Amalie Benjamin - Minor League Notebook: It's no walk in the park; Reddick honing his batting eye

The Sox are high on Reddick, as were the Indians, rumored to have asked about the outfielder in talks about pitcher C.C. Sabathia. As Hazen said, "I think he impacts the baseball, so I think he's going to have a chance to hit with power. He has the ability to hit balls and drive balls that most guys can't."

The walks are more of an issue. In 292 plate appearances, Reddick has just 14 walks and 42 strikeouts.

"Growing up, I was never really a big walk guy," said Reddick, a 21-year-old. "It's really hard to make that quick adjustment like they want me to. I'm trying to see more pitches at the plate. I like to attack the ball early in the count. As soon as I see a pitch I think I can handle, I go after it.

"They want me to be selectively aggressive at the plate. I've always thought I can drive any pitch. I try to get my hands through the ball and drive it anywhere I can. I've just been so used to going about it this way. I understand what they're trying to do and I'm working at it. It's tough. I'm so accustomed to doing that. It's worked so well for me all my life. It's hard to go up there and try to work a walk."

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Though Michael Almanzar has been highly successful through 16 professional games, it's difficult to project a 17-year-old. The Red Sox have an offseason plan for the shortstop, who is playing for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. He is likely to head to the instructional league to "continue to refine and define his physical frame and work on his foot speed and quickness," Hazen said.

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Pawtucket knuckleballer Charlie Zink hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 17 innings. He improved to 10-2 with a win in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday, allowing one unearned run, five hits, and one walk, lowering his ERA to 2.28 . . . Over his last 10 games, Greenville outfielder Ryan Kalish, 20, is hitting .342 (13 for 38) . . .

Rob Bradford - The Minors: It’s Games on for PawSox’ Pauley

The type of player he is, it makes sense,” Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen said of USA Baseball’s decision to select Pauley as one of 60 players currently eligible for the Olympic team. “He’s a winner, he adds experience and he has dealt with pressure situations before. I think he would be a good fit.”

USA Baseball will pick its final Olympic roster Wednesday.

The Red Sox also have granted permission for Single-A Greenville center fielder Che-Hsuan Lin and Single-A Lancaster second baseman Chih-Hsien Chiang to be eligible for Taiwan’s Olympic team.

The speedy Lin, who entered last night hitting .253 with 26 steals, is an exceptional defensive center fielder.

He also will be the lone member of the Red Sox organization to participate in Sunday’s Futures Game at Yankee Stadium, the annual exhibition between top minor league prospects from the United States and the rest of the world.

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Pawtucket starter Charlie Zink notched his second straight complete game Tuesday, giving up a single run over seven innings in the second game of a doubleheader.

The knuckleballer, 10-2 with a 2.28 ERA, previously allowed two hits in nine shutout innings against Syracuse.

Zink and teammates Joe Thurston, Chris Carter, Jeff Bailey and Jonathan Van Every will represent the PawSox at the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday in Louisville, Ky.

The Providence Journal

Jim Hodges - Tides 3, PawSox 2 - Masterson fares well in first PawSox relief stint

The Great Masterson Relief Experiment began when he threw a 94-mph fastball past Norfolk’s Redman in a sixth inning that couldn’t have gone better had it been scripted. Masterson, 4-3 as a starter with Boston before being optioned out, relieved Martinez in a scoreless game. Masterson retired all three Tides he faced, struck out Oscar Salazar with his 16th pitch to end the inning, then gave way to Hunter Jones to pitch the seventh. Masterson had an entire half-inning to warm up in the bullpen, the result of his usual role of starting. Masterson will pitch again in relief tomorrow night.

Kevin Thomas - Fisher Cats rout Gassner, Sea Dogs; Starting pitcher Dave Gassner allows 10 earned runs, and New Hampshire rolls past Portland, 10-2.

