Dan Goldberg - 'Hawks too much for Master's

With the regular season just two days away, the JetHawks are using these games as a final opportunity to hone their skills and work out any lingering kinks.

Jimmy James, who last season struggled with his command, started for the JetHawks, hoping to get ahead of hitters, keep the ball down in the strike zone and induce groundballs. He accomplished just that, pitching three perfect innings. He allowed just one ball out of the infield, and needed just 40 pitches to retire nine batters, four of who were called out on strikes.

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"Obviously our bullpen wasn't as sharp," manager Chad Epperson said. "The bullpen did not do a good job of holding runners on and mixing their time to the plate."

Epperson said it was good to learn that lesson now, and that is something he will address with his three catchers, who he - for the moment - plans to allot equal playing time.

While many of the JetHawks are familiar with one another, there are several who have never played with the group before, or have only just joined the squad within the last couple of weeks. Players said they were happy to use the time and these three games to acquaint - or in some cases reacquaint - themselves with teammates and The Hangar's conditions.

"It's good to get your feet wet," catcher/firstbaseman Jon Still said. "We're all locked in and ready for the season."

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound left-hander, who was the first pick of the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, was so impressed with the ballpark that he was left raring to get the season started.

"Everything I have seen so far is just unbelievable," said Hagadone as he and most of his Drive teammates viewed the field for the first time. "It is step up from where I have been so far. The clubhouse and all the facilities are very nice."

Hagadone, who had a brief stint in Lowell after signing with the Red Sox last season, has not had a lot of professional experience. He compiled a 0-1 record with a 1.85 earned run average. He allowed five runs on 14 hits while striking out 33 in 24- innings.

Considering he was starting for the first time after being as a relief pitcher at the University of Washington, it was a good start.

"We here in Greenville are very excited about him," said Drive pitching coach Bob Kipper. "Of course the Boston Red Sox are very excited to have him. I think we're looking at a guy who brings above-average stuff with tremendous angle to the plate. There is not a whole lot not to like about Nick."

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Gordon Edes - Corey is in a confident place; Reliever settles on staying in Boston

The Sox' Double A team, the Portland Sea Dogs, open tonight in New Britain, Conn., against the Rock Cats, the Twins' affiliate. Sea Dogs PR man Chris Cameron notes that the roster, besides having 17 players back from the team that made the Eastern League playoffs last season, will have eight of Boston's top 30 prospects, as ranked by Baseball America: Justin Masterson (No. 4), Michael Bowden (No. 7), Kris Johnson (No. 13), Mark Wagner (No. 20), Aaron Bates (No. 21), Dustin Richardson (No. 22), Bubba Bell (No. 25), and Hunter Jones (No. 27). Masterson, Bowden, Johnson, and Richardson will be in the rotation, along with holdover Chris Smith. Wagner, the organization's defensive catcher of the year in 2007, will share duties with John Otness. Bates, who hit four home runs in a game last season and was a California League All-Star, will be the first baseman. Bell, the MVP of the California League, will be in the outfield, while Jones returns to the bullpen.

The beginning to Clay Buchholz' 2008 season with the Red Sox [team stats] was a mixed bag.

Only one of the six hits he allowed was an extra-base hit, and the three-run fourth inning he endured featured a two-run error from first baseman Sean Casey.

The right-hander had moments where he sparkled - back-to-back strikeouts of Aaron Hill (on a changeup) and Marco Scutaro (on a curveball) with runners on the corners and no outs - and moments where he struggled with his command, allowing the Blue Jays to string together enough hits to do some damage.

"I thought I executed pitches when I needed to execute pitches," said an upbeat Buchholz after the 10-2 loss in which he allowed four runs, three earned, with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings. "I felt that all spring, my damage control got better and better."

What Callis is talking about - and what Epstein trumpeted when he was named general manager - used to be the norm in baseball. In the years before free agency, teams depended on their farm systems to produce talent, using the occasional trade to fill gaps and shed excess baggage. As recently as 1986, with free agency in full bloom, the Red Sox went to the World Series with a team stacked with homegrown talent. All four of their starting pitchers (Roger Clemens, Bruce Hurst, Oil Can Boyd, Al Nipper) came up through their farm system, as did their catcher (Rich Gedman), second baseman (Marty Barrett), third baseman (Wade Boggs), left fielder (Jim Rice) and right fielder (Dwight Evans). The '86 Red Sox also had three bench players (infielder Dave Stapleton, outfielder Mike Greenwell, catcher Marc Sullivan) and two relievers (Steve Crawford, Bob Stanley) whom they had drafted.

