Kalish: 'I've just got to push through it'

Ryan Kalish (Dave Letizi)

Outfielder Ryan Kalish got his first action in the field since last August 20 on Sunday, and followed up Saturday’s 2 for 4 performance with a 1 for 4 showing in Salem’s 2-1 rain-shortened loss to Frederick (BAL).

After the game, Kalish, who had labrum surgery in November 2011, said he felt good about his performance, but was “still playing through some aches and pains” in his left shoulder.

“That’s to be expected,” he said. “I’ve just got to push through it for now and just keep grinding. That’s part of the game, playing through some stuff. Everything is healthy right now, it’s just…baseball is a taxing game. People don’t think so, but you play every day. It’s just getting used to everything.”

Kalish played in extended spring training games for a week and a half before joining Salem for Saturday’s showdown with Dylan Bundy, and went 2 for 4 as the designated hitter in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to Frederick.

He struck out looking at an 0-2 96 mph fastball in the first inning, and got his first hit of the season to open the fourth when he beat out a grounder in the hole at short for an infield single. Kalish picked up his second strikeout of the night in the sixth, but led off the ninth with a solo shot to right-center field that cut Salem’s deficit to two.

“I didn’t expect to hit a long-ball yet, but that’s the way that that happens,” he said. “You just swing and sometimes you hit a home run, and sometimes you strike out.”

Kalish played center field and hit third Sunday, and began his day with a hard groundball off the pitcher that went for an infield single. He was caught stealing to end the frame, and that would be the last time he reached base on the day. In the third, Kalish couldn’t hold up on an outside changeup for strike three, and he rolled over a 0-1 pitch for a 3-1 groundout in the sixth inning. With one down in the eighth, Kalish popped up to short to end his day. Even so, Kalish said he’s “really happy” with where his swing is so far.

“Everything is feeling good, and I’m comfortable,” he said. “When I go up there, I’m not fearing anything.”

In center, Kalish had six chances on Sunday, all but one of which were lazy fly balls that he handled with ease. A first-inning double to left-center hit the wall just out Kalish’s reach, but he said it’s a bit early in his rehab to be crashing into walls — especially hard ones like Frederick’s.

“That’s just asking for trouble,” he said. “That’s one of those things where even if I’m totally fine, I don’t know. You’ve got to be careful with those kind of walls. Bad things can happen, that’s one thing I’m starting to learn. You need to really watch yourself. If I was in Pawtucket and there was a pad, it might be a little different.” He said he was “a little tentative throwing, but that’s to be expected.”

According to Kalish, the plan was for him to serve as the designated hitter for the Salem's 1:00 p.m. game Monday, and finish off the two-game homestand against Lynchburg with a full game in center field Tuesday. He was unsure of where his rehab would continue.

Jon Meoli is a Senior Columnist for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @JonMeoli.

Cup of Coffee: Kalish returns, Cecchini shines, and Daisuke is efficient

5/27 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket came from behind to defeat Toledo, Portland took two games from New Britain, Salem scored off of Dylan Bundy, and Greenville pounded out 18 hits to defeat Charleston. 

Ryan Lavarnway
(Dave Letizi)

Pawtucket has had a flair for the dramatic all season, and it was no different on Saturday night. A seven-run eighth inning propelled them to a 8-5 win over the Toledo Mud Hens (DET). Daisuke Matsuzaka had by-far his most effective start with Pawtucket, throwing 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 2. Of the 56 pitches he threw, 38 were strikes. The PawSox gave him a one-run lead in the second, when Josh Kroeger hit his fifth home run of the year. The score remained 1-0 until the seventh, when the Mud Hens got to reliever Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa gave up an RBI single and balked in a run to give the Mud Hens the lead. In the eighth, he gave up a two-out three-run home run to put the PawSox down by four with six outs left. The PawSox came right back after losing the lead, as back-to-back doubles from Nate Spears and Pedro Ciriaco plated three runs, and then Ryan Lavarnway belted a go-ahead three-run home run to give the PawSox the lead. They plated one more for good measure, and Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth to earn the save. 

