Author Archives: @Matthew O'Halloran

Patriots Defeat Redskins In Preseason Opener

After a heartbreaking super bowl and crazy offseason, Patriots’ football is finally back with some preseason action vs the Redskins.

First Half

In the first defensive drive, the Patriots forced a punt. Stephon Gilmore was completed on twice, one of them being conservative in a zone and the other he was turned out on a comebacker. Patrick Chung made a tackle on a run, and he dId a great job coming down to the box on a run down. Chung was also the one to cause the punt by making a stop on third and seven. After Riley McCarron returned a punt, the Patriots went 3-and-out.

A run to Gillislee and throw to Hollister did not go far and a go route to Phillip Dorsett was incomplete on third and long. After a good return on a Ryan Allen punt, the Redskins cashed in on an opportunity to score. Stephon Gilmore was burned for a big gain. Then, Kyle Van Noy was burned by a running back on third and eleven to allow the first touchdown. The Patriots went 3 and out again, with a short Gillislee run, a coverage sack, and a throw over the middle to Dorsett that he could not haul in.

Courtesy of Washington Post

First Half Continued

JC Jackson made a tackle on a ten yard in route. Deatrich Wise Jr. got pressure, but McCoy dumped it off to a fullback. A few plays later, Keion Crossen made a big hit. The Pats were able to execute the “bend but don’t break” play, and the Redskins led 10-0. Jeremy Hill had a good run to start the next drive, but nothing happened after and they punted again.

JC Jackson could not break up a precision pass. Then, pressure by Derek Rivers and a deflection by Crossan caused a punt. Jeremy Hill had another good run up the middle, showing much more explosiveness than Mike Gillislee. However, a drop by Chris Hogan forced yet another punt. Keion Crossen looked silly and the tackling was awful as Sims got a big gain. The Redskins cashed in on a bootleg TD a few plays later. The Patriots’ offense finally got some points when Devin Lucien got wide open for two plays. Then, Stephen Gostkowski converted on a 52-yard field goal. The Redskins led 17-3 at the end of the first half.

Second Half

The Patriots started off the third quarter with a clock-consuming drive. Brian Hoyer connected with Cordarrelle Patterson on third down and Mike Gillislee had some nice runs, including two fourth-down conversions. Jeremy Hill evaded a tackler on third down to extend the drive. Finally, he punched it in from the one to cut the deficit to seven.

The Redskins went three and out on the next drive due to a holding penalty that lead to third and long. The Patriots had a couple nice runs to start the third and final drive of the third. After three, the Redskins led the Patriots by a score of 17-10.

Ralph Webb, an undrafted free agent got some carries and had some good runs including a third-down conversion. Cordarrelle Patterson made an impressive juggling nineteen-yard catch to get the Pats on the fringe of the end zone. Webb finished off the drive on a seven-yard run. Then, he made a catch on a two-yard conversion to give the Patriots an 18-17 lead.

Courtesy of Pats Pulpit

Second Half Continued

After a penalty, the Redskins went 3 and out again. On the next drive, Danny Etling and Mike Gillislee had a bad exchange and the Redskins recovered the fumble. The Patriots forced a fumble in return and Gino Grissom brought it back to the one yard line. Ralph Webb walked into the end zone for his second score of the game. Bill Belichick went for two again, and Ralph Webb punched it in. Dustin Hopkins hit the upright on the following drive and the Patriots maintained a 26-17 lead. It would prove to be the final score.

Down on the Farm 7/28-8/3 (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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*Every weekend, I will update you on weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are posted. Also, I will have a prospect of the week section at the end.

Down on the Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

The Sox started off the week with a 6-5 win over Charlotte. Adam Lind hit his ninth home run, then Josh D Smith gave four runs in five innings. On Sunday, they lost by a score of 8-0. The offense was stifled and William Cuevas gave up five earned runs over four innings. Pawtucket lost by a score of 11-10 on Monday. Rusney Castillo hit a home run and drove in three runs, but a throwing error by Ivan de Jesus in the 13th allowed Syracuse to walk it off. On Tuesday, the Sox lost by a score of 3-2.

Adam Lind hit a home run, but Josh A Smith gave up three runs over six innings. They won on Wednesday by the score of 8-1. Tzu Wei Lin drove in two runs and Chandler Shepherd gave up one run over 6.1 innings. On Thursday, they were walked off by a score of 5-4. Sam Travis had three hits and a run but Matthew Gorst blew the save and Syracuse walked it off in the 12th. Pawtucket closed out the week with a 7-4 win. Brandon Phillips hit a walk-off three-run home run and Robby Scott picked up the win in an inning of relief.