The Red Sox are hoping other farmhands like pitchers Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden, and infielder Jed Lowrie, can make their major league debuts this season.

Masterson, 23, was selected by the Sox in the second round of the 2006 amateur draft, the 71st pick overall. He was 8-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 17 starts last year at Single-A Lancaster, and 4-3 with a 4.34 ERA at Double-A Portland.

Bowden, 21, was a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the 2005 draft. He, too, split last season between Lancaster (2-0, 1.37 in eight starts) and Portland (8-6, 4.28 in 19 starts).

Lowrie, who got considerable playing time on the big league club during spring training, turns 24 on April 17. He is another of the Sox' prizes from the 2005 draft. He hit .297 in 93 games at Portland last year, and .300 in 40 games at Pawtucket.

Down the road a bit, keep an eye on Lars Anderson, a 20-year-old first baseman who split last season between Lancaster and Single-A Greenville, hitting 11 homers.

Red Sox acquire relief pitcher Eric Hull from Dodgers

The 22-year-old Lara, a shortstop, played last season for Single-A Lancaster. He batted .238 with nine home runs and 53 RBI in 99 games.

As the uncertainness intensified regarded what organization Lowrie would be playing in 2008, never once did he feel concerned where he would wind up. "It's all part of the business," he said.

It's evident to see why Lowrie was somebody Minnesota coveted. Here is a middle infielder who can play second base and shortstop (Lowrie was drafted a second baseman out of Stanford and has since made the transition to the other side of the diamond). He's a switch hitter with plenty of life in his bat and has displayed a selective eye (drew 77 walks last year).

PawSox manager Ron Johnson has written Lowrie in the three hole in all three of Pawtucket's games to date, a spot in the batting order he's no stranger to.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Brendan McGair - Indians rough up Hansack

Pawtucket didn't receive a quality outing from its own starting pitcher. Devern Hansack was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs and seven hits in four innings. The big blow came off the bat of Indians second baseman Luis Ordaz, who connected on a three-run home run in the second inning.

"Hansack has been down for awhile," said PawSox skipper Ron Johnson, alluding to the fact the native of Nicaragua hasn't been in a game in close to two weeks. "It was good for him to get this outing out of the way because I know he'll be that much better next time. He had good stuff but just some pitches out over the plate and paid for it."

Chris Carter, the player acquired by the Sox in the Wily Mo Peña deal, is off to a fast start in Pawtucket. Through six games, he is batting .500 (10 for 20) with five doubles and four RBIs. He singled and doubled and knocked in a run in a 4-1 win over Lehigh Valley yesterday . . . Meanwhile, Portland lefthander Dustin Richardson, who threw five hitless innings in his last start for Single A Lancaster last August, threw four more hitless innings in his Double A debut before being touched for a couple of hits in the fifth yesterday against Double A Norwich. The 24-year-old Richardson, a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas Tech in 2006, struck out the first five batters he faced and 10 in all . . . In Lancaster, meanwhile, former Harvard star Zach Farkes, who had three doubles in the JetHawks' opener, was batting .381 (8 for 21) in the team's first four games.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Providence Journal


Paul Kenyon - Carter's hot bat drives Pawtucket

He's swinging the bat well," Johnson said of Carter. "He's living up to what we had heard about him when he came over here last year.

"He swings the bat, no doubt," Johnson added. "He gives you a professional at-bat each time up. He has knowledge of the strike zone. He trusts his hands and his ability enough to where he's not afraid to hit with two strikes."

The lefty had an awesome 1.317 OPS entering play last night - an on-base percentage of .542 (nine hits and four walks in 23 plate appearances) and a slugging percentage of .700 (five of his nine hits were doubles).

