No. 6 prospect fans season-high 10
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Mata fans season-high 10 in recent outing (Sept. 24)
Bryan Mata is starting to master the ability to make batters whiff.
The No. 6 Red Sox prospect fanned a season-high 10 batters while allowing three runs off three hits in 5 1/3 innings of work in Triple-A Worcester's 7-5 win over Syracuse.
The 23-year-old was keeping Mets hitters guessing as he struck out 10 of the 21 batters he faced. Mata did run into issues as he gave up a RBI single and two-run homer but finished the night throwing 100 pitches -- 57 of them strikes.
The starter brought his K tally to 105 and lowered his ERA to 2.49 on the season between Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. -- Edwin Perez
Rafaela rockets grand slam in Portland clinch (Sept. 14)
As if there was a more perfect way for Ceddanne Rafaela to put an exclamation mark on his breakout season.
The fourth-ranked Red Sox prospect (MLB No. 100) swatted a grand slam, the first of his professional career, in Double-A Portland’s 12-7 win over Somerset, clinching the Eastern League Northeast second-half title for the Sea Dogs.
With his team ahead 8-4 in the seventh inning, Rafaela blew the game wide open with a deep drive to left field off Patriots reliever Nick Ernst. It was the 21-year-old outfielder’s 21st home run of the year, two more than his combined total in three previous pro seasons.
Portland clinched a playoff spot with its seventh consecutive win and a remarkable 17th in its last 19 games. Rafaela hit .333 with a .921 OPS over that span, boosting his season-long line to .303/.346/.549 with 27 stolen bases. -- Jacob Resnick
Rafaela drives in four runs for Portland (Sept. 11)
Ceddanne Rafaela was going to do anything it took to bring in runs for the Sea Dogs.
In Double-A Portland's 8-5 win over Binghamton, Boston's No. 4 prospect showed how to make the most of every at-bat. The 21-year-old's first RBI came by a sacrifice fly to right field in the first inning. The center fielder singled in his next at-bat, driving in another run on a grounder to center in the second. He singled again in the fourth and added an always-valued insurance run on his second sac fly to left in the eighth.
Rafaela was promoted to Double-A on June 7 and has been on a roll. He's slashing .277/.328/.508 since joining the club. -- Ethan Sands
Power display for Paulino, Hickey (Sept. 2)
Eddinson Paulino had no shortage of power.
The No. 14 Red Sox prospect had his first multihomer game as he went 2-for-3 with two long balls and seven RBIs in Single-A Salem's 17-3 win over Augusta.
The 20-year-old displayed his power twice, hitting a grand slam to right field in the first inning and three-shot in the seventh inning. The shortstop’s power surge brought his homer tally to 13 and 65 RBIs on the season.
A level up, it was the Nathan Hickey showcase. The No. 20 Red Sox prospect had a multihomer game of his own as he went 4-for-5 with two long balls and four RBIs in High-A Greenville's 8-5 win over Rome.
The 22-year-old’s power surge started late as he hit a two-run shot to right field in the sixth inning. Hickey capped it off with a two-run blast to left field in the ninth inning.
The catcher’s power display brought his homer tally to 15 and slash line to .271/.425/.534 on the season.-- Edwin Perez
The No. 16 Red Sox prospect has only reached double-digit strikeouts one other time in his career when he fanned 10 across six frames in 2019. Ward allowed the first two batters to reach base via a walk and a single, but quickly buckled down by striking out eight of the next 10 batters -- five swinging and three looking. The 25-year-old surrendered a double and a single that brought in Hartford’s first run of the game in the fifth, but he responded by punching out the next two batters to limit the damage and tie his career-high mark in strikeouts.
The right-hander started the season on the injured list and didn’t make his first start with Portland until Aug. 4. In his first five starts, he’s pitched to a 3.13 ERA with 26 punchouts in 23 innings. -- Stephanie Sheehan
Mata fans nine over six scoreless (Aug. 24)
As Bryan Mata has moved up the ranks, he's only gotten better.
Boston's No. 7 prospect has been on three Red Sox affiliates this year alone. The 23-year-old spent just one game with Single-A Salem before being promoted to High-A Greenville, and after three outings, he was elevated to Double-A Portland. Since joining the Sea Dogs on June 28, Mata has garnered a 1.85 ERA.
His latest outing lowered his ERA even further. In Portland's 8-0 win over Hartford, the right-hander tossed six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and two walks while matching a career-high nine strikeouts.
