Beeks: One More Game For Red Sox

OPTIONED TO PAWTUCKET AFTER OUTING

PRAIRIE GROVE — A dozen years ago Pick-It Construction owner Nathan Ogden sponsored a 14 & under baseball team in his hometown of Prairie Grove.

“I always dreamed ‘what if one of those boys made it to the majors?’” Ogden said.

As of July 10, one of them has made the majors twice — Jalen Beeks, who was called up for another brief stint and pitched 2.1 innings during Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox 8-4 victory over the Texas Rangers.

“That is pretty cool,” Ogden said of his investment in local youth baseball. “Jalen did make it to the majors.”

Beeks celebrated his 25th birthday with his second outing on the mound for the Red Sox July 10. He gave up 3 runs on 4 hits balancing a walk with a strike-out, then was optioned back to Boston’s Triple A affiliate Pawtucket the next day, July 11, sort of mirroring his Major League debut during a June 7 start

and loss against Detroit and optioned to Pawtucket the next day.

Beeks, who graduated from Prairie Grove High School in 2011, was all of 24 years old when he was summoned the first time, throwing 4 innings, and allowing 6 runs in the 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Beeks got more run support this time. The Red Sox bats collectively drove in all 8 runs scored by Boston. All of the RBIs came with two outs and they were scattered throughout the order. Boston No. 2 hitter left fielder Andrew Benintendi went 2-for-4 driving in a pair of runs and scoring once. Batting clean-up, first baseman Mitch Moreland was 1-for-2 and banged in two runs followed by No. 5 hitter shortstop Xander Bogaerts, whose only hit in a 1-for-4 day at the plate produced two RBIs. At the bottom of the order, center fielder Jackie Bradley went 2-for-4 bringing in a set of runs.

In his last outing in the minors, Beeks was not involved in the decision during a July 4 loss by Pawtucket to the Rochester Red Wings by an 8-6 margin. Beeks threw 5.1 innings, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out 8 Red Wings. As of Monday, Beeks has pitched 56.1 innings for Pawtucket compiling a 3-4 record with 16 walks against 64 strike-outs. He has allowed 23 runs on 48 hits.

Beeks attended Crowder College at Neosho, Mo., his freshman season before transferring to the University of Arkansas. He was drafted in the 12th round by Boston in 2014.

KELLY O’CONNOR SPECIAL TO ENTERPRISE-LEADER Prairie Grove native Jalen Beeks, shown pitching in an April 21 game for the Pawtucket Red Sox, known as the PawSox, made his Major League Baseball debut on June 7 as starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox against the Detroit Tigers. Beeks was called...