Wrapup: PawSox 2, IronPigs 0

Chris Carter, who had singled, and Brandon Moss, who had doubled Carter to third, scored. The hit was sweet for Ginter, who came to the plate just 2-for-24 this season. One pitch before his game-winning hit he belted a blast down the line in left off Lehigh Valley reliever Kevin Beirne. The shot had plenty of distance to be a home run, but hooked foul. It was not the first time Ginter has done that.

"He'd be leading the world in home runs right now if he had those foul-ball home runs," pointed out Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson. "If he'd hit the ball maybe 15 feet more this way in the last week he'd have four or five."

Masterson looked every bit the player Baseball America ranks as the No. 2 pitcher in Boston's organization and its No. 4 overall prospect.

He shut out the Defenders on two singles for five innings with his powerful sinker, facing just two batters over the minimum.

In addition to striking out seven and allowing no walks, Masterson threw 46 of 73 pitches for strikes and got eight groundouts.

Portland got another solid performance from its staff Wednesday night in a 1-0 victory over the Connecticut Defenders at Dodd Stadium.

"Hopefully, our hitting starts coming around, but our pitching staff is picking us up right now," second baseman Jeff Natale said.

Natale knocked in the only run on a dribbler to the pitcher in the seventh that scored Tony Granadillo from third.

Spot starter Daniel Haigwood and relievers Miguel Asencio, Kyle Jackson and Beau Vaughan combined for a two-hitter, striking out 10.

Haigwood, who moved to the bullpen this year, was pressed into starting duty when Chris Smith replaced injured Bartolo Colon at Triple-A Pawtucket. Haigwood allowed two hits in four innings, striking out seven.

Asencio (1-0) arrived just in time for the game from extended spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. He got the win with 2 2/3 hitless innings.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Dan Goldberg - 'Hawks pen not ready for Opening Day

"Things looked good for a while," manager Chad Epperson said. "Our bullpen came up short (Thursday)."

That they did, allowing a run in the sixth seventh and eighth innings before surrendering three in the ninth to give High Desert a 9-8 come-from-behind victory on opening day.

The Mavericks won the game in their last at-bat when Kui Hui Lo singled off of Josh Papelbon's 0-2 pitch, driving in Ogui Diaz.

Dan Goldberg - Taiwanese players making their marks

ADELANTO - JetHawks second baseman Chih-Hsien Chiang had a chance to chat up his countryman Kuo Hui Lo before his game against High Desert.

The two are the only Taiwanese players in the California League, and have a history of opposing one another. The pair were on opposite sides of the field as far back as junior high school, according to Mickey Jiang, Chiang's interpreter.

"It's a small circle," Jiang said of Taiwanese baseball.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Eric Harding - JetHawks' bats kept in check by Mavericks' arms

The JetHawks fell to High Desert 7-5 Friday night in front of 1,717 fans at Mavericks Stadium, as the home team kept its edge from a comeback win the previous night.

Catcher Jon Still hit a deep home run over the left-center field fence with two outs in the ninth, bringing the JetHawks to within 7-5, but Zak Farkes grounded out to third to end the game.

"Today we just didn't put it all together," left fielder Reid Engel said. "We had our opportunities, but couldn't come through.

"Their pitchers mixed it up and had our number."

Lancaster starting pitcher Adam Mills wasn't at his best, but he found a way to keep the JetHawks in the game. He allowed four runs and nine hits in four innings pitched, but many of the hits weren't hit hard, just found holes in the infield.

Eric Harding - 'Hawks hope bullpen gets on track

The JetHawks' relief corps wasted a solid outing from starter Travis Beazley in Thursday night's season-opening 9-8 loss to High Desert.

Beazley retired the first 10 batters he faced but left trailing, 3-1.

The offense got Beazley off the hook by scoring six in the sixth, but the wheels came off soon after.

The Mavericks scored a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and rallied for three in the last off closer Josh Papelbon.

If the bullpen can't get on track manager Chad Epperson will see plenty of leads disappear as the season progresses.

But Epperson isn't too concerned because he's seen bullpens falter as a minor league manager.

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In the back end of the bullpen is Papelbon, notorious for his name, especially inside the Red Sox organization. He struggled in his first opportunity to record a save this season, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks while getting just one out in the last inning.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Dan Goldberg - JetHawks have Mavericks D' to thank for 1st win

The JetHawks, while thankful for the help, did plenty on their own to earn the victory. They had seven different players drive in a run, and received their first strong bullpen performance.

