini on a tear 07.03.12 at 12:02 pm ET
By Alex Speier

Third baseman Garin Cecchini has a 10-game hitting streak in the second half (Darrell Snow / Greenville Drive)

A look at the action in the Red Sox minor league system on Monday…

TRIPLE-A PAWTUCKET RED SOX: 2-1 WIN VS. ROCHESTER (TWINS)

(BOX)

– Daniel Bard, for the first time since his move back to the bullpen, pitched for a second straight day, with promising results. He tossed a perfect inning, getting all three batters he faced to ground out, while throwing eight of his 10 pitches for strikes. Bard told reporters that he was able to carry the positives forward from the end of an outing on Sunday, when he threw eight of his last 11 pitches for strikes, and repeat his delivery with similar results on Monday. It was the second time since Bard got to Pawtucket that he worked a clean inning.

– Zach Stewart, in his second start since joining the Red Sox in the trade that sent Kevin Youkilis to Chicago, allowed one run on five hits (three singles, two doubles) in six innings while walking none and striking out a batter. The 25-year-old has a 1.54 ERA in his two starts with the PawSox; he’s struck out five and has yet to walk a batter in 11 2/3 innings.

– Alex Wilson recorded his first save since being moved to the bullpen, tossing a pair of scoreless innings while walking one and striking out two. He’s now 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 13 walks in 34 2/3 innings of relief. Opponents are hitting .234 against him. However, he has yet to make an appearance on fewer than two days of rest.

– Justin Germano informed the Red Sox in the middle of the day on Monday that he was exercising his right to opt out of his minor league deal, given that he has not been added to the major league roster. The Red Sox now have until Wednesday (July 4) to make a decision about whether to add him to the roster or grant him his release for the purposes of making him a free agent.

Germano is 9-4 with a 2.40 ERA and has struck out 72 while walking just 13 in 105 innings, performing as one of the more effective starters in the International League (indeed, he was named an International League All-Star last week). With Daisuke Matsuzaka potentially going on the disabled list, it remains to be seen whether the Sox will be prompted to create a roster spot for Germano or if the team will let him walk, given that Stewart now joins the group of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz (currently on the DL), Felix Doubront, Franklin Morales, Aaron Cook and Matsuzaka as potential Sox starters who are already on the 40-man roster.

– Lars Anderson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and he’s now driven in runs in four straight games.

– Scott Podsednik went 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts while playing the complete game in center field. In three rehab games, he’s now 1-for-11 with a walk.

DOUBLE-A PORTLAND SEA DOGS: 12-4 LOSS, 5-3 LOSS VS. TRENTON (YANKEES)

(GAME 1 BOX, GAME 2 BOX)

– Jackie Bradley Jr. went 1-for-3 with a walk in the first game of the double header before going 1-for-4 in the nightcap, with the second contest snapping a streak of seven straight games in which he’d reached base at least twice. The 22-year-old has a .433 OBP with Portland and a .473 OBP on the year between his two minor league levels, a mark that leads all of minor league baseball among players with at least 100 plate appearances.

– Pete Hissey, displaced from center to left field by Bradley, went 3-for-7 in the two contests, and he’s now hitting .321/.361/.446/.807 with five steals in 17 games since returning from a broken hand.

– Bryce Brentz walked in both halves of the doubleheader, and now has taken 16 walks in his last 21 games after walking just 14 times in his first 56 contests of the year. He had a .348 OBP in those first 56 contests, compared to a .407 mark since he started becoming a walks machine.

– Carl Crawford is set to play with Portland starting on Tuesday. He sat down with Sea Dogs play-by-play man Mike Antonellis to discuss the course of his rehab.

HIGH-A SALEM RED SOX: 4-3 LOSS AT MYRTLE BEACH (RANGERS)

(BOX)

– Travis Shaw, who had been in a 2-for-19 slump over his previous five games, bounced back with a 3-for-4 contest in which he slammed three doubles. He has now tied former teammate Jackie Bradley Jr. for the Carolina League lead with 26 doubles, and he ranks second in the league with 41 extra-base hits. The contest marked the second time this year that he’s had three extra-base hits in a game. All three of the doubles were of the opposite-field variety for the left-handed hitter.

– Salem’s pitchers have seen their ERA soar to 7.05 in the second half, nearly double the team’s 3.57 mark in the first half. There is one prominent difference on the second half roster, chiefly the absence of Bradley, considered an otherworldly defender in center. While it would be an exaggeration to suggest that Bradley’s absence is solely responsible for the dropoff, it is no slight to the players who have replaced him to suggest that the center fielder’s departure has impacted the performance of Salem’s staff.

