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Alex Speier | Minor Details

Brian Johnson finding the strike zone in Pawtucket

Brian Johnson’s pitch count was driven up early by a wealth of swings and misses in a 2-0 loss at Buffalo.Barry Chin/Globe Staff/File

A brief look at the action in the Red Sox minor league system on Wednesday:

TRIPLE A PAWTUCKET RED SOX: 2-0 LOSS, 2-0 LOSS AT BUFFALO

■ Lefthander Brian Johnson’s pitch count was driven up early by a wealth of swings and misses. He ended up lasting just four innings in which he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits (all singles) while punching out seven and walking two. Of his 85 pitches, 69 percent were in the strike zone. The 24-year-old has now struck out 13 batters in nine innings over his first two starts of the year, a bit of a departure from his more contact-oriented approach of a year ago in which he averaged a respectable but not eye-popping 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings between three minor league levels.

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Jackie Bradley Jr. had the only multi-hit game of either contest for the PawSox, going 2-for-3 with a double in the second game after an 0-for-2 line in the first contest. The walk was his first of the year. He’s hitting .371/.389/.486.

DOUBLE A PORTLAND SEA DOGS: 7-5 WIN VS. NEW BRITAIN

■ Starter Justin Haley allowed one run in four innings on five hits and two walks while striking out six. Haley had something of a breakthrough season in 2014, thanks in part to a walks rate that he cut roughly in half to 2.7 per nine innings.

■ Reliever Jonathan Aro continued his impressive early work, allowing a run in three innings while striking out six.

■ Versatile infielder Reed Gragnani, playing third base on Thursday, reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks. He had a .409 OBP last year with Salem with more walks (64) than strikeouts (51).

HIGH A SALEM RED SOX: RAINED OUT

SINGLE A GREENVILLE DRIVE: 8-4 WIN VS. LEXINGTON

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Nick Longhi went 2-for-5, giving the 19-year-old a season-opening six-game hitting streak. He’s hitting .333/.407/.667 with three walks, four extra-base hits, and four strikeouts so far.

■ Third baseman Michael Chavis went 2-for-4 with a walk, as the 2014 first-rounder snapped a three-game hitless (0-for-12) stretch. The walk was the 19-year-old’s first of the year; he’s struck out seven times.

■ Shortstop Javier Guerra went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts; it was the sixth three-whiff game of his career. The 19-year-old’s average dropped to .318/.348/.545.


Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him on twitter at @alexspeier.