In the continuation of a suspended game from Friday, the Sea Dogs squeaked past the New Britain Rock Cats (MIN), 4-3. The game resumed with New Britain leading 1-0 in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Shannon Wilkerson doubled home Heiker Meneses to tie the game. Reynaldo Rodriguez then singled home Jeremy Hazelbaker in the seventh to give the Sea Dogs a one-run lead. The Rock Cats scored two runs off of Aaron Kurcz in the eighth, regaining the lead. Derrik Gibson started off the bottom of the eighth with a double, and came in to score on a force out. With two outs and a runner on first, the Sea Dogs used a little luck to stage a rally. Two infield singles loaded the bases, and then Rodriguez drew a bases loaded walk to push the go-ahead run across. Kurcz was able to hold down the Rock Cats in the ninth and secure the exciting win.

Game two was arguably more exciting, as Portland completed the rare seventh inning walk-off, beating the Rock Cats, 4-3. It was a rough start to the game for Anthony Ranaudo, who gave up three runs in the first. A walk, hit-by-pitch, and home run accounted for the damage. He would settle down, and ultimately throw 6.0 innings, allowing the 3 runs on 2 hits, walking 5 and striking out 4. Still down three runs in the fourth, the Sea Dogs were threatening. Juan Carlos Linares singled, and moved to third on a Bryce Brentz double. Zach Gentile walked to load the bases, and with two outs, Jayson Hernandez cleared the bases with a double to deep left. The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. Hernandez led off the inning with a walk, and Hazelbaker was brought in as a pinch-runner. Gibson singled with one out to advance Hazelbaker to second. Wilkerson popped out to bring the game within one out of extra innings, but Linares roped a double to center field, easily scoring Hazelbaker, and sending the Portland crowd home happy.

Facing Dylan Bundy in his Carolina League debut, Salem fell to the Frederick Keys (BAL), 5-3. In a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, Jackie Bradley, Jr. hit a leadoff single to welcome Bundy to the league. He was erased on a caught stealing and Bundy ultimately faced the minimum through two innings. Frederick got a run off of Brandon Workman in the second with a double, single, and sacrifice fly. In a shocking turn of events, that one run was not enough for Bundy, who was touched for two runs in the fourth. Ryan Kalish, who was making his first start on a rehab assignment, singled and was driven in on a Travis Shaw home run. For more info on Kalish, read his pregame interview with our Senior Columnist Jon Meoli. The one-run lead did not hold for Salem, as the Keys scored three in the bottom of the fourth off of Workman with a home run and two-run double. Workman went 4.0 innings allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 3. Salem had an equally tough time with the Keys bullpen as they were unable to score until the ninth inning, when Kalish launched a home run to deep center. Kalish, Bradley, and Matty Johnson each finished the game with two hits.

Garin Cecchini
 (Dave Letizi)

On a warm day, where the wind was blowing out 15 miles-per-hour out to right field, the Drive were able to slug their way past the Charleston RiverDogs (NYY), 15-10. Six Drive players had multi-hit games, led by Garin Cecchini, who went 5 for 6 with a double and 5 RBI, and Jose Garcia, who went 3 for 4 with 2 walks. Greenville scored three runs in the first on RBI singles by Cecchini and Henry Ramos, and a run-scoring ground out from Drew Turocy. The lead would not last long, as the RiverDogs got to Drive starter Jason Garcia for one run in the first and three in the second. This seemed to anger the Drive batters as they collected eight runs on eight hits and two walks in the top of the third. Cecchini had two singles in the inning while Boss Moanaroa had two walks. Seven different players drove in a run in the inning, and the Drive stormed ahead 11-4. Each team tacked on one more run to make it 12-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Justin Erasmus came on to relieve Garcia and quickly gave up a single, walk, double, and a home run to cut the lead to 3. The Drive responded again, scoring three more in the ninth to put the game out of reach, with a Cecchini two-run single sealing the victory. Moanaroa, Turocy, Ramos, Blake Swihart, and Jose Vinicio all had two hits on the day. 

