Just looking over Jay Groome’s numbers through his tenure this season with High-A Greenville, you may not think a promotion was in the offing. Perhaps the change of scenery is just what Groome needed.

Boston’s No. 8 prospect struck out a career-high 10 in his Double-A debut, yielding just two hits over five shutout innings, and baseball’s No. 18 overall prospect Triston Casas hit two more homers as Portland cruised to a 7-1 win at New Hampshire.

“I always try to go out there with a chip on my shoulder," Groome said after picking up his first Double-A victory. "I always tell myself that I’m better than the hitter that I’m facing. I just try to keep that mentality and go right after people. It probably did help that this was the first time that [New Hampshire hitters] have ever seen me. I just was content in attacking the zone. I didn’t have any walks. I got into a couple long at-bats, but they went my way, so that’s always good when you get guys fighting off stuff and then you punch them out. It’s a good feeling.”

In his first start above the High-A level, the 2016 12th overall pick started on a dominant note, striking out the side -- all swinging -- in the bottom of the first inning. That set the tone for Groome’s night. After allowing a leadoff double to right by LJ Talley in the second, the left-hander retired seven in a row, four via swinging strikeouts.

Vinny Capra’s one-out double in the bottom of the fourth was the only other blemish on Groome’s night. The 23-year-old set down the final five batters he saw, three by strikeouts, including the last two of his night. When Groome froze Samad Taylor for the second out of the fifth, it set a new personal best and was his only looking strikeout of the night.

Groome then finished his dominant outing with a swinging strikeout of Nick Podkul to end the fifth. The New Jersey prep product threw 83 pitches, 53 for strikes.

“It was nice just having everything in the bag today," the starter said. "I think it’s just something that I’ve been working on, really just to be at the top of the zone with all my pitches, and it’s been working. It’s just what I kept trying to do, just be confident in knowing that my pitches play well in the zone. It showed tonight. I had a bunch of swings and misses. It was nice to get the first [Double-A] one out of the way, as well. I don’t think it could’ve gone better.”

Saturday night’s effort was arguably Groome’s best of the season. In 18 starts with High-A Greenville, the former first-rounder went 3-8 with a 5.29 ERA, and as recently as two starts ago, he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits over five innings. But August appeared to be a cautious step forward. Groome completed five innings in all five of his August starts for the Drive and surrendered three runs or fewer in three of them.

“I was just happy to know that I beat the [High-A] level, but I’d be lying if I said I was jumping for joy because it’s still not where I want to end up," Groome said. "The goal is to get to the big leagues, and until that time comes, I’m just going to keep going out there and doing what I can to show these guys that I belong.”

The most important thing for Groome is that he's lasted this long. In his first five pro seasons, the hurler totaled just 66 innings pitched due to lat and forearm issues as well as Tommy John surgery in May of 2018. After Saturday, Groome has now pitched 86 2/3 innings this season.

“I think I can honestly say that all the work that I’ve put in for the past four years has led me up to this," he said. "I’m still healthy, that’s number one. That was my main goal, just trying to do my best that I can on the mound but also get through the season healthy. I’ve had a lot of cards dealt to me that not a lot of people face. To overcome it and be this far into the season and have this debut in Double-A, it just shows me that I belong and my stuff plays and I can just keep going.”

Continuing his early September power binge, Casas' two-homer night gave him five in two days thanks to three dingers in a doubleheader on Friday. The first baseman drove in four of his team’s seven runs on Saturday night with a pair of two-run blasts, one to right-center in the third and the other to right field in the ninth.

“I’ve never gotten to see him play in-game in person, and just from the looks of him, when you see him at first base, he’s a big boy over there," Groome said of his new teammate. "Then when he’s popping out homers like it’s easy, hitting balls 480 [feet] with ease, it says something about him. And he’s a great guy. He’s always amping everyone up, cheering everyone on. He’s a team guy.”