The Providence Journal
Steven Krasner - PawSox 6, Mud Hens 1
PawSox starter Devern Hansack continued his string of excellent outings, limiting Toledo to one run on two hits over seven innings, his effort spoiled only by Michael Hollimon’s homer in the fifth. Over his last six starts totaling 39 innings, Hansack is 3-1 with a 1.62 earned-run average, having allowed only 21 hits and 7 walks with 39 strikeouts over that stretch. …
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Michael Bowden, the next in the Sox line of phenom pitchers, is with the PawSox. The 23-year-old spent the first half of the season in Double A Portland, going 9-4 with a 2.33 earned-run average before being placed on the disabled list (strained calf) over a week ago. Bowden, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder, is expected to be officially promoted to Pawtucket on Monday and activated for a start that night in Columbus.
Full Version: Sox Minor League News Links, Sat. July 19, 2008
Brendan McGair - Michael Bowden joins PawSox
Well, almost. Michael Bowden is present and accounted for, his locker stall in the PawSox clubhouse positioned next to his good chum Justin Masterson. It’s just that the baby-faced 21-year-old is currently omitted from Pawtucket’s roster.
Bowden joined the Triple-A ranks Thursday but remains on Portland’s disabled list (strained calf). The prized right-hander, who earned All-Star kudos with the Sea Dogs (9-4, 2.33 ERA), confirmed Friday that he will be officially activated Monday night in Columbus.
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The belief was that Bowden was the anti-Buchholz in that he was relying too much on his fastball. Though he’s averaged slightly under a strikeout per inning (360 punchouts in 365 2/3 innings to date), the Red Sox wanted Bowden to have more faith in his off-speed pitches.
After not getting out of the fifth inning in his first three starts with the Sea Dogs, the message became clear. If Bowden was going to keep on progressing at a steady rate, it would be in his best interest to feature more curves and change-ups.
The results speak for themselves. At the time of his promotion, Bowden was second in the Eastern League in both ERA and strikeouts (101).
“Both pitches have come a long way this year. I’ve been able to command both real well, said Bowden. “I’ve thrown them behind and ahead in counts, I feel very comfortable.”
Bowden got word he would be shuffling off to McCoy the day before the All-Star break. One of his goals was to jump to the Class AAA ranks at some point this season. With that now accomplished, Bowden has raised the bar even higher.
“My goal is to get up to Boston by the end of the year,” said Bowden. “That’s still obtainable, so we’ll see. I always set high expectations for myself.”
Brendan McGair - Ortiz delivers again for PawSox
Ortiz’s long ball prowess overshadowed what was another superb outing from a PawSox starter. After getting plagued with bad luck earlier in the season, Devern Hansack has been able to turn his season around lately. The native of Nicaragua worked seven innings, allowing just a solo home run with eight strikeouts and zero walks.
Hansack has a 1.62 ERA in his last six starts. “Easily his best outing of the year,” praised Johnson
Rachel Lenzi - Storm forces Dogs into a doubleheader; Foul weather pushes Friday game against Trenton to today. They'll play two, starting at 5 p.m.
The postponement comes at a time of reshuffling for the Sea Dogs, who are 61/2 games behind the Thunder in the Eastern League's Northern Division.
Earlier this week, pitcher Michael Bowden, outfielder Jeff Corsaletti and first baseman/designated hitter Sandy Madera were promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket, and Portland is preparing for the arrival of Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who is scheduled to do a rehabilitation stint at Hadlock.
"It's that time of year," Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said. "You really don't get to reshuffle, so it's nice to get a little break. And it's supposed to rain all weekend."
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For the first game of today's doubleheader, the teams will stick with Friday's scheduled starters -- Kyle Jackson for Portland and Eric Hacker for Trenton.
Adam Mills of Portland and Phil Coke of Trenton are scheduled to pitch in Game 2.
Jackson is 5-1, and three of his wins have come against the Thunder, including a victory in relief on May 14.
"He's done a nice job, kept the ball down, mixed up his pitches," Beyeler said of Jackson, who has appeared in 23 games.
"He's just carried his stuff a lot better."
Kevin Thomas - Ortiz homers and (flash) he's still coming to Portland
Back to the minors, Josh Reddick (.341) hit his 16th home run for Lancaster ... two recent promotions from Greenville are doing well in three games - first baseman Mike Jones (.400) went 2-4 Friday, and shortstop Yamaico Navarro (.583) was 2-for-3.
Ryne Lawson, 23, pitched well for Greenville (6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) and has a 0.81 ERA over his last 10 games.
Kevin Thomas - For a hearty taste of home; Portland has a place for EL ballplayers hungry for Carribean cuisine.
When informed by a reporter last weekend of the Dominican restaurant near Hadlock Field, Ortiz said, "I'll check it out."
