Lefty Beeks strikes gold with PawSox
THE MINORS
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Jalen Beeks uses four pitches to rack up punchouts for the Pawtucket Red Sox.
The left-hander is second in the International League with 102 strikeouts entering tonight’s start against the Rochester Red Wings.
“He has fastball command and he’s not afraid to pitch inside,” said PawSox manager Kevin Boles. “The pitch that has really developed since last year has been the cutter and he’s gotten quality use against left- and righthanded hitters.
“He is a guy that has a feel for a mix and he’s got some deception with his delivery. His fastball plays around 92 (mph) but it plays a little bit higher with the deception.
“He can spin a breaking ball, throw a changeup and he’s a guy that can pitch to all sides of the zone. When he is right there is a lot of swing and miss in that approach.”
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Beeks was the Red Sox’ 12th-round pick in the 2014 draft. The native of Fayetteville, Ark., pitched for the Razorbacks and played summer ball for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League.
Beeks began his pro career by appearing in two games in the Gulf Coast League as a 20-year-old in 2014 before starting for Single-A Greenville in ’15. He has made a steady climb up the ladder since then, with stops at Single-A Salem and Double-A Portland before landing in Triple A last season. He is 5-5 with a 2.91 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 14 starts with the PawSox this year.
“I haven’t really changed anything, it’s just that the strikeouts are starting to come,” Beeks said. “All my pitches come off my fastball and I’m throwing the changeup more in different counts and the same with the curveball.”
Beeks received a promotion to the Red Sox last month but his one start in the majors did not go well. In a 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, he gave up seven hits and six earned runs over four innings.
“He was fine, he had his head up and he was excited but it wasn’t the result that he wanted,” Boles said. “It was a great learning experience for him and I’m looking forward for him to make the adjustments needed and hopefully get another chance down the road.”
The K club
Beeks is the top dog on a pitching staff that has been binging on strikeouts. The PawSox were second in the IL with 734 K’s going into last night. William Cuevas, who was called up by the Red Sox on Monday, is second to Beeks with 67 strikeouts, while Chandler Shepherd, last night’s starter against Rochester, is third with 63. Ty Buttrey (58), Josh Smith (55), Justin Haley (54) and Williams Jerez (53) all have more than 50.
“Our pitchers have command of more than one pitch and throw fastballs for strikes as their put-away pitch,” said catcher Dan Butler.
Castillo a star
Center fielder Rusney Castillo was named an IL All-Star for the second consecutive season. Castillo, who bats third in the order, has been the PawSox’ most consistent hitter with 96 hits in 314 at-bats for a .306 average. He has had two or more hits in 22 games.
“He’s been terrific,” said Boles. “He swings the bat and his bat to ball skills have been terrific.”