White Sox Minor League Update: August 3, 2019

Charlotte Knights 6, Gwinnett Stripers 4

Odrisamer Despaigne (SP) W (5-4), 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (3.53 ERA, 1.35 WHIP)
Matt Foster (RP) 1.2 IP, H, BB, K (3.80 ERA, 1.15 WHIP)
Juan Minaya (RP) SV (4) 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K (4.07 ERA, 1.40 WHIP)
Luis Robert (CF) 3-for-5, 2B (5), RBI (18), K (.352 BA, 1.115 OPS) **MVP**
Nick Madrigal (2B) 0-for-4, R, BB (.182 BA, .413 OPS)
Daniel Palka (RF) 1-for-4, R, HR (22), 3 RBI (59), 3 K (.285 BA, .948 OPS)
Zack Collins (C) 0-for-3, R, BB, K (.272 BA, .879 OPS)
Danny Mendick (3B) 1-for-3, RBI (55), BB, CS (8) (.277 BA, .812 OPS)
A.J. Reed (1B) 1-for-4, R, HR (1), RBI (1), K (.250 BA, 1.250 OPS)
Charlie Tilson (LF) 3-for-4, 2B (8), CS (2) (.329 BA, .845 OPS)
Ramon Torres (SS) 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B (1), (.500 BA, 1.250 OPS)

This was a rare International League pitcher’s duel for the first two innings, with Odrisamer Despaigne facing Stripers pitcher Huascar Ynoa — both pitchers whose names would difficult for anyone to get right in a national spelling bee. It was a pitcher’s duel, that is, until birthday boy Luis Robert (he turned 22 on Saturday!) took an Ynoa pitch the opposite way for a run-scoring double to give the Knights a one-run lead.

Not to be outdone, recently-demoted A.J. Reed clobbered his first homer for the Knights an inning later to make it 2-0.

Despaigne walked in a run in the bottom half of the fourth, but escaped a Stripers rally with a 2-1 lead. Then, with Ramon Torres and Robert on base with singles and one out in the top half of the fifth, Daniel Palka elevated one into the warm Georgian air for his 22nd homer of the season — giving the Knights a more comfortable 5-1 lead. Looks like it’s bye-bye pitcher’s duel, hello slugfest!

Zack Collins then drew a walk, and then with his intimidatingly blazing speed, lured the Stripers (pun intended) into a balk and a wild pitch — setting the stage for a Danny Mendick RBI single through the middle to make it 6-1. This ended the game for Ynoa, who currently ranks 10th among Atlanta Braves prospects according to MLB Pipeline.

Unfortunately for Despaigne, he showed signs of fatigue and relinquished two additional runs in the sixth before giving way to Matt Foster. Escaping the sixth without further damage, Foster pitched a scoreless seventh to maintain the 6-3 lead. Juan Minaya entered the eighth, and surrendered a run courtesy of a single, Collins passed ball, wild pitch and RBI groundout. As a result, the Knights were clinging to a 6-4 lead after eight. However, that’s as close as it got, as Minaya pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save of the season.

Palka and Reed could easily have won the MVP as a result of their blasts, but it’s hard not to give it to the birthday boy. His three hits, including a double, and increased his average and OPS to an otherworldly .352 and 1.115 respectively! This was a great victory which put to rest last night’s 17-4 debacle. It was also good to see Reed and Torres excel in their first game for the Knights. With the victory, the Knights improved to 59-53, while the Stripers fell to 66-46.

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Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3, Birmingham Barons 1

John Parke (SP) L (3-2), 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR ( 2.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) **MVP**
Kodi Medeiros (RP) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (5.30 ERA, 1.61 WHIP)
Luis Basabe (LF) 0-2, 2 BB (.249 BA, .666 OPS)
Ti’Quan Forbes (3B) 0-for-3, BB, 2 K (.241 BA, .670 OPS)
Blake Rutherford (RF) 1-for-4 (.252 BA, .648 OPS)
Gavin Sheets (DH) 0-for-3, BB (.272 BA, .764 OPS)
Luis González (CF) 1-for-3, R, HR (8), RBI (51), BB, K (.247 BA, .672 OPS)
Zach Remillard (SS) 0-for-4, 3 K, E (1) (.182 BA, .490 OPS)

Now this was a pitcher’s duel. John Parke and Pensacola’s Bryan Sammons matched each other pitch-for-pitch until the fourth inning, when Minnesota Twins No. 5 prospect Trevor Larnach crushed his fifth homer of the season to give the Blue Wahoos a 1-0 lead. Parke, without blazing stuff, depends upon his defense making plays behind him, and outfielder Luis González was more than up to the task:

Other than a solo homer in the bottom half of the seventh, Parke pitched exceptionally good baseball. This was his fifth quality start in eight appearances, and he finished the game with a 2.57 ERA. He’s doing everything he can to perhaps punch a ticket to Charlotte next year, if not earlier.