Down on the Farm- Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs started off the week with a 3-2 loss. The offense was stagnant and Josh Taylor gave up the game-winning single in the ninth. Then, Portland lost again on Sunday by a score of 4-1. Josh Ockimey went deep, but Mike Shawaryn gave up two earned runs in six innings. They had an off day on Monday and lost by a score of 7-6 on Tuesday. Danny Mars drove in two runs and Teddy Stankiewicz gave up five runs over seven innings. Portland was postponed on Wednesday and Friday and swept a doubleheader on Thursday. After all, Matthew Kent and Kyle Hart got the victories in the day-night doubleheader.

Down on the Farm- Salem Red Sox

The Sox started off the week with a 7-2 win on Saturday. Brett Netzer drove in three runs and Tanner Houck gave up one run over six innings. On Sunday they won by a score of 5-2. Downs and Madera went yard, even though Darwinzon Hernandez gave up two runs over five innings. Salem was off on Monday and they won by a score of 8-1 on Tuesday. The offense was frustrated and Kevin McAvoy gave up four runs in five innings. They lost on Wednesday by a score of 4-2. Dalbec knocked in a run but Joan Martinez gave two runs over one inning. The game was stopped in the sixth, and they were postponed on Thursday and Friday because of rain.

Down on the Farm- Lowell Spinners

On Saturday Lowell lost by a score of 3-1. The offense got blanked coupled with Politi giving up two runs over 2.1 innings. They lost by a score of 7-1 on Sunday. The offense was quiet again, also Ahearn gave up five runs over three innings. On Monday they lost by a score of 4-2. Cottam and Romanski knocked in a run apiece and Pantoja gave up three runs over five innings. Lowell beat Hudson Valley by the score of 8-0 on Tuesday.

LeGrant and Duran went deep, additionally, Haworth gave up no runs over five innings. On Wednesday, they won by a score of 8-2. Granberg drove in three runs, and Gomez threw three scoreless innings to pick up the win. They closed out the week on Thursday with a 5-3 win. Berroa knocked in two runs and Bazardo gave up two runs in 5.2 innings. They got postponed on Friday.

Prospects of the Week

There were a few notable promotions in the past week

First baseman Josh Ockimey to Pawtucket and Lind opts out

Mike Shawaryn to Pawtucket, strikes out a lot, but also walks a lot.

Then, Bobby Dalbec to Portland, has great power and walks a lot.

Finally, Durbin Feltman to Salem- many scouts say he could be in the bigs this year, has a 100 MPH fastball a and a great slider

Jordan Matthews Placed On IR (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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On April 5th, Jordan Matthews signed a one year deal with the Patriots. He was expected to be a versatile wide receiver who could play on the outside and in the slot. However, he suffered a significant hamstring injury today in practice. It was first reported that the team released Matthews. Just hours later, Field Yates reported that Matthews was placed on IR.

The Thin Get Thinner

The Patriots wide receiving core has been thin throughout the offseason. Danny Amendola signed with the Dolphins and Brandin Cooks was shipped to Los Angeles. Also, Julian Edelman will be suspended for the first four games of the season. Matthews was expected to be the second wideout on the depth chart behind Hogan. Now, guys like Kenny Britt, Phillip Dorsett, Braxton Berrios, and Riley McCarron need to step up. Also, Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead will have to be a big part of the offense, not only on the ground but in the passing game.

The Patriots can not afford another injury. Brady does not have as many targets as is, so injuries to Gronk, Hogan, or a running back would be detrimental to the team. When Julian Edelman comes back, he will have to return to old form, but injuries and age put that into question.

Every year, the biggest question mark in terms of health is Rob Gronkowski. He has missed 26 regular season games over his eight-year career, but is arguably the greatest tight end of all time when healthy. A possibility is to sign Eric Decker or Dez Bryant. This could help, but they are both veterans well past there primes.

The Extent of the Injury

There are many types of hamstring injuries, but it’s safe to assume that it was at least a grade three muscle tear because it was described as significant. These can take anywhere from weeks to months to heal. Hamstring injuries can linger and take a long time to heal, but it is unlikely that it would keep him out for the entire season until he was placed on IR. As mentioned, the Patriots receiving core is very thin and they need bodies.

Even though these concerns are lingering, we should still remain confident in the Patriots. Belichick, McDaniels, and Brady are undoubtedly the best coach-coordinator-quarterback combination in the league. You could even argue they are the greatest trio of all time. Tom Brady has been known to make the most of his receivers. He has had success with stiffs such as Austin Collie, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Reche Caldwell.

Bill Belichick is capable of finding a late round draft pick, undrafted player, or free agent turning them into a valuable player. Players such as Jacob Hollister, Cody Hollister, and Braxton Berrios are not being thought of much right now. However, with Belichick coaching and Tom Brady throwing the ball, these names could definitely develop into important pieces on this team. Josh Mcdaniels is one of the best coordinators in the league. He will draw up good game plans that involves all of his players’ strengths.

