A week ago, the Boston Red Sox stared down a six-game stretch at home in which they were set to face the two best teams in baseball.
A .500 record would have been a tall task, albeit a fitting one for a team that’s hovered around that mark all season. Instead, the Red Sox took two of three from both the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, pounding the Yankees, 9-3, on Sunday Night Baseball and setting a franchise record with nine stolen bases in an eye-opening win that was a microcosm of what this team can do.
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The Red Sox have struggled with consistency all season, but manager Alex Cora has said he feels the club is about to hit its stride with rookies finding their rhythm and injured players on the cusp of returning. Coming off what could be a season-defining week, the Red Sox will need to ensure they don’t fall back to Earth with their upcoming trip to Toronto and Cincinnati. But reinforcements are on the way to help.
Triston Casas has started dry swings and Wilyer Abreu is expected to go on a rehab assignment this week with Triple-A Worcester. He could return to the Red Sox by the weekend trip to Cincinnati. Reliever Chris Martin made a rehab appearance for Worcester on Sunday and pitched an inning with one walk and will likely be activated Tuesday in Toronto. While Vaughn Grissom is still building back up, Romy Gonzalez had a four-hit day on his rehab assignment in Worcester and should rejoin the Red Sox this week, too.
The big-league club might be about to take off, though the false starts have been plentiful through the first two and a half months. In the meantime, here’s a look at the previous week in the farm system:
Zach Penrod to IL, Nick Yorke stays hot in Triple-A Worcester
In Worcester, left-hander Zach Penrod landed on the injured list a week ago with shin inflammation. Through his first two starts in Worcester, he’d allowed three runs on nine hits and seven walks while striking out eight in eight innings.
Infielder Nick Yorke has stayed hot since his promotion to Worcester, hitting safely in every game this past week and in all nine games in Worcester so far. This week against Buffalo he went 10-for-23 — including a three-hit day Sunday — with three doubles.
Nick Yorke's 2-run single to cap the 7-run 4th inning 💪 pic.twitter.com/t66XVSDxox
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) June 14, 2024
Right-hander Richard Fitts struggled on Saturday in his shortest outing of the year, recording just six outs and laboring through a 43-pitch second inning. He allowed two runs on two hits and three walks.
Infielder Chase Meidroth cranked his third homer of the season on Friday and followed that up with three walks on Saturday night. Meidroth has drawn 17 walks through 50 plate appearances this month and raised his on-base percentage to an eye-popping .448.
Tie game! Chase Meidroth drills his third homer of the season, and it's 1-1 after six innings in Buffalo pic.twitter.com/hVED39E8On
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) June 15, 2024
Left fielder Matthew Lugo has been in a slump the past week. Lugo had a 3-for-4 night on Friday but went 0 for 22 in the other four games this week.
Right-hander Josh Winckowski, who’s been starting since being optioned to Worcester, had his best outing so far. He threw six innings on Thursday, allowing one run on three hits, didn’t issue a walk and struck out eight.
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Blaze Jordan returns in Double-A Portland
In Portland on Wednesday, infielder Blaze Jordan returned after missing a month with a broken finger. Jordan landed on the IL at a time when he was tearing it up at the plate with a 17-game hitting streak and picked up where he left off. In his first game back, he went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
He homered on Thursday, but his hitting streak was snapped at 19 games with an 0-for-5 day on Friday. Jordan added a single and a walk on Saturday and then homered again on Sunday in a three-hit day.
BLAZE BOMBBBB to extend his Eastern League-best nineteen-game hit streak!! pic.twitter.com/3Rh6mXYXhY
— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) June 13, 2024
Second baseman/center fielder Kristian Campbell has stayed hot since his promotion to Portland. The 21-year-old recorded a four-hit game on Tuesday and hit his first two homers in Double A in the same game on Friday, the second coming off the bat at 110.8 mph. On Sunday, he had a three-hit day with a double.