In the meantime, the Barons didn’t even get a hit off Sammons — it wasn’t until reliever Gabriel Moya relinquished a pop single to Blake Rutherford in the eighth that Birmingham actually attained its first hit. Outside of that and a leadoff homer by González in the ninth, the offense was pretty much nonexistent.

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Winston-Salem Dash 6, Carolina Mudcats 4

Konnor Pilkington (SP) W (3-8) 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, QS (5.73 ERA, 1.54 WHIP)
Wyatt Burns (RP) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (3.86 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)
Bennett Sousa (RP) SV (4) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (2.29 ERA, 0.76 WHIP)
Steele Walker (CF) 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, SB (6) (.277 BA, .791 OPS)
Mitch Roman (3B) 3-for-4, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI (14), SB (5), K (.274 BA, .671 OPS) **MVP**
Andrew Vaughn (DH) 0-for-3, R, BB, K (.231 BA, .815 OPS)
Craig Dedelow (RF) 1-for-4, R, 2B (17), 2 RBI (54) (.256 BA, .771 OPS)
Carlos Perez (C) 0-for-3, RBI (29), K (.263 BA, .642 OPS)
Jameson Fisher (1B) 0-for-2, RBI (33), K (.236 BA, .704 OPS)

After southpaw hurler Konnor Pilkington stifled the Mudcats in the top half of the first (including top two Milwaukee Brewers prospects Brice Turang and Tristen Lutz), the Dash commenced scoring immediately. After a Steele Walker opposite-field single, a Mitch Roman bunt hit and an Andrew Vaughn walk, Craig Dedelow smashed a two-run double to right. Two later sac flies (Carlos Perez and Jameson Fisher) presented a nice four-run Dash cushion after just one inning of play. After Walker lived up to his name in the second inning and took a free pass, Roman powered his first homer of the season, to left-center, to give the Dash a six-run lead.

Pilkington sailed through the first four innings, but with two outs and two on in the fifth, he walked the weakest hitter in the lineup to load the bases for Turang. This time, Turang inflicted some damage by slugging a two-run single to tighten the score to 6-2. Pitching with runners in scoring position has been difficult for Pilkington at Winston-Salem, as prior to this game, opponents have hit .329 against him in such situations. He’s only 21, so he’s got plenty of time to figure things out. Fortunately, Pilkington limited the damage to just the two runs by inducing a fly out. Pilkington sailed through the sixth inning and garnered his fourth QS (his first since July 1) for the Dash in 14 starts.

After a 1-2-3 seventh in which reliever Wyatt Burns fanned two, Burns scuffled in the eighth and immediately relinquished three consecutive singles to begin the inning. With a sac fly later in the inning, the Mudcats sliced the Dash led in half, to 6-4. After the Dash were silenced in the bottom half, Burns returned to try to close it out. Lefty specialist Bennett Sousa entered the game in the ninth, and aside from a one-out double to Wes Rogers, did exactly that by striking out the side for his fourth save.

It’s always a bit worrisome when your team takes a big lead early and see the lead slowly evaporate. While the offense went stagnant after scoring their six early runs, the pitching did just enough to hold the Mudcats at bay. While Roman is deserving of MVP honors with a three-for-four day with a homer, stolen base, two RBIs and two runs scored, honorable mentions go to Pilkington and Walker. It’s safe to say Walker’s slump is now over, as he’s now slashed .417/.475/.750 over his last nine games. With the win, the Dash improved to 58-48 while the Mudcats fell to 57-55.

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Kannapolis Intimidators 3, Lexington Legends 2 (11 innings)

Davis Martin (SP) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (5.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP)
Declan Cronin (RP) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (4.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP)
Lane Ramsey (RP) 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (2.58 ERA, 1.17 WHIP)
Justin O’Conner (RP) W (1-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP)
Ian Dawkins (CF) 1-for-5, RBI (33) (.306 BA, .769 OPS)
Lenyn Sosa (SS) 1-for-5, R, K (.233 BA, .622 OPS)
Alex Destino (DH) 1-for-4, BB, 3 K (.315 BA, .905 OPS)
Romy Gonzalez (RF) 3-for-5 (.263 BA, .733 OPS) **MVP**
Corey Zangari (1B) 0-for-4, 3 K, E (6) (.207 BA, .743 OPS)
Amado Nunez (2B) 1-for-4, K (.221 BA, .622 OPS)
Camilo Quinteiro (3B) 0-for-3, BB, K (.200 BA, .616 OPS)
Cameron Simmons (PR-RF) R (..273 BA, .651 OPS)
Gunnar Troutwine (C) 1-for-3, K, E (7) (.252 BA, .691 OPS)
Ramon Beltre (LF) 1-for-4, R, HR (3), RBI (25), 2 K (.217 BA, .575 OPS)