SINGLE-A GREENVILLE DRIVE: 6-5 LOSS AT CHARLESTON (YANKEES)

(BOX)

– Garin Cecchini hit his first homer in 23 games dating to May 30, a two-run, game-tying shot in the ninth inning as part of a 2-for-5 night. He has a 10-game hitting streak since the All-Star break, and is hitting .436/.522/.641/1.163 with a homer, three doubles, a triple, seven steals, seven walks and five strikeouts during that span.

– Keury De La Cruz went 3-for-5 with a double for his eighth three-hit game of the year.

SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A LOWELL SPINNERS: 2-0 LOSS VS. TRI-CITY (ASTROS)

(BOX)

– Outfielder Williams Jerez, a 20-year-old who was taken by the Sox in the second round of the 2011 draft based on his five-tool potential, went 1-for-2 while notching a pair of firsts, working his first walk and stealing his first base in Lowell.

– Right-hander Justin Haley, a sixth-round pick out of Fresno, made his pro debut, allowing a run in two innings while walking two and striking out two.

– Right-hander Pat Light, the Sox’ supplemental first-round pick in the 2012 draft, is expected to make his pro debut on July 9 at Batavia.

ROOKIE LEVEL GCL RED SOX: 6-2 WIN VS. GCL ORIOLES

(BOX)

– Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-2 with a homer and a walk while playing six innings in center field for the Rookie Level GCL Red Sox. In three games in the GCL that started on Friday, Ellsbury is 2-for-6 with a double, homer, four walks and two strikeouts.

The 2011 American League runner-up in MVP voting has been out since suffering a subluxation of his right shoulder while sliding into second base on April 13. With Ellsbury out for all but seven games this year, the Red Sox’ production from their center fielders has ranked among the worst in baseball, as the players at that position have combined to hit .253/.294/.337/.630 with four homers and four steals.

– Right-hander Chris Carpenter, who underwent surgery on his elbow in spring training (shortly after the Red Sox acquired him from the Cubs as compensation for the departure of former GM Theo Epstein), tossed a scoreless inning in his first game with a minor league affiliate this year. He permitted a hit while getting two groundball outs.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE RED SOX: 9-2 LOSS AT DSL RANGERS

(BOX)

– Catcher Alixon Suarez went 1-for-4 with a double and drove in a run. The 17-year-old now has 10 extra-base hits (nine doubles and a homer) in 25 games, surpassing his total of nine in 62 games last summer in the DSL.

Read More: alex wilson, Chris Carpenter, Daniel Bard, garin cecchini Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • Anonymous

    20-14 TO’s Pierce 7. No one to stop James. Needed Bill Russell. They have too much
    ammunition.

  • gman

    Refs do it again. If the Celts had gotten the same calls the Heat got, they’d have won it by double figures

  • HotMess

    Tough Loss! Lebron is without a doubt the best player in the game. The C’s had to mplay a perfect game and they almost pulled it off. Can’t wait for the playoffs!

  • cfn

    Folks, even though celts lose, it actually felt like a win. With no Garnet, Rondo, and refs on Heat side we almost pulled this one off. PP is no Larry Bird to get that three point in, wish they gave Jeff another try to tie or win the game. When it counted Heat came up big, that is Lebrons last shot and stuffing green, so will give them credit. This was a great game for Green, wish they would start him at the 4, then sit PP down early in 1st to rest so he can come in for Jeff in the 2nd quarter.
    Just want to reiterate that this game put the Heat on notice, and in the interview at the end with Lebron he basically conceded that. I don’t think we will beat heat in playoffs but I see us in the eastern championships again and this game did not detract from that our momentum to be there competing with Heat.

  • mark

    amen. this league is a joke, up by double digits and fouls put you back in the game?

  • Bill

    Normally, complaining about the refs makes us look like poor sports, but this time they really were that bad. Game altering.

  • dont blame the refs THIS time

    The refs have sucked for decades .. however.. the C’s turned over the ball way
    to many times ( P.P. had 7) along with piss poor free thow shooting.. that what costs the C’s the game !! The C’s beat themselves.. period.

  • Fab4ever

    His shine went dull..that was such a punk move taunting Jet…proves again why the NBA has an image problem..In a weird way, I was hoping somebody would have tackled Lebron…F him..

  • Fab4ever

    Don’t go sour grapes…yes NBA officiating is like SciFy…but the C’s didn’t help themselves in the end by missing shots..great game…

  • keebs

    To be honest, I think they easily win this game if they didn’t get 3 happy in the 4th like they usually do when they have a lead. This team is one of the worst at keeping leads. I swear at one point in the 4th quarter they took about 4 or 5 straight 3′s. And PP’s decision to take a 3 was ridiculously dumb. Plenty of time to run something.

