Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Red Sox fans should be excited. Shane Drohan is now 3-0 as he continues to dominate. The left-handed pitcher gave up one run on five hits and two walks over six innings. He also set a season-high with eight strikeouts. That one run was the first he allowed all year. Drohan now has a 0.53 ERA, .186 BAA, and 0.82 WHIP over 17 innings.
Brian Van Belle allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks over five innings. The righty only picked up two strikeouts, but once again, Van Belle was effectively efficient. BVB has a 0.82 ERA, .167 BAA, and 0.82 WHIP over 11 innings.
Sterling Sharp made two starts this week. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits and four walks in 12 innings while striking out six batters. Sharp has a 1.00 ERA, .133 BAA, and 0.67 WHIP over 18 innings this season.
Brendan Nail has yet to allow a run in 7 1/3 innings. The lefty reliever has given up only three hits and three walks while racking up nine strikeouts. He has a save and a win this year.
Luis Guerrero has given up one run in six innings this season. The right-handed reliever is four-for-four when it comes to save opportunities this year. He's walked five batters but has only allowed three hits and has picked up six strikeouts.
Theo Denlinger has a 1.29 ERA, .160 BAA, and 0.71 WHIP over seven innings this year. The righty reliever has been dominating batters all year, racking up 10 strikeouts compared to just one walk.
Jacob Webb has already thrown 8 1/3 innings over five appearances this season. The right-handed reliever has a 2.16 ERA, .194 BAA, and 1.34 WHIP, with 11 strikeouts already.
Nick Yorke's .227 batting average may not excite a lot of people. However, the right-handed hitter has a .414 OBP and a .432 slugging percentage. Yorke's walked as many times (12) as he's struck out. Meanwhile, the second baseman has three doubles and two home runs. Yorke's driven in two runs and scored 13 more.
Matthew Lugo's been an extra-base machine. The right-handed hitter is slashing .267/.283/.489 with seven doubles and one home run. Lugo's driven in 10 runs, scored seven more and stolen two bases. It's great to see him looking comfortable at third base, too.
Ceddanne Rafaela's numbers keep creeping up. The right-handed hitter is slashing .264/.304/.321 with three doubles. He's driven in seven runs, scored eight more, and stolen five bases. Rafaela's getting most of his time in center field but is still appearing at shortstop. Either way, the defense plays.
Phillip Sikes has been a consistent bat for Portland in the leadoff spot. The right-handed hitting outfielder has a .267/.377/.444 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in three runs, scored seven more, and stolen five bases.
Corey Rosier holds a .353/.405/.441 slash line with three doubles. The left-handed hitter has driven in five runs, scored four more, and stolen eight bases in nine attempts. Rosier's also flashed the leather in the outfield quite a few times.
Niko Kavadas doesn't have a home run yet, but he's made some great contact. The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .195/.370/.220 with one double. He's driven in three runs, scored three more, stolen one base, and walked 11 times.
Stephen Scott is slashing .205/.326/.308 with two doubles and one triple. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in four runs, scored seven more, and stolen one base. Scott's had slow starts before, so this is nothing to worry about.