The bottom line is the Jordan Matthews move to the IR is depleting and unfortunate. But if anyone can find a way around it, it is the Patriots.

Down On The Farm- 7/21-7/27 (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be updating you on weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) as well as the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are posted. Also, there will be a prospect of the week section at the end.

Down On The Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

The Sox started off the week on Saturday with a 5-4 loss. Castillo got three hits, but Josh A Smith picked up the loss over three innings of relief. They lost again on Sunday by the score of 4-3. Mike Miller drove in two runs, but Josh D Smith gave up the winning run in the tenth. Pawtucket had the day off on Monday and won 6-3 on Tuesday. Dan Butler went deep and William Cuevas got the win by giving up two runs in 6.2 innings.

They lost on Wednesday, 3-1. The offense was stagnant and Rodriguez Jr gave up two runs in two innings. The Sox lost again on Thursday by the score 6-4. Tavarez hit a home run but Robby Scott gave up two runs in the tenth. They closed out the week on Friday with a 6-1 win over the Knights. Castillo knocked in three runs and Chandler Shepherd gave up one run in five innings.

Down On The Farm- Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs started off the week with a 4-1 loss on Saturday. The offense was stifled and Kyle Hart gave up one run over seven innings. They did not play on Sunday and they won 6-0 on Monday. Jantzen White went deep and Jiminez threw 5.2 scoreless innings. Portland won again on Tuesday, 1-0. Michael Chavis drove in the only run and Shawaryn threw seven scoreless innings. The Sea Dogs lost on Wednesday, 8-7, in ten innings. Chavis, Tendler, and Betts all went deep but Weems gave up five runs in two innings of relief. They lost again on Thursday by the score of 8-1. McGrath gave up two runs in four innings and the offense was frustrated. They closed out the week on Friday with a 5-1 win over Trenton. De la Guerra drove in two runs and Gorst gave up no runs in four innings.

Down On The Farm- Salem Red Sox

Salem started off the week with a 7-3 loss. Baldwin knocked in two runs, but McAvoy gave up four runs in 3.1 innings. The Sox lost again on Sunday by the score of 5-0. The offense got blanked and Thompson allowed four runs in five innings. They picked up the win on Monday by a score of 3-1. Downs hit a home run and Houck gave up zero earned runs in six innings. On Tuesday, Salem lost by the score of 8-6. Downs drove in three runs and Oliver gave up two runs in 1.2 innings.

The Red Sox lost on Wednesday, 8-4. Bobby Dalbec drove in two runs and Gonzalez allowed four runs in 3.2 innings. On Thursday, they lost again by a score of 5-4. Procyshen gave up two runs and Bryan Mata gave up one run in an inning. He got pulled after one inning, but it wasn’t not trade related. Salem closed out the week on Friday with a 6-5 loss. Thompson gave up five runs in six innings while Dalbeck knocked in three runs.

Down On The Farm- Lowell Spinners

Lowell started off the week with a 3-2 loss. The offense could not do anything and Haworth picked up the loss by giving up one run in 3.1 innings of relief. On Sunday, they went 0-2 in a doubleheader. The offense was quiet, scoring a combined two runs in the games. The Spinners did not play on Monday and won 5-3 on Tuesday. Duran drove in two runs and Ahearn gave up zero runs in three innings of relief. On Wednesday, Lowell lost by a score of 10-8. Dearden knocked in three runs and Biondic gave up three runs in 1.2 innings. The Spinners lost 5-2 on Thursday. The offense was stagnant and Politi gave up four runs in the ninth, blowing the save. Lowell closed out the week with a 9-3 loss. LeGrant knocked in a run but Machamer gave up six runs in 1.2 innings.

Prospect Of The Week- Darwinzon Hernandez

Seventh-ranked prospect in the system

Pitcher for Salem

3.99 ERA this year

Lefty, age 21

Dave Dombrowski Has Done a Great Job

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On August 18th, 2015 Dave Dombrowski was announced as President of Baseball Operations for the Red Sox. The Red Sox had a 52-66 record, dead last in the AL East. Ever since then, they won two straight division titles and are on pace for a record-breaking season. However, Dombrowski gets a lot of hate, and here is why he does not deserve it.

The Farm System

The biggest gripe with Dombrowski is that he has sold off to many assets, depleting the farm system. When he took over the Red Sox had one of the best farm systems in baseball, now they have one of the worst. Dombrowski has made a lot of trades, and also held on to some valuable players. In 2015, the Red Sox top prospects were Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers, Brian Johnson, Andrew Benintendi and Michael Kopech. Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech were traded for Chris Sale, and Devers, Johnson, and Benintendi are on the big league club right now. He also has signed David Price and J.D. Martinez and traded for Craig Kimbrel.