It’s never a good sign when the defense makes two errors in the opening frame. The Intimidators did exactly that, with a fielding error by Corey Zangari and a throwing error by Gunnar Troutwine, which led to an unearned tally against Davis Martin’s stat line. Yohanse Morel, the Kansas City Royals 26th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, shut down the Intimidators and surrendered just two hits in the first two innings to maintain his tiny 1-0 lead.

Martin didn’t let his porous defense interrupt his game, and otherwise stymied the Legends through five innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while fanning seven. Ramon Beltre took Martin off the hook by slugging a solo shot to left-center in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game 1-1. Declan Cronin, Chicago’s 36th round pick from Holy Cross, then entered the game and shut down the Legends for the next two innings. Despite his being selected relatively low in this year’s draft, Cronin has done a tremendous job this year for Kannapolis and the AZL Sox.

Lane Ramsey pitched a scoreless eighth for the Intimidators, but the score remained deadlocked at one apiece. In fact, Ramsey pitched a solid ninth inning as well and the score remained 1-1 until Ramsey walked former Illinois State Redbird John Rave with the bases packed in the 10th. However, Kannapolis fought back, as Ian Dawkins hit a clutch two-out single in the bottom of the frame to even the score, 2-2.

After Justin O’Conner, a former first round catching prospect of the Rays turned Sox affiliate pitcher, fanned three in a row after plunking the first batter he faced in the top of the 11th, the Intimidators got down to business. After Alex Destino was intentionally walked with the opening runner on second, Romy Gonzalez ingratiated himself with the White Sox brass by producing a beautifully-placed single to load the bases. A wild pitch then scored Lenyn Sosa to win the game, all without hitting the ball past the pitching mound!

It’s hard to pinpoint the MVP — the pitching staff was terrific, giving the I’s a chance to win in the first place. Beltre had a key homer to put the team on the board, and Sosa provided the hustle with the winning run. Ultimately, with three hits, including that bunt single in the 11th which loaded the bases with nobody out, Gonzalez deserved the MVP tonight. During his current six-game hitting streak, he’s slashed an incredible .522/.542/.696 with three stolen bases. With the win, the Intimidators improved to 50-60 while causing the Legends to fall to 53-57.

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Game 1: Missoula Osprey 7, Great Falls Voyagers 1

Chase Solesky (SP) L (0-3) 1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR (7.54 ERA, 1.37 WHIP)
Sammy Peralta (RP) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP)
Ramon Pineda (RP) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (2.18 ERA, 0.92 WHIP)
Hansen Butler (RP) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP) **MVP**
Caberea Weaver (CF) 1-for-3, K (.242 BA, .636 OPS)
Luis Mieses (DH) 0-for-3, 2 K (.266 BA, .707 OPS)
Lency Delgado (SS) 0-for-2, BB, 2 K (.299 BA, .794 OPS)
Sam Abbott (1B) 1-for-3, R, HR (6), RBI (17), 2 K (,239 BA, .813 OPS)
Ivan Gonzalez (C) 1-for-3 (.273 BA, .728 OPS)
Jonathan Allen (LF) 1-for-3, 2B (1) (.265 BA, .639 OPS)
Tom Archer (2B) 1-for-3, 2B (1), (.300 BA, .650 OPS)

Voyagers starter Chase Solesky has a nightmare first inning tonight. After getting the leadoff hitter out via a grounder, the Osprey clawed their way to a big lead thanks to the following sequence: single, single, single, homer, fly out, homer. Before fans could get into their seats in Missoula, Great Falls was already behind, 5-0. The Osprey added a couple tallies in the third off the normally reliable Sammy Peralta, which gave them what turned out to be an insurmountable seven-run lead.

Sam Abbott tried to make a game of it, blasting a solo homer to center field to cut the deficit to 7-1. Ramon Pineda (who’s a Pioneer League All-Star, along with Harvin Mendoza and Avery Weems) entered the game in the bottom half of the fifth and held the home team scoreless through the sixth, while Hansen Butler pitched a scoreless seventh. Aside from Abbott’s homer, however, the offense was incognito as the Voyagers mustered just five hits and a walk against Osprey offerings.