Player of the Day: Garin Cecchini is the latest Red Sox prospect to collect five hits in a game this month, joining Bradley and Brentz. Cecchini, who turned 21-years-old a month ago, is now hitting .310 on the season with a .392 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage. In May, those numbers are .348/.435/.543. Currently ranked eleventh on our site rankings, he is pushing for a spot in the top ten, and with more performances like this, he may be there sooner rather than later. 

Kalish: 'It's been such a long process'

Ryan Kalish (Kelly O'Connor)

FREDERICK, Md. -- Outfielder Ryan Kalish will make his 2012 debut Saturday night against Orioles’ phenom Dylan Bundy and the Frederick Keys (BAL), marking another step in the long and, at times, frustrating march back to the big leagues for the former top prospect.

“It’s going to be fun,” Kalish, who will hit third as Salem’s designated hitter Saturday night, said. “It’s been such a long process. I’ve been out since April of last year, so I’m just excited to be around the guys, be around teammates. I’m just excited to play. It’s pretty crazy, how I viewed baseball a year ago to where I view it now. I’m just happy to play and get out there, run around, have some fans.”

The 2011 season was a frustrating one for Kalish, who opened the season with Pawtucket after playing 53 games for Boston in 2010. He injured his shoulder on a diving catch in mid-April and rehabbed the injury until August before neck pains ended his season. He hit just .209 in 22 games for Pawtucket.

Kalish ultimately had surgery on his left shoulder labrum in November 2011, and has been in Fort Myers rehabbing for the last several months.

Kalish said he would be with Salem for “about four days,” though he didn’t know the next stop of his rehab or how long he would be in the minors. He began playing in extended spring training games on Monday, May 14, and said he’s worked up to five at-bats and seven innings in the field. He will likely play in the outfield tomorrow.

“It’s just a process, day by day,” he said. “Sometimes, you kind of feel like it’ll never end, and I felt like that for a while. Now, here I am playing with the guys, just trying to make my way back to where I want to be.”

Had it not been for the myriad of injuries that kept him in extended spring training, Kalish might have made it back sooner. Boston’s outfield needs have been well documented, but Kalish said the big league outfield situation hasn't made his rehab any worse.

“I’m happy for every guy that gets an opportunity,” he said. “Most of those guys were happy for me when I was getting mine, so this is just the way the cards fell. I was hurt, and my job now is to create my own opportunity again. I’m going to work to at it, give everything I can to that, and see where life takes me.”

Jon Meoli is a Senior Columnist for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @JonMeoli.

Kalish to begin rehab assignment tonight with Salem

Ryan Kalish (Kelly O'Connor)

According to SoxProspects Senior Columnist Jon Meoli, outfielder Ryan Kalish will begin rehabbing in Salem tonight while batting third in the designated hitter position. He is recovering from surgery on his left shoulder labrum undergone in November 2011.

Kalish, 24, first went down in April 2011, after playing just two weeks with the Pawtucket Red Sox, following a diving play in the outfield that resulted in a partial tear of the labrum. The decision was made to initially treat this injury with rehabilitation and rest, which seemingly went well as he was first getting close to starting a rehab assignment in June. However, that got delayed when he developed pain in his upper trap/neck area. He was finally able to get back on the field August 8 with the PawSox after a two-game rehab stint with Lowell. This was short-lived also though, as he returned to the disabled list with neck pain after 8 games.

Kalish is not expected to be ready to help the big league club in the immediate future, but this placement is an encouraging sign that the rehab progressing steadily.

Cup of Coffee: Salem, Greenville get double-digit runs in wins

5/26 Cup of Coffee: Salem and Greenville each reached double-digits in the runs column Friday night in big wins. Meanwhile in Portland, a foggy night suspended the Sea Dogs game against New Britain.