Brian Steinocher pitched three innings, allowing only one hit- a home run to Carlos Peguero in the fifth - before retiring the last seven batters he faced.

Jason Blackey pitched the final two frames, allowing just one run on

four hits.

The Mavericks' shoddy defense not only helped the JetHawks to their first win of the 2008 season, but also rendered inconsequential a disappointing debut for Jimmy James.

The right-hander, who was the Red Sox 2004 minor league pitcher of the year, allowed six runs in four innings - a line that is slightly misleading.

James allowed all six runs in the second innin, and only two hits in his other three frames.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Eric Harding - JetHawks leave no doubt while splitting series

ADELANTO - The JetHawks didn't need the poor fielding they got the previous night from High Desert to get a 10-2 win Sunday. Instead, they just hit the ball out of the park.

Catcher Jon Still went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI as the JetHawks scored five runs in the first three innings and never looked back. They split the four-game series at Mavericks Stadium after suffering two tough losses to start the season.

"We only really had one bad game," JetHawks manager Chad Epperson said. "I liked the way we swung the bats and our starting pitchers gave up four solid outings."

More good news was the JetHawks pitching staff, led by starter Chris Jones, allowed two runs and seven hits on Sunday.

Jones (1-0) struck out six and gave up five hits and two runs.

Eric Harding - Engel feels comfortable anywhere in the lineup

ADELANTO - JetHawks left fielder Reid Engel moved from leadoff batter down to the fifth hole in the lineup Sunday, after going 7-for-16 in three previous games in No. 1 spot. Engel went 1-for-5 Sunday with three strikeouts batting behind Jon Still, but manager Chad Epperson decided to make a change with Jason Place returning to the lineup. Epperson doesn't believe moving Engel around the lineup will hinder his production at all.

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Still's two home runs earned some praise in the clubhouse Sunday, but it reminded Epperson of another performance in the same stadium.

"He's the new Zak Farkes of Adelanto," Epperson said with a grin. "He picked up where (Farkes) left off last year. He put us on his back and away we went.

Farkes hit .435 with eight home runs and 24 RBI against the Mavericks last season, while the JetHawks won 12 of 14 games last year at Mavericks Stadium.

Still went 5-for-14 with four home runs and eight RBI this weekend against the Mavericks.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Dan Goldberg - JetHawks blow lead, fall into tie

For eight innings, the JetHawks pitchers must have been very pleasing to Treuel, but in the ninth on Monday against Inland Empire, Richie Lentz forgot the mantra.

He walked the leadoff batter, hit the second and walked the third. With bases loaded and nobody out, the 66ers pinch hit Matt Berezay for Francisco Lizarraga. Berezay hit an 0-1 pitch into the right field gap, clearing the bases and tying the game. Lentz then walked Trayvon Robinson before being replaced by Blake Maxwell, who escaped further damage to send the game into extra innings.

With their 3-0 lead lost in the ninth, the JetHawks remained tied with the 66ers at 3-3 in the bottom of the 13th inning at presstime.

The wild finish denied Tony Bajoczky his first win of the year. Bajoczky was dominant through five innings, allowing no runs and four hits.

Bajoczky had control of all four of his pitches, working both sides of the plate and using a sharp curveball to set up his fastball.

Dan Goldberg - Visiting pitching coach Treuel likes what he sees

SAN BERNARDINO - Ralph Treuel, Boston's minor league pitching coordinator, joined the team at Arrowhead Credit Union Park and will remain through the JetHawks' first home game against Lake Elsinore on Thursday.

Treufel was with the group during spring training, and said he is looking to make sure the pitchers have not developed any mechanical flaws since the season began.

The staff took turns throwing from the bullpen mound before batting practice, and Treufel said he was happy with their progression.

"I like what I've seen so far," Treufel said. "I like that they are hitting bats. They are pitching to contact, which tells me they are not being affected by some of the adverse conditions in the league."