Sea Dogs starter Dave Gassner (1-5) threw strikes and the Fisher Cats teed off. New Hampshire rocked him for 10 runs on 16 hits (two home runs) over 41/3 innings.

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Sea Dogs relief prospect Daniel Bard entered in the fifth. He recorded five outs, allowing a walk in the fifth, and a single in the sixth. Bard struck out three, throwing 37 pitches (22 strikes).

Miguel Asencio, a reliever just back from Pawtucket, followed Bard and pitched two hitless innings. T.J. Large pitched a perfect ninth.

Tony Granadillo's double and Zach Daeges' RBI single in the ninth ended the shutout. Daeges scored on Sandy Madera's groundout.


Kevin Thomas - Buchholz factor; Masterson 1-2-3



Justin Masterson's replacement in the Boston Red Sox rotation (Clay Buchholz) goes today against the Orioles. Two things to look for: His command and the use of his fastball ... Buchholz has great secondary pitches and, at times, does not establish his fastball command (he's not the only one; re: Dice-K).

Meanwhile, Masterson made his first relief appearance for Pawtucket on Thursday night.

He pitched a perfect sixth. Masterson faced the top of the Norfolk lineup. He got one lefty (fly out) and two righties (ground out, strikeout). So far, so good.

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In advanced Class A Lancaster, outfielder Josh Reddick (.349) was at it again with a 4-for-4 night.

Reliever Bryan Price, the Red Sox sandwich round pick in last month's draft, had his second outing as a pro (both scoreless). He went 2 innings (1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) ... 19-year-old outfielder Mitch Dening (.387) keeps hitting (2-for-4).

17-year-old third baseman Michael Almanzar (.359) is still putting up numbers in the Gulf Coast League (3-for-4).

Dan Hickling - Pinckney makes triumphant return to Portland

Gassner was touched for two more runs in the third, then three more in the fourth.

Back-to-back doubles by Pinckney and Ryan Klosterman to open the third made it 4-0. Later in the inning, Eric Nielsen slammed a solo homer to left, his first.

Gassner departed in the fourth, but not after allowing four more runs, with three of them coming on Jacob Butler's drive into the netting atop the left field "Maine Monster".

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Cecil (4-2), who was Toronto's first round pick in last year's June draft, sparkled throughout his six inning stint.

He retired the first 10 Sea Dogs before Aaron Bates fought off a 1-2 fastball and drove it for a single into center field.

"I'd say everything was working," said Cecil. "I threw my closer style fastball (and) slider, and I was really hitting my spots. (Then) from the fourth inning, on, I was throwing my change up a little more." He allowed just one other runner, Iggy Suarez, who walked to lead off the sixth, but was otherwise spotless.




Sox Beat: Recent Sox draft picks are showing their worth


Outfielder Josh Reddick (17th round) and first baseman Lars Anderson (18th) have emerged as arguably the best position prospects in the organization. Reddick was completely unheralded at Middle Georgia College, where few scouts watched him.

But the raves of area scout Rob English were confirmed that summer, when Reddick homered in a wood-bat exhibition against Team USA starter and 2007 first-rounder Ross Detwiler. The Sox moved quickly to sign him to a $140,000 bonus.

Anderson was heralded coming out of Jesuit High School, but rumors of massive bonus demands deterred other clubs. The Sox, however, considered him a first or second round talent, and signed him for $825,000.

Now, the two are tearing up the California League with entirely different approaches.

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Anderson, 20, was expected to destroy the California League, and endured scrutiny despite respectable numbers (.277/.380/.484, 7 homers, 23 RBIs) through May.

Yet the first baseman with the sweet left-handed swing and advanced plate discipline was undaunted. Entering last night, he was hitting .382/.451/.580 with 6 homers and 26 RBIs since returning from a wrist injury in early June. He had gone deep in four of his prior eight games.

Richie Lentz, a 2006 19th-rounder, was even more exceptional in Lancaster before his promotion to Double-A Portland this week. Armed with an explosive high-90s fastball and a devastating slider, he went 4-3 with a 2.87 ERA and an eye-popping 77 strikeouts in 53.1 innings before his Sea Dogs debut.