How It Has Turned Out

The Chris Sale trade has turned out very well for the Red Sox. He has started both all-star games as a Red Sox, was a runner-up for Cy young in 2017 and favorite to win it this year. Moncada has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .231 with twelve home runs this year. Kopech has not been in the big leagues yet, and he has a 4.29 ERA this year in Triple-A Charlotte. Andrew Benintendi was called up in August of 2016 and has not disappointed since.

He is hitting .303 this year, has 14 home runs and 59 RBI’s, and a great left fielder defensively. Dombrowski could have traded him at multiple different points, but he was smart enough not to and it has worked out. Rafael Devers was called up in the middle of last year, started off hot, and has been decent this year. He has fourteen home runs but is hitting .239 and struggles in defensively. He is only 21 years old and Dombrowski was smart not to trade him given his upside.

Brian Johnson has been an important role player for the Red Sox this year. He can come out the bullpen and do well in a spot start. The David Price signing has not worked as many hoped. Has he lived up to his contract? No. But is he a proven great pitcher capable of pitching in big games? Yes. The Craig Kimbrel trade has been a steal. Manuel Margot has been decent as a Padre, but Kimbrel has been the best or one of the best closers in the MLB since the trade. JD Martinez has been a monster in his first season, hitting 29 home runs and being the power hitter they lacked in 2017.

The Bottom Line for Dombrowski

Dave Dombrowksi has not been perfect as President of baseball operations, but he has done a very good job. He has depleted the farm system, but the trades he made, or trades he chose not to make have worked out for the most part. Could you imagine a team with no Sale, Price, Kimbrel, or some of the key young pieces traded? Well, if Dave Dombrowski was not hired, that may be where the team would be at.

Down On The Farm 7/14-7/20 (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be providing weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A), and Lowell Spinners (Class A short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are listed and dissected. Also, a “prospect of the week” will be featured at the end.

Pawtucket Red Sox

Pawtucket went 3-4 on the week and they are now 45-51 on the season. The Red Sox started off the week with a 4-0 win on Saturday. William Cuevas threw a shutout over seven innings and Oscar Hernandez drove in three runs. They continued there momentum with a 5-3 win on Sunday. Trevor Kelley picked up the win by throwing three scoreless innings of relief and Lind and Renda knocked in two runs each. Pawtucket won again on Monday, 8-6. Robby Scott got the win in two innings of relief and Mike Olt went bridge.

The Sox lost on Tuesday in eleven innings. Trevor Kelley gave up the game-winning run and Hernandez gave up two runs. They lost again on Wednesday by the score of 3-0. Drew Pomeranz gave up one run in six innings but he picked up the loss because the offense couldn’t get anything going. Pawtucket could not survive on Thursday and fell 4-3. Ty Buttery gave up two runs in an inning of relief and the offense was stifled. They closed out the week with a 7-4 loss on Friday. They were leading, but Robby Scott and Trevor Kelley gave up six runs in the eighth to blow it.

Portland Sea Dogs

Portland started off the week with a 6-5 win on Saturday. Matthew Gorst picked up the win by throwing three scoreless innings of relief and Danny Mars knocked in three runs. They lost on Sunday by a score of 3-1. Matthew Kent allowed two runs over eight innings but he picked up the loss because the offense could not prevail. Monday was no better, as they lost 16-2. Trey Ball gave up eight runs in 1.2 innings and the offense was stymied. Portland rebounded and won on Tuesday, 1-0. Dedgar Jimenez threw seven scoreless innings and Jordan Betts knocked in a run.

The Sea Dogs continued there momentum and won 2-1 on Wednesday. Ockimey and Nunez both drove in a run and Mike Shawaryn allowed one run over six innings. They won again on Thursday by the score of 10-0. Josh Ockimey drove in three runs and Teddy Stankiewicz tossed a shutout over eight innings. Portland closed out the week with a 6-0 win. Ockimey knocked in four runs and Matthew Kent gave up no runs in eight innings.

Salem Red Sox

The Red Sox went 1-5 on the week and they are now 47-49 on the season. Salem started off the week with a 16-1 loss on Saturday. Daniel Gonzalez did not record an out and gave up six runs. They bounced back and won 7-4 on Sunday. Dalbec drove in two runs and Cooney got the win in three innings of relief. The Red Sox lost on Monday by the score of 5-2. Thompson gave up three runs in six innings and the offense was stifled.

They lost 1-0 on Wednesday after an off day on Tuesday. The offense got slowed down and Cosart gave up the game-winning hit in the tenth. Salem won on Thursday by the score of 4-1. Scott knocked in two runs and Hernandez gave up one run over five innings. They closed out the week with a 6-1 loss on Friday. The offense was not productive and Gonzalez gave up four runs in six innings.