Kristian Campbell continues to collect bases with a 2-HR night for Portland! pic.twitter.com/TblouRlHg0
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) June 15, 2024
For the second time this season, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez pitched out of the bullpen. Gonzalez has struggled with command as a starter but threw two scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks in relief on Saturday. On the season, he has a 7.58 ERA and 14.1 percent walk rate.
Center fielder Roman Anthony had a three-hit night on Tuesday, but was hit by a pitch in the elbow on Wednesday. He missed the next three games, but returned to the lineup on Sunday. He had three strikeouts but also hit his sixth homer of the season.
Roman Anthony joins the HR party with a two-run rocket! pic.twitter.com/4ww9xPlT5p
— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) June 16, 2024
Shortstop Marcelo Mayer was out of the Portland lineup early last week with left leg soreness, but returned on Wednesday and had a three-hit game on Thursday. He added to his league-leading doubles count with two-baggers on Thursday and Friday and had two singles on Sunday.
After a slow start to the month of June, catcher Kyle Teel recorded three two-hit games this past week and then posted a 3-for-5 day on Sunday with his seventh homer of the season.
TEEL TATER!! pic.twitter.com/nH47818lip
— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) June 16, 2024
Right-hander Hunter Dobbins, a 2021 eighth rounder, allowed two runs — one earned — on five hits, a walk and six strikeouts over seven strong innings on Wednesday. He finished with 90 pitches, 65 strikes and registered 11 swings-and-misses. The 24-year-old has gone six or more innings in each of his last three starts for Portland posting a 2.25 ERA in that stretch with 22 strikeouts and four walks in 20 innings.
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Right-hander Bryan Mata has restarted his rehab assignment after dealing with right lat soreness. He threw two scoreless innings for Portland on Sunday, allowing one hit, no walks and struck out two.
Cutter Coffey homers in six straight, Miguel Bleis promoted to High-A Greenville
In Greenville, infielder Cutter Coffey, a 2022 second-rounder, had a historic week.
Coffey hit a grand slam on Friday night, which set a Drive record for consecutive games homered (five games). He added a three-run homer that game, too, and then made it six straight days homering on Saturday. Coffey had a scheduled day off Sunday so didn’t have a chance to keep the streak going.
Make it 6⃣ consecutive games with a HR for Coffey! pic.twitter.com/6suIrx6c16
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) June 16, 2024
The 20-year-old has split much of his time between shortstop and third base and entered the week hitting .203 with a .638 OPS. After his monster performance, he’s up to .232 with an .820 OPS. For the week, he went 11-for-24 with seven homers, a double and 17 RBIs.
Early last week, the Red Sox promoted Miguel Bleis to Greenville after he’d missed much of the previous week in Low-A Salem with a tooth infection. After two hitless games, Bleis picked up three hits on Thursday and Friday.
In Thursday’s game he singled, walked, drove in a run, stole two bases, recorded an outfield assist, displaying his strong arm, and made a leaping catch.
Base Hit ✅
Stolen Bases ✅
Outfield Assist ✅
Leaping Catch ✅Miguel Bleis can do it all! pic.twitter.com/QhopwyMWKu
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) June 14, 2024
Right-hander David Sandlin, acquired from Kansas City in the John Schreiber trade, was activated from the IL this week after missing a month with forearm tightness. On Saturday, he threw 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, including a homer, while striking out two batters.
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz dealing for Low-A Salem
Right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, a 2021 fourth rounder, allowed only one unearned run on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts over four-plus innings on Wednesday. He finished with 63 pitches (43 strikes) and induced a game-high 14 swings-and-misses. Cruz has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts and has a 3.05 ERA on the season.
(Top photo of Coffey: Tom Priddy / Four Seam Images via Associated Press)
Jen McCaffrey is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Boston Red Sox. Prior to joining The Athletic, the Syracuse graduate spent four years as a Red Sox reporter for MassLive.com and three years as a sports reporter for the Cape Cod Times. Follow Jen on Twitter @jcmccaffrey