The PawSox battled with the Toledo Mud Hens (DET), but couldn't stop a late surge in a 5-4 loss. Pawtucket drew first blood in the first inning when Pedro Ciriaco doubled to reach base and scored on a Darnell McDonald sacrifice fly. Toledo answered by putting up two runs of their own with a two run homer against pitcher Justin Germano. Toledo's 2-1 lead stood until the bottom of the sixth inning when Nate Spears got a single, stole second base, and was driven in by a Jose Iglesias single. Germano came out of the game after the seventh, having pitched 7.0 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs, and no walks. The Paw Sox took the lead in the seventh, when Ciriaco laced an RBI single, driving in Mauro Gomez and Alex Hassan. Alex Wilson took the mound in the eighth, but got into trouble when he returned in the ninth. The first Toledo batter in the ninth reached on an Iglesias fielding error. Wilson struck out the next batter, but then allowed two singles to load the bases. He was taken out of the game and replaced by Garrett Mock. The next batter grounded out but drove in the first of Wilson's runs, followed by a double that knocked in two more. Wilson pitched 1.1 innings with 3 hits, 3 runs, and no walks. Mock pitched 0.2 innings for 1 hit, no runs, and 1 walk. With the Mud Hens having taken a 5-4 lead, the PawSox were unable to answer in the bottom of the ninth. The PawSox had 6 hits on the night, 3 of which belong to Ciriaco, who went 3 for 5 with a run and 2 RBI.

Portland's game against the New Britain Rock Cats (MIN) was suspended after four innings due to fog at Hadlock Field. The Rock Cats currently lead 1-0, and the game will be completed today at 1:00 PM as part of a double-header.

Salem went up against the Frederick Keys (BAL) and came away with a dominant 13-2 win. The Keys started out the game with two runs against Salem starter Drake Britton. They would be silent for the rest of the game though as Red Sox pitchers had a dominant night, giving up just 6 hits in the whole game. Britton pitched 5.0 innings with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 1 walk. He was replaced in the sixth by Keith Couch who had an excellent outing over 3 innings with just 2 hits, no runs, and no walks. Andrew Jones took the mound in the ninth and allowed no hits, no walks, and struck out 2 to end the game. On the offensive side, the Red Sox took the lead with 5 runs in the top of the second and never looked back. Xander Bogaerts started things out with a solo home run, followed by Christian Vazquez reaching on a fielding error and a Carson Blair walk. A pair of singles from James Kang and Felix Sanchez drove in Vazquez and Blair. A wild pitch helped Kang cross the plate, followed by a sacrifice fly from Jackie Bradley to drive in Sanchez. Salem added 4 more runs to their lead in the fourth inning when Matty Johnson doubled to drive in Kang and Bradley, followed by a Drew Hedman double that scored Johnson, and a Michael Almanzar single that drove in Hedman. Almanzar blasted a 2 run homer in the sixth to add to Salem's growing lead. In the seventh, Vazquez crossed the plate when Bradley drew a walk with the bases loaded. Johnson was then hit by a pitch, causing Kang to score. In total, the Red Sox had 13 runs on 12 hits. Every member of the lineup had a hit except Bradley.

Keury De La Cruz (Kelly O'Connor)

The Drive held off a late rally by the Charleston Riverdogs (NYY) and came off with a 12-6 road win. Charleston kicked things off with a run in the first inning against Greenville starter Miguel Pena. The Drive answered with 5 runs in the top of the second when they batted through the order. David Renfroe led off with a single, followed by three consecutive walks from Boss Moanaroa, Henry Ramos, and Lucas LeBlanc to load the bases and drive in Renfroe. Jordan Weems singled to drive in Moanaroa and keep the bases loaded. Bryan Johns drew the fourth walk of the inning, forcing Ramos to score. Keury De La Cruz singled to drive in LeBlanc, and after a pitching change, Garin Cecchini lofted a sacrifce fly to help Weems cross the plate. In his second appearance of the inning, Renfroe grounded out to end the inning. The Drive increased their lead in the top of the fourth when De La Cruz blasted a three run homer. They put up another run in the fifth thanks to a LeBlanc homer. The Riverdogs answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, Moanaroa reached base on a walk, advanced to second on a balk, and then was driven in on a Ramos single. Pena was taken off the mound after the fifth inning and replaced by Charle Rosario. Pena pitched 5 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts. Rosario got through two innings with no problems, but ran into trouble in the eighth. Two runs had already scored and there were two men on base and no outs when Rosario was replaced by Tyler Wilson. A ground out and a single drove in two more runs for the Riverdogs, but Wilson was able to end the inning without causing any more damage. Wilson pitched 1.0 inning allowing 1 hit, no runs, and a walk. Greenville put up two more runs in the ninth when Ramos homered and Weems was driven in when Johns grounded out. In total, the Drive put up 12 hits with three home runs. 