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NOTES: The Sox still have yet to make a decision about when Michael Bowden (9-4, 2.33) will be promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Pawtucket, but they have decided that he will skip his next start. He also won't pitch in the Eastern League All-Star game in Merchantsauto.com Stadium next Wednesday.

The organization wants to manage the workload of a 21-year-old who ranks third in the Eastern League with 104.1 innings. Bowden threw 142 2/3 innings last year, and seems likely to be limited to 160-170 frames this year...

Litchfield native Kyle Jackson is enjoying a renaissance as a starter for Portland. He was 3-0 but with a 6.34 ERA and 17 walks in 32.2 relief innings.

Shorebirds rout Drive


Jose Capellan (1-2) was gone after 1" innings, having allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks.He struck out two.


Willie T. Smith III - Drive's Foster trying to make most of chance; Pitcher came from independent league.


After four years at Hamline (Minn.) University, followed by a season and a half with the independent league St. Paul Saints, Foster was signed by the Boston Red Sox on June 14. He has been with the Drive ever since.

"We were in Wichita, Kansas," Foster said of the day he found out he would become a Drive. "We were going out about 4:45 p.m., ready to take (batting practice). My manager called me over and asked if I wanted to play with the Red Sox organization. Obviously, I said yes.

He said, "They want you. They want to send you to Greenville, South Carolina, which is low (Class) A. It is a good league, a good opportunity.' "

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Although Foster has struggled with Greenville -- an 8.68 earned run average in six appearances before Thursday's game -- he is excited to be a part of the affiliated baseball.

"It was basically a dream come true," Foster said. "... I got here, which was a goal of mine, but I want to try to make it to the major leagues."

Foster said he's pretty sure his start in St. Paul landed him this opportunity. In 13 games covering 22 1/3 innings, he allowed no earned runs on 15 hits and five walks with 19 strikeouts.



Red Sox's World Series trophy heading to Fluor Field

The Boston Red Sox’s 2007 World Series trophy will be on display at Fluor Field at the West End on July 21.


Fans at the Greenville Drive’s game that evening against the Hagerstown Suns would be able to view the trophy, have their picture taken beside it and share in Red Sox baseball glory.

The Lowell Sun

Spinners can't hold early lead


ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Batavia Muckdogs scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, erasing a two-run deficit, and went on to a 5-3 New York/Penn League victory over the Lowell Spinners last night before 1,427 fans at Frontier Stadium.

For the second straight night Lowell (11-12) jumped to a quick 2-0 advantage in the top of the first. Leadoff batter Mitch Dening, the league's top hitter at .383, wasted no time extending his hit streak to eight games with a double.

Ryan Dent bunted Dening to third and Carlos Fernandez then belted a two-run homer.

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Castillo was yanked after one inning, and the Muckdogs added their final run in the second.

Matt Manley - Kalish shows off skills for home crowd; Claws' comeback spoils RBC grad's return

LAKEWOOD — The last time Ryan Kalish stepped on the field at FirstEnergy Park, he was playing in a Shore Conference All-Star game representing Red Bank Catholic High School.

More than two years later, Kalish returned to Lakewood as a member of the Boston Red Sox organization, and once again, had an all-star moment.

Kalish went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in the Greenville Drive's 4-2 loss to the BlueClaws Friday in front of the third-largest crowd in FirstEnergy Park history (9,118) and 100-plus friends and family.

"It feels good,'' Kalish said. "You don't hear a reaction like that at most minor-league parks.''

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Shortly after graduating from Red Bank Catholic in the spring of 2006, the Red Sox drafted Kalish in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and signed him to a $600,000 signing bonus. Over the course of the last two years, Kalish has played at three different levels of the Red Sox system, but he did not play a professional game in New Jersey until Friday night.