Today, I'll be meeting my dad in Charlotte for a six-day trip back and forth across North Carolina.
The original plan was to see all the Sox's full-season minor-league teams, but the acquisition of a certain former Cy Young winner gets in the way. The Sox are roughly planning on giving Jake Peavy a rehab start on Thursday, but they'll know more after Peavy gets through a bullpen session on Saturday.
Without Peavy in the picture, this was the original plan:
- Monday: Charlotte
- Tuesday: Kannapolis
- Wednesday: Birmingham (vs. Carolina in Zebulon)
- Thursday: Winston-Salem (at Wilmington)
- Friday: Birmingham (Zebulon)
- Saturday: Charlotte
If Peavy does make his scheduled Thursday start, then the second half is in flux. We could go Charlotte for all three games, Charlotte-Birmingham-Charlotte, or Charlotte-Kannapolis-Charlotte, as the Intimidators are just two hours in the other direction over in Asheville. That will probably depend on the weather, who's pitching and who was(n't) in the lineups we saw.
The Dash will be heading up to Maryland after Thursday. With apologies to Brent Morel, I think Peavy's the slightly higher priority.
At any rate, three things I'm throwing out there:
No. 1: Video/photo requests. Besides Dan Hudson -- I'd love to know what the hell he actually throws -- which guys are you most anxious to see in action?
No. 2: Tips. This will be my first time in North Carolina, so please make me aware of any must-stops around Charlotte, Kannapolis, Raleigh-Durham, Wilmington, Asheville or points in between, if you know of any. Entertainment, eating, history, golfing ... I'm all ears.
No. 3: Guest spot(s). If anybody wants to try their hand at writing recaps for State of the Sox, let me know.
Further bulletins as events warrant, and I'll have something more extensive on the big-league club tomorrow before heading south.
Especially if something happens with Alex Rios.
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Minor league roundup:
- Indianapolis 10, Charlotte 3
- Tyler Flowers went 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, raising his average to .316.
- DHing Cole Armstrong went 2-for-4.
- Josh Fields, Brent Lillibridge and Stefan Gartrell all drew the collar.
- Wes Whisler was shelled for eight runs over 1 1/3 innings on eight hits and three walks.
- Justin Cassel wasn't impressive, either: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 B, 2 K, 1 HR.
- Birmingham 4, Tennessee 3
- Charlie Shirek allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. He walked one, struck out five and got 10 groundouts.
- Jimmy Gallagher singled, tripled and drove in two runs; Christian Marrero doubled, walked and had an RBI.
- Dayan Viciedo went 1-for-4; Jordan Danks went 0-for-4.
- Winston-Salem 4, Frederick 2
- Seth Loman went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
- Brent Morel had a pair of singles in four at-bats.
- Tyler Kuhn went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Anthony Carter allowed two runs (on one swing) over six innings. Six hits, no walks, four K's.
- Hector Santiago picked up the win with two scoreless innings; Tyson Corley picked up the save with a 1-2-3 inning.
- Kannapolis 8, Lake County 3
- Josh Phegley's starting to feel it, going 3-for-4 with a homer, walk and three RBI.
- Jared Mitchell doubled, walked, drove in run and scored two.
- Jon Gilmore went 3-for-4 with two runs scored; Kyle Shelton had three hits, a homer and three RBI.
- Nice start for Joe Serafin: 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6K, 1 HR.
- Dan Remenowsky struck out one and allowed one hit over a scoreless inning.
- Bristol 2, Greeneville 1 (game completed from July 28)
- Daniel Holmberg pitched four scoreless innings, striking out three while allowing two hits and two walks.
- Santos Rodriguez struck out two over a scoreless inning, walking one.
- Leighton Pangilinan, Ryan Lee and Daniel Wagner each had two hits.
- Greeneville 3, Bristol 2 (7 innings)
- Trayce Thompson went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
- Steven Upchurch wasn't great: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
- Great Falls vs. Missoula TBA