  • Franky

    Great effort by the C’s. I don’t understand why Doc doesn’t play some of the guys. They were clearly gassed in the 4th. Playing only 8 made no sense. Still could have won. Not going to bash the refs, the NBA officials just suck overall. Great game to watch. Still would have loved them to end the streak. Can LeBron be any more unlikable?

  • Green For Life

    No wrries. If this is the Heat at their strongest then the Celtics can definitely take them come playoff time. Don’t forget this is the first time the Heat have managed to beat the Celtics at home this season and we didn’t even have KG. 4th quater scoring is still this teams biggest weakness especially when Brandon Bass misses a wide open layup that made the difference in the end. Go Celtics!

  • Otis

    Was this Jeff Green’s “that kid is the f*****g truth!” moment?

  • Yep.

    Bingo.

  • DrVermont

    Doc is somewhat to blame for this. Celtics had momentum in the fourth, then pulls green out, and they go cold. Refs don’t do the Celtics any favors either. Can’t they let the players decide the outcome? If only Green could play like this more often. Maybe he is turning the corner :)

  • ChrisinDanvers

    Solid game overall. Honestly, without KG, this team really had a problem going into the game and had no business even competing with the Heat, let alone nearly win and have a 17 point lead.

    Although Paul Pierce said there are no moral victories, it must be noted that this game bodes well for the Celtics. It shows just how strong they are and how dominant they can be when they want to. To be up by 17 pts was amazing.

    The game also says a lot about the Celtics.

    For the negatives, they do have to work on the turnovers in such games. There were several other deadly passes that the Celtics were lucky to hold on to. That is something that needs to be kept in check. Likewise, the Celtics, using only the 8 man rotation (there is no way they should have gone beyond that against the Heat…that team is too dangerous), their legs looked understandably tired in the fourth quarter.

    However, that is far superceded by the positives. The fact that this team out fast-breaked the Heat for most of the game shows something. Likewise, the small lineup they used forced problems all around for the Heat, which says something about the ability for these teams to match up well against each other this year. To score 100 points against this team shows that the Celtics have the power to keep up with them. And Jeff Green, who has been coming on strong, was truly a revelation. I do believe this was his ah-ha moment with the Celtics. Obviously, he was up for the challenge…and he far surpassed it by out Lebroning James. It might be time to work him into the starting lineup and see what happens with Bass coming off the bench. It might not be bad for both of them (though I have liked Green off the bench).

    This game showed a lot about this team this year. However, going beyond, it does indeed look like this team can build around Jeff Green going forward, with Bradley, Sullinger, Lee, Crawford, Bass, and (yes), Rondo. There are some good parts there.

  • Old milton

    Kendrick who????

  • Heat Rule

    Haha LOSERS! Green 18 coming in 2058!

  • fab4ever

    The only loser is you. Idiot. Yeah, the C’s sucked last night…they pushed the reigning champs to the brink without KG, without Rondo and without Sully. Lord, there’s never a lack of dumb arses on these boards…now do everyone a favor go back into your mom’s basement and beat the bishop to your posters of Whoopie Goldberg and Rosie O’Donnell…

  • fab4ever

    That’s right…they had the Heat! Had them…..Refs are atrocious each and every night, for all teams…however, this was such a great game for a number of reasons, not the least is seeing Green just bust a move. That my friend, was impressive….this is what they build upon…to the haters who think the C’s get nowhere until 2058, keep dreaming arse wipes…

  • Heat Rule

    Ohhh poor baby, did I make you soil your green footie pajamas? Your team is irrelevant. Go back to fantasizing that your Garnett fathead has scratch n sniff groin area.

  • ChrisinDanvers

    Ah, nice to see the Heat fans so secure in their team. Sure, your team is pretty good this year, but it can be taken down. Heck, a Celtics squad without its starting point guard, starting center, and the person who had become starting power forward was ahead by 17 and lost at the last second. Sorry, guy, but the Heat should have blown out this team. I would not be too content to gloat there. The Thunder and Spurs should be able to beat your team in the finals (I am assuming they will get there).

    As for Green 18, I would agree that it is probably in the future, not this year. But, your Orwellian prediction is probably far off by at least 42 or so years. They should be able to regroup and win in the next five.

    Enjoy your next few years. Sure, there will not be seven titles as someone well known once predicted. In fact, because of the new cap, you will be hard pressed to get more than three. But, from fans who have known what it is like to get 17, we hope you enjoy your prosperity.

  • gman

    How much did you pay the refs?

  • gman

    I’d agree with you if the Heat didn’t have David Stern and the refs on their side.

Red Sox Box Score
Red Sox Schedule
Baseball Analytics Blog
Red Sox Headlines
Red Sox Minor League News
Red Sox Team Leaders
MLB Headlines
Tips & Feedback

Verify