This is the fourth performance this season where Mata hasn't allowed a run, the third at Double-A. -- Ethan Sands
McDonough hits for the cycle at High-A Greenville
The High-A Greenville Drive -- a franchise that has served as a Red Sox affiliate since 2005 -- entered the 2022 season without a cycle in its record books. As the year nears its final weeks, the team will now be able to add not one, but two entries.
Red Sox outfield prospect Tyler McDonough became the latest to accomplish the feat, notching a home run, single, double and triple -- in that order -- in Greenville's 10-3 win over Bowling Green.
“It felt awesome, that’s really the only word to describe it,” McDonough said. “Especially with how I’ve been doing, struggling a little bit, but I just keep going day to day and getting better. This is all a process.” Full story »
2022 Draft pick Anthony off to blistering start (Aug. 15)
Things will undoubtedly become more difficult, but Roman Anthony's professional debut is going about as well as he could have hoped.
The 79th overall pick in last month's Draft collected three hits, four RBIs and reached safely in all five plate appearances to power the Rookie-level FCL Red Sox to a 14-2 win over the Orioles. The 18-year-old gave his club the lead with a two-run single and drove in a pair with his double during the Red Sox seven-run third inning.
Anthony, has hit safely in each of his first five games, going 7-for-15 (.467) with an 1.129 OPS and five RBIs. -- Michael Avallone
Yorke crushes homer in three-hit night (Aug. 14)
The best way to start a game is by putting your team on the board. Nick Yorke was up to the task.
In High-A Greenville's 6-4 victory over Hickory, Boston's No. 4 prospect began the evening with a bang. The 17th overall selection in the 2020 Draft cranked a leadoff homer to left field in the first inning, leading to a three-run inning and giving the Drive an early advantage. He followed with a single to right in the fourth and a walk in the sixth before rounding out his night with a double to center in the eighth.
The 20-year-old filled the stat sheet, going 3-for-4, a triple shy of the cycle, while adding a walk, two runs and an RBI.
Yorke is having the best month of his season, slashing .267/.346/.511 in August. -- Ethan Sands
Mayer first multihit game and homer at High-A (Aug. 13)
Marcelo Mayer proves the promotion was the right choice.
The Red Sox’s No.1 prospect slashed .286/.406/.504 in Single-A that prompted the promotion to High-A. Mayer had his first multihit effort since being moved up, going 3-for-4 with one homer in High-A Greenville’s 6-4 loss to Hickory.
The 19-year-old's productive game started early as he hit singles in two of his first three at-bats. He then showcased his power in his final at-bat as he hit a solo shot to right-center field in the eighth inning.
The shortstop’s power display brought his homer tally to 10 and slash line to .277/.393/.489 on the season. -- Edwin Perez
Gonzalez fans five in six no-hit innings of work (Aug. 13)
Wikelman Gonzalez was back on his “A” game on the mound.
The Red Sox's No. 9 prospect had two hitless outings in his young career. The 20-year-old made it three as he struck out five in six no-hit innings in Single-A Salem’s 7-0 win over Kannapolis.
The righty was dealing throughout his start, as he retired 18 of the 21 batters he faced. Gonzalez finished the night with 81 pitches – 49 of them strikes – in his start.
He lowered his ERA to 4.54 and brought his K tally to 98 in the 81 1/3 innings he has pitched this season. -- Edwin Perez
Casas, Valdez put on show at Triple-A (Aug. 12)
It was a home run derby for Triple-A Worcester, which totaled five homers with three coming from top prospects.
Triston Casas, Boston's second-ranked prospect, and Enmanuel Valdez, the Red Sox's No. 27 prospect, put on a show in the team's 14-5 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
On the first pitch he saw of the game, Valdez crushed a solo jack to right-center field in the first inning for an early spark, and Casas walked in his first plate appearance. In the second inning, Valdez singled to center, and Casas followed with another walk. Valdez launched another homer in his third at-bat for a three-run round-tripper to right-center in the fourth. Valdez drove in his fifth and sixth runs of the game with a two-run single to right, and Casas moved him over to third with a double to right in the sixth. Casas joined the home run parade in the eighth inning with a solo shot to right-center for his ninth homer of the season.
This was Valdez's best game with the Red Sox since being traded from the Astros on August 1, finishing 4-for-6 with three runs and matching a season-high with six RBIs and four hits.
Casas finished 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs and an RBI to match a season-high seven total bases. -- Ethan Sands