Red Sox farm update: July 23rd

Mar 19, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Henry Owens (76) pitches in the third inning of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox

Final Score: Norfolk Tides 5, PawSox 4

Notable Pitchers:

Jonathan Aro (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 3 K)

Henry Owens (6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 6 K)

• As a Virginia resident, I actually made the trip to Norfolk yesterday to see Owens and the PawSox. Though this start isn’t exactly his best on paper, I’m here to tell you that Owens lived up to the hype as one of Boston’s best pitching prospects. He sat only in the high 80’s to low 90’s, but that fastball played up both because of his size and his devastating change-up. That pitch consistently made Tides’ hitters look silly and Owens also mixed in a curve from time to time with success, an encouraging given Owens’ struggles with the curve this year. Some of those runs can be attributed to Owens, but he also didn’t get much help from his defense and, with MLB-caliber players behind him, it’s easy to imagine him performing better. I was quite impressed with Owens and I expect him to be in the majors before the season’s end.

Notable Position Players:

Jackie Bradley Jr. (0-3, BB, K)

Garin Cecchini (0-4, K)

Allen Craig (1-4, 2B, K)

Marco Hernandez (0-3, K)

Travis Shaw (2-4)