Brandon Workman - Who on Earth is He?

What on earth is going on here?  The Red Sox are 4 games in front of the AL East.  John Lackey seems to be regaining his Cy Young form that we have never seen on a Red Sox uniform.  John Farrell has his piecemeal bullpen working some magic on the mound.  Jose Iglesias is making a case for American League Rookie of the year batting close to .400 through the end of June.  Seriously what the Hell is going on here?

Workman needed a friend in the 7th

And then we sit down to watch the Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics and the portly Bartolo Colon right before the All Star break.  The Red Sox and the A's (I still don't like saying the name "Athletics," it's too much work).  I didn't take much notice at the fact that some kid named Brandon Workman had mowed down the first nine Athletics, three by strike outs.  I like to consider myself up on the Red Sox minor leaguers - Xander Bogaerts is one of C's favorite players - but I had never heard of this kid. 

Workman has actually been quite impressive in Pawtucket and Portland in 2013.  Compiling a 8-2 record in 16 starts, Workman has been quite Workmanlike.  With Alfredo Aceves on the shelf after some hurt feelings (actually I don't know what's wrong with him), Workman is now the fifth starter until Clay Buchholz is back in the Rotation.  Who knew?  Not me.  And even G and C didn't know this guy, so he must not have a baseball card either.  Workman has actually been in the Red Sox system since 2011 after being drafted out of the University of Texas.  With a career record of 24-17, almost 9 strikeouts per 9 innings and an ERA of 3.50, Workman is actually a decent prospect.

We pick the game up in the bottom of the 7th.  Coco Crisp is up as the Red Sox nurse a 2-0 lead.  The only baserunner was a John Jaso walk who then got thrown out in a strike him out throw him out.  Wakefield and Schilling both got into the 9th inning in Oakland over the last couple of years.  Can Workman break this bad streak of almost no hitters?  Crisp stand at the plate with two strikes on him.  And then hits a weak grounder to second.  Pedroia dives to stop the ball, throws to First andddddd.  HE'S SAFE!  Everyone yells "OHHHHH!!" as Crisp beats out the grounder by a step.

"You scared me" DLG tells us after we stop.  Sorry pretty lady.  C then goes on to tell me that he knew Workman was going to give up a hit this inning, but didn't tell anyone.  Huh.  Funny he didn't say anything before the hit.

And then Donaldson hits the big fly over Jacoby Ellsbury's head.  The no hitter is gone.  The shutout is gone.  And I think we are gone too since nothing good has happened since we came to watch the game. 

Maybe we'll see Workman in Pawtucket later this year...