whoopie!

The Portland Sea Dogs, Boston’s Double-A affiliate, wore Maine Whoopie Pies uniforms on Friday as a tribute to the state treat of Maine, some sort of cream-filled cookie. Houlka’s Tyreque Reed apparently liked the look. He hit his first two home runs in what has been a difficult second season in Class AA, marred by a suspension and a prolonged slump. An outstanding hitter at Itawamba Community College before being drafted by Texas in 2017, Reed was plucked by the Red Sox in the 2020 Rule 5 draft. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound first baseman/DH blasted 17 home runs overall in 2021, finishing the year at Double-A Portland. He went 5-for-8 with four RBIs in big league camp for the Red Sox this spring, reportedly making a nice impression. But his 2022 season was interrupted by a 10-day suspension in late April for punching an opposing pitcher and inciting a benches-clearing brawl. He returned on May 1 and hit .133 for the month. Reed’s bat has perked up in June, highlighted by Friday’s two-homer game. A .272 career hitter, he’s currently at .185 for the Sea Dogs. He entered this season with 58 career homers. One has to wonder, will the Whoopie Pies unies be pulled out again?