Red Sox Minor Lines: Justin Slaten makes rehab appearance

The Sea Dogs didn’t truly run away with this game in Somerset (Yankees AA) until the middle innings, behind the bat of Johanfran Garcia. Password’s brother – and a solid catcher in his own right – belted his third home run of the season and had four RBIs. Nelly Taylor, who’s been stably climbing the organizational ladder, pulled the game further into Portland’s sights. But this game wouldn’t be as decisive if not for six innings from Hayden Mullins in which he got ten strikeouts and allowed just two hits. And this was after Sunday afternoon’s starter… Justin Slaten! Slaten rehabbing is huge for the pitching staff; but it doesn’t help the injured rotation if not to simply eat some relief innings.

Some troubles in the Greenville rotation – Marcus Phillips couldn’t make it out of the fifth but the offense kept up until it simply couldn’t. The bats were there when they had to be, scoring all of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings, including a three-run shot by Mason White that put this thing within reach, but the Spartanburgers (Astros High-A) scored another couple runs in the seventh innings and the Drive couldn’t even it back up.

This game was tied up at two going into extras, and the pitching kept the Warbirds (Brewers A) in check, but Salem was unable to take advantage of this, going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. This was despite nine-hole hitter Ilan Fernandez going 4-for-4 with three doubles. Ultimately, the RidgeYaks got walked off in the tenth off of a home run after scoring just the Manfred runner in the top of the inning. May the fourth be with you this Monday.