Lowell Spinners

Lowell went 7-0 on the week and they are now 20-14 on the season. The Spinners started off the week with an 8-4 won on Saturday. LeGrant knocked in two runs and Yorvin Pantoja got the win by allowing three runs over 5.2 innings. They continued their momentum with a 6-2 win on Sunday. Cottam drove in two runs and Haworth picked up the win in four innings of relief. Lowell won again on Monday by a score of 4-3. Biondic picked up the win by giving up one run in 2.2 innings while the offense was quiet.

On Tuesday, the game got postponed and they swept a doubleheader on Wednesday. Granberg went deep in the first game and Garcia got the win in the second game. The Spinners won a high scoring affair on Thursday by a score of 13-7. Duran drove in three runs and Mosqueda got the win. They closed out the week with a 3-1 win on Friday. Pantoja picked up the win by allowing just one hit in five innings.

Prospect Of The Week- CJ Chatham

Courtesy of Kelly O’Connor

Age 23, plays for Salem

Hitting .298 this year

Number 10 ranked prospect in the organization

Plays shortstop

BOSTON SPORTS EXTRA’S MLB AWARD PREDICTIONS (MIDSEASON EDITION)

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With the Major League Baseball season halfway over, our baseball writers have collaborated to make our award picks for the rest of the season. In this article we detail who will win the major awards for 2018; Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year for both leagues. This is a follow-up to our preseason predictions.

AMERICAN LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Scott Frizzell – At the start of the season I took Mike Trout, and the only reason to change my mind now would be due to the Angels record. Trout is the best player in baseball. Then again, this year Mookie Betts has been better so far and has to be the favorite at the break. My dark horse was Francisco Lindor, who is batting .291 with 25 home runs, so I’m feeling good about him too.

Matt O’Halloran – Mike Trout was my preseason pick with Jose Altuve being the runner-up. I am now changing my pick to Mookie Betts as the MVP with Trout as the runner-up. Betts has a higher batting average, OPS, and two fewer home runs despite playing in 19 fewer games. Also, Betts’ team is 38 games above 500 and the Angels will not come close to making the playoffs.

Kyle Porch – Betts is still lighting it up this season. There are very few reasons he shouldn’t be MVP.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Mike Trout, New Pick: Mookie Betts

This is tough for me to change but having Mike Trout as my answer for 2018 AL MVP is not a bad thing what so ever. However, the numbers that Mookie Betts is putting up are unreal. He has a mind-boggling 202 wRC+, .359/.448/.691 slash line with 23 homers and 51 RBIs. Mind you, he has 20 fewer games played than Mike Trout. All in all, Betts is having a historic season and he deserves to beat Trout this year for the award.

Jun 1, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles after at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-259846 ORIG FILE ID: 20160601_ajw_gb3_093.jpg

NATIONAL LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Scott Frizzell – Well, my Bryce Harper pick has proven to be garbage. Christian Yelich as a dark horse is having a good year, but certainly no threat for MVP. Right now, Jesus Aguilar of the Brewers has a serious argument for first half MVP, and yet his inclusion in the All-Star Game somehow came down to the final vote

Matt O’Halloran – Arenado was my preseason pick with Corey Seager being my runner-up. Seager was decent stats but has only played in 26 games. I am sticking with Arenado at MVP, with Jesus Aguilar being the runner-up. The third baseman is hitting .312 with 24 home runs and a .395 OBP. Both players are on teams that will come close to making the playoffs, so no significant gap there.

Kyle Porch – Bryce Harper. After picking Arenado in the beginning, I realized Harper is going to tear it up in the second half.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Bryce Harper, New Pick: Nolan Arenado

This is an easier change from my original pick. Basically, Harper could go on a tear for the rest of the season and still not win the MVP award. He’s batting an abysmal .213 on the season and has a 1.5 fWAR for the first half; Not good. Instead, I will go with Colorado Rockies phenom Nolan Arenado. 23 homers, 68 RBIs, 145 wRC+ along with his stellar defense is hard to beat. Best of all, his BABIP of .335 says that he will more or less sustain this level of performance for the rest of the season, barring injury.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD

Scott Frizzell – I like going with sleeper picks for Cy Young, but going with the usual candidates this year would have been better. Lance McCullers is having a good season at 10-4 with a 3.77 ERA and 9.5 K/9 after a poor final start before the break. James Paxton was my dark horse, he has thrown a no-hitter and struck out 11.7 batters per nine innings on the year. Both are good, but neither will win the award.

Matt O’Halloran – My preseason pick was Verlander taking home the award with Sale being the runner-up. I am going with the same players but flip the order. Sale has a 2.23 ERA while Verlander’s is 2.29. Sale has struck out 16 more batters in 8.2 fewer innings. I am a bit worried about Sale because of his performance in August and September, but Cora seems to have managed him well over the season.