This game was a snoozer for the Voyagers from the get-go, but my MVP goes to Butler for striking out the side in his lone inning of work. This was his first game for the Voyagers, and he’s only surrendered one earned run in his combined seven outings with Great Falls and the AZL Sox. The Voyagers fell to 18-27 while the Osprey improved to 25-21. Let’s hope the Voyagers can make things interesting in the nightcap!

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Game 2: Missoula Osprey 4, Great Falls Voyagers 2

Dan Metzdorf (SP) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (4.15 ERA, 1.38 WHIP)
Kaleb Roper (RP) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (4.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) **MVP**
Nate Pawelczyk (RP) 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (3.57 ERA, 1.47 WHIP)
Karan Patel (RP) L (2-3) 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (3.18 ERA, 1.32 WHIP)
Kevin Maldonado (2B) 1-for-3, RBI (9), E (2) (.243 BA, .580 OPS)
Luis Curbelo (3B) 1-for-4, 2B (7), RBI (10), 3 K (.272 BA, .785 OPS)
Harvin Mendoza (1B) 1-for-4, 2B (10), K (.319 BA, .941 OPS)
Lency Delgado (SS) 0-for-3, 2 K, E (10) (.292 BA, .776 OPS)
Luis Mieses (LF) 1-for-3 (.267 BA, .706 OPS)
Ty Greene (C) 2-for-3 (.311 BA, .758 OPS)
Sam Abbott (DH) 1-for-3, 2B (8), K (.241 BA, .819 OPS)
Bryan Connell (RF) 1-for-3, R, K (.167 BA, .563 OPS)
Jonathan Allen (CF) 1-for-3, R, 2B (2), K (.270 BA, .667 OPS)

The best thing about Game 1 is that the offensive momentum that the Osprey had built in the first two innings had dissipated by game’s end. With that in mind, the Voyagers were looking to hold Missoula there while building some offense of their own. The game was indeed scoreless until the third when Kevin Maldonado plated Jonathan Allen, who had gotten on base with a leadoff double that gave the Voyagers their first lead during this long evening.

Things continued to look good in the top of the fifth, as Luis Curbelo sliced an RBI double to right plating Bryan Connell to give the Voyagers to 2-0 lead. Reliever Nate Pawelczyk surrendered that run right back, however, but Great Falls still led 2-1 after five innings.

Karan Patel entered the game in the bottom half of the sixth but simply didn’t have it. Well, to be honest, the defense didn’t have it. The leadoff hitter reached base courtesy of an error to Lency Delgado, and scored after two subsequent singles. Even though the next Osprey hitter grounded into a double play, there was still a runner on base with two out when Spencer Brickhouse clubbed a two-run homer to give the Osprey the 4-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The three unearned runs in the sixth was the ultimate factor in the decision.

It’s tough to lose a game when allowing just one earned run, but that’s what happened tonight. The Voyagers are in the midst of their most difficult slump of the season, and to get out of it, they’ll need to improve in all facets of the game. Easier said than done. The pitching, on the whole, was above average in the second game and Kaleb Roper enjoyed the most success, as he fanned four in two innings while nary allowing a runner. This effort won him the MVP honors for this game. The Voyagers fell 10 games under .500 with the loss (18-28), and will be now entertaining a much-needed four-game hiatus courtesy of the Pioneer League All-Star break.

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AZL White Sox 9, AZL Reds 3

Luis Rodriguez (SP) W (1-2) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (6.19 ERA, 1.56 WHIP)
Caleb Frare (RP) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (0.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP)
Vladimir Nunez (RP) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (3.66 ERA, 1.47 WHIP)
McKinley Moore (RP) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (6.08 ERA, 1.80 WHIP)
Harold Diaz (2B) 1-for-4, 2 R, E (2) (.241 BA, .689 OPS)
Sidney Pimental (1B) 1-for-5, R, 2B (1), CS (1), E (2), 2 K (.179 BA, .494 OPS)
Jose Rodriguez (SS) 1-for-4, R, HR (7), 2 RBI (21), 2 K (.307 BA, .894 OPS)
D.J. Gladney (DH) 2-for-4, R, K (.295 BA, .835 OPS)
Bryan Ramos (3B) 0-for-4, R, K (.262 BA, .771 OPS)
Anthony Coronado (RF) 1-for-3, R, BB (.323 BA, .891 OPS)
Jakob Goldfarb (C) 1-for-4, R, HR (1), 4 RBI (4), K (.286 BA, 1.000 OPS) **MVP**
Josue Guerrero (LF) 1-for-4, R, HR (3), RBI (14) (.214 BA, .667 OPS)
Misael Gonzalez (CF) 3-for-4, 2B (4), K (.217 BA, .534 OPS)

In this game, the AZL Sox applied the pressure from the get-go and cruised to an easy 9-3 victory over the Reds. Sidney Pimental initiated the scoring in the first with an RBI double that plated Harold Diaz, and shortstop Jose Rodriguez brought him in with a two-run homer. The Sox added two more runs in the second thanks to a solo shot by Josue Guerrero, followed by an error later in the inning to score Diaz.

The Reds tried to make a game of it by scoring a couple runs in third off Luis Rodriguez. The Reds added an unearned run in the top of the sixth off Caleb Frare, who’s on injury rehab assignment and hasn’t pitched since June 13.

However, after two singles and an error in the bottom half of the sixth, Oregon alumnus Jakob Goldfarb crushed a grand slam to left which ultimately put the game out of reach. Solid relief work by Vlad Nuñez Jr. and McKinley Moore sealed the victory.

In addition to Rodriguez and Goldfarb, it’s good to see continued offensive contributions from Coronado and Guerrero, who both joined the White Sox on International Signing Day 2016. Since July 3, Coronado has slashed .432/450/.641; since July 25, Guerrero has enjoyed a more modest line of .286/.286/.714. With so many outfielders in the lower levels over the past couple of seasons, this duo hasn’t enjoyed the playing time needed to develop particular routines; with consistent game reps, it’s expected to see them improve by leaps and bounds. Just as exciting was seeing DJ Gladney get a couple of hits today, as he’s really been scuffling over the past couple of weeks.

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DSL Reds 6, DSL White Sox 5, 11 innings

Carlos Mola (SP) 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, (5.24 ERA, 1.36 WHIP)
Manuel Veloz (RP) 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (1.13 ERA, 1.00 WHIP)
Frander Veras (RP) L (2-3), 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (4.91 ERA, 1.70 WHIP)
Anthony Espinoza (2B) 2-for-4, R, K, CS (7) (.253 BA, .658 OPS)
Yolbert Sanchez (SS) 1-for-4, BB, SB (2) (.273 BA, .745 OPS)
Benyamin Bailey (LF) 1-for-4, 2B (9), BB, 2 K (.340 BA, .947 OPS)
Jhoneiker Betancourt (DH) 3-for-5, R, RBI (11), K (.364 BA, .994 OPS)
Johnabiell Laureano (CF) 2-for-5, 2B (13), RBI (28),2 K (.368 BA, .976 OPS)
Roberth Gutierrez (RF) 1-for-4, R, 2B (3), 2 K (.289 BA, .768 OPS)
Lazaro Leal (1B) 1-for-4, R, BB (.213 BA, .652 OPS)
Edwin Peralta (3B) 1-for-4, K, SB (9), CS (6), E (13) (.252 BA, .680 OPS)
Richard Garcia (PH-C) 1-for-3, R, HR (1), 3 RBI (9), 2 K (.278 BA, .746 OPS) **MVP**
Wilber Sanchez (PR-2B) SB (11) (.296 BA, .795 OPS)

After a scoreless first, the Reds tallied the first run in the bottom half of the second courtesy of a Carlos Mola wild pitch. The Reds tacked on two more off Mola two innings later to give them a 3-0 advantage.

That’s when the White Sox started thumping, as they narrowed the gap to 3-2 in the top of the sixth thanks to a Jhoneiker Betancourt RBI single and Johnabiell Laureano RBI double. Alas, the Reds added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning off stellar reliever Manuel Veloz to make it 4-2 after six innings of play.

Looks like another tough loss for the Sox? After Roberth Gutierrez and Lazaro Leal led off the seventh with hits, Richard Garcia entered the game to pinch-hit for the struggling Luis Pineda. All Garcia did was clock a pinch-hit, three-run blast to put the Sox up, 5-4 — this was Garcia’s first homer of the season and just the second in three years for the 20-year-old backstop. The Sox mounted an additional rally later that inning, which was thwarted by a failed double-steal attempt and Edwin Peralta being out at the plate. The Reds tallied an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to deadlock the game 5-5, which remained until extra innings.

Despite having the opening runner on second base to begin the 10th and 11th frames, the Sox couldn’t get any runs across. That’s playing with fire with a team as hot as these Reds are, and it came back to bite the Sox in the bottom of the 11th when the Reds singled off Frander Veras to win the game, 6-5. With 13 hits and three walks, the Sox certainly had plenty of opportunities to do more damage, but it wasn’t meant to be. The loss drops the Sox to 29-25 on the year, while the Reds improved to an incredible 38-16. Garcia earned today’s MVP honors, as his pinch-hit, three-run homer provided a late albeit brief lead for the Sox in the late innings.

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