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The JetHawks' 10 runs against High Desert on Sunday gives them 37 on the season, the most in the California League. Jon Still hit two home runs in the finale against the Mavericks giving him four, and the JetHawks seven as a team ­­- both lead the league. Still's seven RBI are tied for the league lead, but the production has been spread throughout the lineup. There are only three JetHawks who have not driven in a run - Daniel Nava, Jason Place and Zak Farkes.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Dan Goldberg - JetHawks' bats falter after marathon win

JetHawks starter Travis Beazley (0-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one extra-base hit and struck out six.

He was bested, however, by Cody White (1-0), whose changeup froze JetHawks hitters for six innings to give Inland Empire its first win of the season.

...

Beazley's command was an issue in that inning as well. He fell behind 3-1 to Giles, which led to a fastball with little movement to the middle of the strike zone.

"I don't think he had his best command," manager Chad Epperson said. "His fastball was up, his curveball was 50-50 to me, his changeup was irrelevant. What he did do, and I tip my cap to him for it, was keep his team in the game."

So did Josh Papelbon, who pitched the final 2 1/3 innings without allowing a hit.

Dan Goldberg - Chiang's 18th-inning hit finally lifts 'Hawks to victory

The JetHawks (3-2) defeated the 66ers (0-5), 6-3, in a game that was postponed after 16 innings because of a California League curfew rule, which states that no inning may be started after midnight.

Several JetHawks players predicted before the continuation that it would not take them long to score, and they were right. In the top of the 18th, they finally broke through against Joe Jones.

The catalyst was Daniel Nava, who entered in the 16th after Jason Place bunted a ball into his own face.

Matt Sheely led off the 18th with a single, Nava doubled down the left field line, setting up second and third for Chih-Hsien Chiang.

The 12-inning scoring drought ended when Chiang pushed a grounder through the right side past a drawn in Jamie Pedroza.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Dan Goldberg - Engel's hitting sparks victory

SAN BERNARDINO - Reid Engel has had a pretty good month in his first week as a JetHawk. In seven games, the outfielder is hitting .473, with five multi-hit contests.

He leads the California League with 18 hits, but his biggest contribution toward the JetHawks' 4-2 victory in the rubber game against Inland Empire at Arrowhead Credit Union Park was a weak ground ball to second base that scored the JetHawks' first run and tied the game in the fifth inning. It was the only one of his five plate appearances in which he did not record a hit.

"I'm just putting the barrel on the ball," Engel said. "I've gotten a couple of seeing-eye singles. I'm just taking it where I can get it."

With those hits came a ninth-inning double to the right field gap - Engel's 10th hit of the series - that set up the JetHawks' fourth run.

Dan Goldberg - Poor bunt puts Place out of lineup

SAN BERNARDINO - JetHawks outfielder Jason Place, who bunted a ball off his face in the top of the 16th inning of Tuesday's continuation game, is sporting a baseball-sized bruise on his right cheekbone, but will not be placed on the disabled list.

"He's doing much better," manager Chad Epperson said. "It hit him in a good spot."

The injury, at first, appeared much worse. Place dropped face down in the dirt around home plate, flailing his legs. He stayed that way for several minutes before walking off the field under his own power.

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Today is the 13th home opener for the JetHawks, but it will be no easy task. They host Lake Elsinore, which is leading the California League in batting average (.309), and face Cory Luebke. The southpaw is the 12th-ranked prospect in the Padres organization, according to Baseball America.

Kevin Thomas - Dogs begin home schedule with lots of optimism; After winning five of their first six games, the Sea Dogs welcome New Britain for their home opener

Portland Sea Dogs fans can expect the usual routines for tonight's home opener at Hadlock Field.

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This edition of the Sea Dogs should win a lot of games.

Portland, coming off a successful season-opening trip (5-1), takes on the New Britain Rock Cats at 6 p.m.

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For now, Portland will be content to let its staff of promising and veteran pitchers carry the load. They already lead the league with a 1.14 ERA, and feature some of the top prospects in the Red Sox system.

One of them is pitching tonight.

Michael Bowden, 21, is coming off his first stint in the big league spring training camp. Bowden, who spent the second half of last season with the Sea Dogs, allowed two hits and one run in his first appearance this year.

The Red Sox are careful with their young arms, and Bowden will likely be limited to five innings. But the Sea Dogs' bullpen is another strength -- featuring eight pitchers, seven of whom have pitched at or above Double-A prior to this season.