Kyle Porch – Chris Sale. Leading the al in strikeouts again, Sale is still dominant. End of story.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Chris Sale

I’ll be sticking with the best pitcher in the AL as of right now, and it’s easy to see why. He has some ridiculous numbers this season (2.23 ERA, 4.9 WAR, 188 strikeouts, .90 WHIP) and best of all, the Red Sox are starting to score some runs for the guy. It’s a combination that makes opposing teams crumble.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD

Scott Frizzell – I took Noah Syndergaard, who hasn’t pitched a ton. I feel very good about my dark horse candidate though, Aaron Nola. Nola has continued his second-half breakout from last season into this year, going 12-3 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and over a strikeout per inning. He is arguably the Cy Young of the first half.

Matt O’Halloran – My Clayton Kershaw preseason pick is a dud. He has good numbers, but injuries have caused him to only throw 75.2 innings. Max Scherzer as a runner-up is looking good, but I am now going with Jacob DeGrom to win the Cy Young. His jaw-dropping 1.68 ERA should guarantee him this award, however trade rumors could mess that up.

Kyle Porch – Max Scherzer is on the rise. Kershaw hasn’t been his normal self.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Clayton Kershaw, New Pick: Jacob DeGrom

Clayton Kershaw has not been the dominant pitcher we all knew him as. He has had issues staying healthy and as a result, only started 13 games this season. Granted, he can pick it up in the second half but Jacob DeGrom is just having a Kershaw type of season. Posting a first-half ERA of 1.68 to go along with a WHIP of 0.97 and an xFIP of 2.73 to support his sustainability, it is now officially his award to lose. The most interesting thing about this whole thing will be the number of wins he ends up with. As we all know, wins do not solely reflect a pitcher’s season or skills but he can’t help the fact that he is pitching for one of the worst offenses in the league. I have faith that voters will see through this and give him the award, rightfully so.

Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire

AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Scott Frizzell – My pick of Willie Calhoun isn’t coming to fruition as he has spent most of the season in the minor leagues. Calhoun has been hot of late but who knows when a call-up may occur. Gleyber Torres is the front-runner at the moment.

Kyle Porch – Shohei Ohtani, even though he can’t pitch the rest of the season. He can still light it up offensively as a DH.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Eloy Jimenez, New Pick: Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres has been on an amazing pace since he got called up from the minors. Posting a .294/.350/.555 slash line in 63 games is impressive. Imagine being a rookie and doing that and you have a superstar in the making on your hands. He shows all the attributes to be an extremely successful player in the majors and I am pretty excited to see what kind of player he turns into down the road.

Matt O’Halloran- I did not make preseason ROY picks, but I will go with Yankees slugger Gleyber Torres now. He has 15 home runs and 42 RBI’s in just 42 games. Ohtani is my runner-up pick, but injuries and his schedule are the reasons why I would not vote for him.

NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Scott Frizzell – Ronald Acuna has been okay, but not what many expected yet. He is very young though and holding his own. Currently, he is behind several in the race, most notably Juan Soto, but I am not ready to concede the pick. Acuna could still win this award with a big second half.

Kyle Porch – Ronald Acuna has been a bit of a letdown, but look for him to make a run in the second half.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: J.P. Crawford, New Pick: Juan Soto

This was harder than you may realize. The Marlins also have a contender for rookie of the year named Brian Anderson. Both players are having terrific seasons but Soto’s is a bit better. With a rookie leading 151 wRC+ figure, he looks to be the clear-cut winner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson gave him a run for his money. All in all, I’ll bet on Soto.

Matthew O’Halloran- Juan Soto is my pick to win it, with Ronald Acuna being the runner-up. They’ve had polar opposite seasons with Acuna being a letdown and Soto coming from out of nowhere. Soto has two more home runs and his batting average is 52 points higher.

Agree or disagree? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter

@Pr1m3_Kyr1e

@TheFrizz87,

@porchie16

@ELJGON

Down on the Farm 7/7-7/13 (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be providing weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (Class A short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are listed and dissected. Also, a “prospect of the week” will be featured at the end.

Down on the Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

Pawtucket went 2-2 on the week and they are now 42-47 on the season. The Paw Sox started off the week with a 4-2 win on Saturday. Josh D. Smith picked up the win in relief, giving up one run in three innings. Pawtucket lost on Sunday by the score of 3-2. The offense was stagnant and Fernando Rodriguez Jr. allowed one run in 2.1 innings. They were off for the All-Star break, and Rusney Castillo, Jalen Beeks, and Ryan Brasier played in the game. They returned on Thursday and beat Syracuse 7-3. Tavarez drove in two runs and Justin Haley gave up two runs in 5.2 innings to pick up the win. The Pawsox lost 6-3 on Friday. Pomeranz gave up three runs in 3.2 innings and the offense was stifled.