He would be the first established baseball star to walk through the La Bodega Latina doorway, but he would be following the footsteps of some stars-in-the-making, including former Sea Dogs shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who recently started in the Major League All-Star Game.
Near the end of the 2004 season and in all of '05, Ramirez played shortstop at Hadlock, and ordered his rice and beans from La Bodega Latina.
"Hanley hung out here all the time," Gonzalez said.
The store opened in 1997 and the restaurant in 2005. New players find the establishment by either asking directions -- as two Trenton Thunder players did on Thursday -- or by following the lead of others.
Iggy Suarez first came to Portland in 2006 for a brief fill-in assignment with the Sea Dogs.
"I was here for two weeks when (first baseman) Luis Jimenez told me about it," Suarez said. "He said, 'Hey man, you got to check out what La Bodega has got.'
"I checked it out. I was so used to having my mom cook like that. To get that kind of food around here was awesome."
Willie T. Smith III - Lake County's bullpen is difference against Drive
Starting pitchers Ryne Lawson and Kelvin De La Cruz battled on even terms in Friday's South Atlantic League encounter between the Greenville Drive and Lake County Captains.
The Captains' bullpen held the upper hand, however, as they claimed a 3-1 victory over Greenville in front of 5,856 at Fluor Field.
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Lawson was equally effective, also allowing only one unearned run. He gave up five hits and a walk, while striking out two. He has not allowed an earned run in 28- innings, which includes three starts and five relief appearances.
Ted Hutton - Pulling together; Anthony Rizzo's family faces tough challenge in dual fight against cancer.
Early this season teenager Anthony Rizzo was making waves in the minor leagues.
In its April 25 edition, Baseball America included the 18-year-old from Parkland on its Prospect Hot Sheet after Rizzo hit .500 in five games, going 13 for 26 with six RBI.
But the next day Rizzo, who was drafted in the sixth round by Boston last summer, played his final game of the season for the Class A Greenville Drive.
"His legs were all swollen up, and the trainer took him to the emergency room," said Laurie Rizzo, Anthony's mother.
The Red Sox had Rizzo brought up to Boston from South Carolina, where the diagnosis was made May 8: Limited Stage Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer that travels through the lymph nodes.
Rizzo, a first baseman who was the 2007 South Florida Sun-Sentinel high school Player of the Year in Broward County after a stellar senior season at Douglas High, was hitting .373 in 21 games for Greenville, but suddenly faced a battle with cancer.
Attleboro Sun Chronicle
Peter Gobis - Bowden another promising arm
PAWTUCKET - On the fast track to success, perhaps. But make no doubt about it, Michael Bowden is a highly-acclaimed, well-sought-after pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Bowden has spent the fast few days with the Pawtucket Red Sox, better acclimating himself to baseball at the AAA-level after producing very well (9-4, 2.33 ERA) in 19 starting assignments on the mound for the Portland SeaDogs.
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"I'm very excited," said the rugged Bowden, who has been often compared as a twin brother to the 6-foot-5 Masterson, a current PawSox reliever. Not so odd, their lockers are adjacent one another in the PawSox clubhouse.
Bowden throws two- and four-seam fastballs, a curveball and a changeup and has made some adjustments in his delivery, making it more compact, shortening his kick.
"At the beginning of the year (at Portland), I had three consecutive starts where I was leaving my fastball up," said Bowden. "My location, my command wasn't there. I was short on my fastball."
Since then, Bowden has been impressive with 101 strikeouts in 1041/3 innings, but more importantly, his accuracy (limiting foes to a .193 batting average through his first seven starts) and control were outstanding.
Bowden walked just 24 batters and allowed just five home runs.
Peter Gobis - Bowden another promising arm
PAWTUCKET - On the fast track to success, perhaps. But make no doubt about it, Michael Bowden is a highly-acclaimed, well-sought-after pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Bowden has spent the fast few days with the Pawtucket Red Sox, better acclimating himself to baseball at the AAA-level after producing very well (9-4, 2.33 ERA) in 19 starting assignments on the mound for the Portland SeaDogs.
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"I'm very excited," said the rugged Bowden, who has been often compared as a twin brother to the 6-foot-5 Masterson, a current PawSox reliever. Not so odd, their lockers are adjacent one another in the PawSox clubhouse.
Bowden throws two- and four-seam fastballs, a curveball and a changeup and has made some adjustments in his delivery, making it more compact, shortening his kick.
"At the beginning of the year (at Portland), I had three consecutive starts where I was leaving my fastball up," said Bowden. "My location, my command wasn't there. I was short on my fastball."
Since then, Bowden has been impressive with 101 strikeouts in 1041/3 innings, but more importantly, his accuracy (limiting foes to a .193 batting average through his first seven starts) and control were outstanding.
Bowden walked just 24 batters and allowed just five home runs.
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