The Boston Red Sox signed LHP Darwinzon Hernandez to an international free agent contract on August 26, 2013. Little did the Red Sox know that the signing then 16-year-old Venezuelan native would impact the organization in less than six years.
In the off-season, after a very strong 2018, Hernandez was added to the Red Sox 40-man roster, which assured that he would be invited to his first spring training with the big club with a chance to break camp and go north.
Hernandez, who is 22 years old, turned many heads including Red Sox manager Joey Cora, as he posted a 0.82 ERA, with 12 K’s in 11 innings allowing seven hits and one run. When asked what he thought of Hernandez’s chances of breaking camp with the big club, Cora told MLB.com, “I think he’s in the running, yeah. He’s impressed people obviously with his stuff.”
If not for the fact that the 6’2″ lefthander appeared in only five games in Double A last season, he may have broken camp with the Red Sox bullpen, but soon enough he will, especially with the Sox bullpen struggling lately.
As for Sunday’s action, Hernandez started his first Double A game for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2019 and in the first inning he showed why the Red Sox are excited about his future with the big club as he struck out the first three batters, throwing nine of 10 pitches for strikes.
In the second inning, he recorded the first out on a ground out, walked the next batter, but then the Sea Dogs turned in an inning ending double play.
After the Sea Dogs put up three runs in the bottom of the second, highlighted by Bobby Dalbec‘s first home run on the season, Hernandez went back to work in the top of the third.
He allowed a lead-off single, but then struck out the next three batters to end the frame. In the fourth, he continued his dominance by working around a lead-off walk, recording two strikeouts and a ground out.
In the fifth, Hernandez recorded the first out on a bunt pop-out back to the mound, then lost his control, walking the next two batters. Then after a mound visit, the southpaw settled down and calmly struck out the next two batters swinging, to end the inning and his day.
As for the Portland offense, they put up two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to pull away to a 6-0 victory.
Portland won their first victory in four chances so far in 2019 and with the loss, the Reading Fightin Phils dropped to 3-1.
Top Performers
Fightin Phils
Ali Castillo, 2 for 4
Sea Dogs
Bobby Dalbec, 3 for 4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
Jantzen Witte, 3 for 4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
Jhon Nunez, 2 for 3, R, 2B, BB
Luke Tendler, 2 for 4, RBI
Darwinzon Hernandez, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 10 K’s
Andrew Schwaab, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K’s
The post Prospects on Deck: Red Sox Top Pitching Prospect Darwinzon Hernandez Dominates In Shutout Win appeared first on Legends On Deck.