Portland Sea Dogs

Portland went 1-3 over the week and they are now 35-54 on the season. The Sea Dogs started off the week with a 5-0 loss on Saturday. Matthew Kent gave up four runs in six innings and the offense was frustrated. They lost again on Sunday by the score of 4-1. Mike Shawaryn gave up three runs in five innings and the offense was left blanked. Portland did not play because of the All-Star break, and returned on Thursday. They won 5-4 on Thursday against New Hampshire. Michael Chavis knocked in two runs and Travis Lankins picked up the win in an inning of relief. They lost on Friday, 5-3 to close out the week. The offense could not do anything and Teddy Stankiewicz allowed three runs in seven innings to pick up the loss.

Salem Red Sox

The Red Sox went 4-3 over the week and they are now 45-45 on the season. Salem started off the week with a 9-4 win. Bobby Dalbec knocked in four runs and Tanner Houck gave up one run in seven innings to pick up the win. The Red Sox won 7-4 on Sunday. Ian Sagdal went deep and Darwinzon Hernandez gave up no hits in 5.2 innings to pick up the win. On Monday they lost by the score of 7-3. Daniel Gonzalez gave up four runs in six innings and the offense was quiet.

They rebounded and won 8-4 on Tuesday. Bobby Dalbec went deep again, and Bryan Mata gave up four runs in five innings to pick up the win. Salem won again the next day by the score of 5-4 via walkoff. Trenton Kemp hit a two-run home run and Harrison Cooney picked up the win by throwing a scoreless inning of relief. They lost on Thursday by the score of 6-5. Procyshen knocked in two runs but Tanner Houck gave up five runs in six innings. They closed out the week with a 10-1 win against Wilmington. Downs and Kemp went deep and Darwinzon Hernandez threw six scoreless innings.

Lowell Spinners

Lowell started off the week with a 3-1 win on Saturday. Cottam went deep but Andrew Politi gave up two runs in 2.1 innings. They lost again on Sunday by the score of 10-5. Brandon Phillips hit his first home run in the Red Sox organization but Taylor Ahearn gave up three runs to pick up the loss. The Spinners rebounded and won 9-6 on Monday. Michael Chavis hit is first home run since his return and Yorvin Pantoja gave up two runs in four innings to pick up the win. They did not play on the tenth and won 6-1 on Thursday. Trey Ganns knocked in two runs Eduard Bazardo gave up one run in six innings. Lowell closed out the week with an 8-5 week with an 8-5 win in ten innings. Taylor Dearden knocked in the go-ahead run and Victor Garcia picked up the save.

Prospect of the Week- Bobby Dalbec

Hitting 0.487 in his last ten games

Plays for Salem, age 23

A third baseman, bats and throws right

Ways to Fix the All-Star Game Voting (@Pr1m3_Kyr1e)

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The All-Star teams were just announced, and fans and players were not pleased with some of the snubs. The two most popular snubs were Rays pitcher Blake Snell and Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar. Aguilar is likely to get in on the final ballot, but you would think that the NL leader in home runs would get in right away. There are many reasons why the All-Star voting is not good, so here are three ideas to fix it:

Open the Voting Later

Voting for the All-Star game begins way too early. It opens a month before the All-Star game, so players can get hot or cold in that time. Voting should open two or three days before the rosters are revealed. Fans would know the best players are, making snubs less likely. Justin Verlander tweeted, “we vote waaay too early. Could easily punch in our votes on an iPad a couple days before instead of the old school envelope weeks before.”

Alex Cora said that he and his staff voted when the Red Sox were in Seattle. The Red Sox were in Seattle from June 14th-17th. Since then, previously mentioned snub Jesus Aguilar is hitting .351 with 12 home runs, most in the MLB in that span. If the voting was later, Aguilar would most likely be on the initial team.

Make It Clear Who Votes

The overall voting for the game is a mess. Players, fans, and coaches vote, and who votes for what positions and starters or reserves are very confusing. If it was up to me, I would cut off fan voting. Fans are biased, and casuals will only vote for their favorites and do not know the league well enough. Most snubs are from small market teams because fans never hear about them and do not know their stats. Players and coaches have a deep understanding of the game and every player in the league. Assuming they take it seriously, player and coach voting would get the most deserving players in the game. Going back to the Verlander quote, the players and coaches should just vote online in a few minutes a couple days before the team is revealed.

Have Nobody Vote

Carlos Pena of the MLB Network suggested that someone make a formula to get the best players in. Basically, whoever has the best stats gets in. It doesn’t matter what team you are on, and what the record of your team is. Not a single person votes and the best players get in, simple as that. It takes out all human error of fan and market bias. I do not think coaches and players would be biased because they should be professional, but the formula would take out any bias. This is my favorite idea because all human error is taken out. Only the stats matter, so it is basically impossible to have any snubs. I like all the ideas and hope the MLB, and all other leagues find a way to get the most deserving players in the All-Star game.

Agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts on twitter @Pr1m3_Kyr1e

Down on the farm- 6/30-7/6

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Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be providing weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) as well as the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are listed and dissected. Also, a “prospect of the week” will be featured at the end.

Down On The Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

Pawtucket went 2-4 over the week and they are now 40-45 on the season. The Sox started off the week on Saturday with a 7-6 loss against the RailRiders. Mike Ohlman knocked in three runs but Ryan Brasier gave up a game-winning single in the tenth. They rebounded and won 2-0 on Sunday. Sam Travis drove in two runs and Josh A. Smith picked up the win by throwing five scoreless innings.

Pawtucket lost 6-2 on Monday. Drew Pomeranz gave up not one, not two, not three, but four home runs in just 2.2 innings. The Sox lost again on Tuesday, 2-1. Chandler Shepherd gave up two runs in 4.1 innings and the offense was stymied. They picked up a win on Wednesday, 6-5. They scored all six runs in the eighth and ninth, and Tzu Wei Lin drove in the game-winning run on a single in the ninth. The game was suspended on Thursday, and Pawtucket lost 3-2 on Friday. Justin Haley gave up two runs in three innings and the offense was frustrated.

Down On The Farm- Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs went 5-2 over the week and are now 34-51 on the season. Portland started off the week with an 8-2 win over Binghamton on Saturday. Rivera, Ockimey, and Tendler drove in two runs each and Mike Shawaryn gave up two runs over seven innings. They lost in extras on Sunday, 4-3. Austin Rei knocked in two runs but Jordan Weems gave up the go-ahead run in the 11th. The Sea Dogs won on Monday, 5-3. Witte and Ockimey drove in two runs each and Matthew Kent gave up two runs in 6.1 innings.

The offense was baffled on Tuesday as they lost 2-1. Trey Ball picked up the loss by giving up one run in three innings of relief. The Sea Dogs rebounded and won 7-5 on Wednesday. Luke Tendler hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth and Teddy Stankiewicz was decent, giving up four runs in 5.2 innings. Portland won again on Thursday, 10-2. Witte drove in four runs and Dedgar Jimenez gave up two runs in five innings. They closed out the week on Friday with a 5-3 win against Hartford. Renda knocked in two runs and Kyle Hart gave up three runs over six innings.

Down On The Farm- Salem Red Sox

The Red Sox went 4-3 on the week and they are now 40-43 on the season. Salem started off the week on Saturday with an 8-4 win. Osinski and Madera drove in two runs and Algenis Martinez gave up one run in four innings to pick up the win. They lost 3-1 on Sunday. Jake Thompson gave up zero earned runs in 6.2 innings but he could not get any help. Salem lost again on Monday, 6-3. Tanner Houck gave up four runs over 4.2 innings and the offense was slowed down. Salem rebounded on Tuesday and won 4-0. Dalbec knocked in three runs and Darwinzon Hernandez gave up zero runs over six innings.

They lost 7-1 on Wednesday. The offense was not productive and Daniel Gonzalez gave up four runs in five innings. Salem held on to win on Thursday, 10-9. Scott knocked in four runs and Mata picked up the win by giving up three runs in five innings. The Red Sox closed out the week on Friday with a 5-4 win. Dalbec drove in two runs and Jake Thompson gave up three runs in five innings.

Down On The Farm- Lowell Spinners

The Spinners went 3-4 on the week and are now 9-12 on the season. Lowell started off the week on Saturday with a 6-4 win. Kyle Cottam drove in two runs and Hunter Haworth gave up one run over six innings. They lost on Sunday by a score of 7-3. Victor Garcia gave up four runs in two innings and the offense couldn’t muster much. The Spinners won on Monday by the score of 3-1. LeGrant knocked in a run and Eduard Bazardo gave up one run in five innings.

Lowell lost on Tuesday by the score of 4-3. It was an offensive sleeper for the Spinners and Brian Brown gave up three runs in four innings. They rebounded and won on Wednesday, 7-4. The offense scored three runs in the tenth but Gio Arrieta gave up three runs in seven innings. The Spinners lost on Thursday by the score of 5-2. Hunter Haworth gave up three runs in 2.2 innings and the offense could not do much. They closed out the week on Friday. with a 3-2 loss. The offense was quiet again and Alberto Franco gave up one run in 5.1 innings.

Prospect Of The Week- Durbin Feltman

Third round pick in the 2018 draft

Was considered the best closer in college baseball the last two years

Sports a 0 ERA in three innings this season

Some scouts say he could be in the majors by the end of this summer

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