Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Boston Red Sox base runner Mookie Betts run to second base against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Happy Easter! Today is a light-ish day in the minor league schedule but we can still talk about yesterday’s action!
I’m not sure how you can’t be very high on 2B Mookie Betts (Portland Sea Dogs – BOS) right now. Betts, 21, had a meteoric rise through A-ball last year and hasn’t slowed down one bit in Double-A. He’s leading the Eastern League with a .453 batting average and nine of his 24 hits have gone for extra bases. Throw in four stolen bases and only seven strikeouts (in almost 60 plate appearances) and you’ve got someone who’s in the zone, especially after a 4/5 game that saw his second home run of the year.
Arizona’s Daniel Palka (Class-A South Bend Silver Hawks) was a double short of the cycle yesterday while organization-mate Roger Kieschnick (Triple-A Reno Aces) was 2/3 with two home runs and two walks.
Houston’s Carlos Correa (High-A Lancaster JetHawks) also fell short of the cycle, going 3/3 with a single, a double and a triple while taking a walk. In terms of total bases, Tampa Bay’s Tyler Goeddel (High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs) racked up seven with the bat, hitting a triple and a home run in a 2/4 game with a walk, two runs scored and four RBI.
For the “most interesting line” of the day, Rangel Ravelo (Double-A Birmingham Barons – CWS) went 1/1 with a double, three walks and a stolen base.
On the pitching side, the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization had another couple of outstanding appearances. In Triple-A Buffalo, Sean Nolin earned Baseball America’s Pitcher of the Day award with six shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out seven. If you ask me, Matt Boyd‘s outing for the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays was just as good. Boyd, a college senior drafted in the sixth round last year, is way under everyone’s radar but actually gave up his first run of the season last night on a solo home run to Tyrone Taylor. He threw six innings of one-run, three-hit, three-walk ball but struck out nine batters to share the high-number for strikeouts on the day with Minnesota’s Sean Gilmartin (5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 9 K).
Other excellent outings included Tyler Wagner for the Brevard County Manatees (High-A – MIL) who threw six shutout innings with four hits, no walks and six strikeouts, Mike Wright (Triple-A Norfolk Tides – BAL) who surrendered just one run on four hits and a walk in seven innigns with five strikeouts and Anthony Ranaudo of the Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A – BOS) who had six shutout innings of two-hit, two-walk, five strikeout ball.
Ronald Herrera, who’s still only 18 years old, had a great outing for the Class-A Beloit Snappers (OAK), with five shutout innings, giving up five hits, no walks and striking out five. For the Triple-A Durham Bulls, Matt Andriese (TB) had seven strikeouts in seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk.