Red Sox Prospect Matt Kent With Mediocre PawSox Debut But Despite 9th Inning Drama, An Error Cost Pawtucket A Win

The Pawtucket Red Sox tied this Thursday getaway game up in the bottom of the 9th inning with Aneury Taverez hitting a solo blast to force extra innings. Unfortunately for the PawSox, a bad decision cost them the game with the team falling 6-4 and dropping 8 of their last 9 games.

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Kent made his Triple-A Pawtucket debut on Thursday after spending the start of the 2018 season with Double-A Portland.

Kent, 25-years-old, was called up to the PawSox early Thursday morning with a spot in the rotation open due to the trade of prospect Jalen Beeks to Tampa Bay on Wednesday by Boston. Kent in his AAA debut went 5.1 innings allowing 7 base hits and 4 earned runs with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.

Two of the runs he allowed were after he exited the game with Trevor Kelley allowing a 2-run single with the runs credited to Kent. Kelley who came in for Kent was not charged any earned runs in his outing going 2 innings allowing 3 base hits, 2 walks, while striking out 2 batters.

Behind Kent and Kelley the PawSox used Bobby Poyner who threw a hitless 1.2 innings to get the PawSox through the regulation 9 innings. But with Pawtucket tying the game in the bottom of the 9th with an Aneury Taverez solo blast off of former Red Sox pitcher Ben Taylor, extra innings became necessary for Pawtucket.

In the top of the 10th inning the PawSox used Robby Scott. Unfortunately after a dribbler where the PawSox got a tag out, the automatic runner from 2nd moved over to 3rd and then an erratic throw by Mike Ohlman sailed into left field bringing the runner in making it 5-4.

Then a sac fly later made it 6-4 putting Pawtucket right back in the hole they had been for much of the game. Scott wasn’t tagged with any of the runs with both being unearned.

Pawtucket has lost 8 of their last 9 games and will be back in action on Friday night with Charlotte coming into town for a weekend series.

PawSox Add A Starter From Portland To Fill Hole From Beeks Trade, Red Sox Prospect Matt Kent To Get Triple-A Look

On Thursday morning ahead of their 11 am getaway day game the Pawtucket Red Sox called up left-handed pitcher Matt Kent from Double-A Portland.

Kent who is 25-years-old has spent all of the 2018 season with the Sea Dogs where he is 6-7 with a 3.44 ERA in 20 games (16 starts) in 99.1 innings pitched. The Texas A&M product was drafted in the 13th round in the 2015 draft by Boston and has progressed rather nicely through the Boston Red Sox organization.

The Texan is a rather sleeper prospect for Boston, a good call-up by the Red Sox to get him a look at the Triple-A level and potentially push him up through the system, something they have to start doing with players in Double-A Portland.

Kent will start for Pawtucket on Thursday morning.

Red Sox Release RHP Kyle Martin So He Could Pursue An Opportunity In Japan

The Boston Red Sox announced tonight that they have released RHP Kyle Martin today so he could pursue an opportunity in Japan. He spent the entire 2018 season with the Red Sox AAA affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Kyle Martin was on the 40 man roster with the Red Sox before his release and he made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2017. He only pitched in two games for the Boston Red Sox back in 2017 while only allowing one run in 2 and 1/3 innings pitched.

Martin pitched well in 2018 with the Pawtucket Red Sox and was able to give them length out of their bullpen when they needed it. He will now have the chance to pitch at a high level in Japan and probably make more money then he would with the Pawtucket Red Sox.  In 30 games with the Paw Sox in 2018, he posted a 3.33 ERA in 51 and 1/3 innings pitched.