Player of the Night: Keury De La Cruz, who blasted a three run homer in Greenville's win over Charleston. De La Cruz went 2 for 5 with 4 RBI and a run.

Weekly Notes: May 25th

This week's minor league notes:

Jackie Bradley Jr. (Kelly O'Connor)

• After suffering a setback during his rehabilitation, Daisuke Matsuzaka will make a start Saturday for Pawtucket, reports the Boston Herald's Scott Lauber. Lauber also indicates that Matsuzaka's 30-day rehab clock has been reset due to the setback, granting the Red Sox more time to allow Matsuzaka to progress. 
• Boston also has another important decision to make regarding a PawSox hurler this upcoming week. According to WEEI's Alex Speier, right-hander Ross Ohlendorf has an opt-out in his contract is he is not added to the major league roster by June 1. 
• After being acquired on May 11 from the Philadelphia Phillies, Scott Podsednik was called up to Boston on Tuesday as Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney both hit the disabled list. Podsednik made an immediate impact, going 2 for 3 with a key home run in Boston's 6-5 victory over Baltimore on Wednesday.
• Che-Hsuan Lin was recalled from Pawtucket on Sunday to help bring reinforcements to Boston's beleaguered outfield. Mauro Gomez was optioned to Pawtucket after appearing in just two games with the Red Sox. Lin also paid immediate dividends in the 6-5 victory over Baltimore, making a key diving catch on what seemed to be a sure bloop single that would have tied the game. 
• Greenville has dropped their last four games in a row, but not for lack of trying. They scored at least 5 runs in three of those games, and the team has had standout performances at the plate from Drew Turocy (5 for 15 in the last 4 games) and Jose Garcia (4 for 13 in the last 4 games). Their struggles have come with men on base. In three of the last four games, the Drive have left nine or more men stranded.
• Jackie Bradley, Jr. has continued his impressive work at the plate. In his last 10 games, he has batted .382 with a .512 OBP, with a slugging percentage of .618 and an OPS of 1.129.



Matt Barnes (Kelly O'Connor)

• The Sea Dogs were on the other side of history Monday night as they were no-hit by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR). Three New Hampshire pitchers combined on the no-hitter, blanking Portland across the board for the first time since 2006 and the fifth time in their history.
• SoxProspects Director of Scouting Chris Mellen checked in with a weekend of scouting from Hadlock field in Portland. Mellen discussed the white-hot Bryce Brentz, Kolbrin Vitek's approach at the plate as well as a take on the struggles of Chris Balcom-Miller. 
• Reynaldo Rodriguez smacked two home runs this week, giving him a Red Sox system-leading and Sea Dogs' franchise record 9 home runs in the month of May. Rodriguez has had a stellar month, hitting .253/.349/.707 with 18 RBI and 15 extra base hits so far this month. 
• Matt Barnes incredible freshman season hit a bit of a bump on Thursday as he picked up his first loss. Barnes tossed 6.0 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits while punching out 3 as he was the tough-luck loser in a 1-0 contest against the Winston-Salem Dash (CHW). Barnes has continued his dominance since his ascent to Salem, going 2-1 with a 1.13 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 24.0 innings pitched. 
• On the injury front, Stolmy Pimentel was activated from the disabled list on Saturday as Oscar Tejeda hit the DL with a strained hamstring. Brandon Jacobs (left hand contusion) and Kolbrin Vitek (intercostal strain) also hit the disabled list this week.
• SoxProspects.com will be featuring extensive pre-draft coverage coming up next week, make sure to follow @SoxProspects on Twitter to get the most up-to-date coverage and pre-draft information. 

John Gray and Karoline Zacherer are Staff Writers for SoxProspects.com. Follow John on Twitter @JohnRGray and Karoline @Sweet_KarolineZ.

Cup of Coffee: Ohlendorf sharp in victory; Barnes takes first loss

5/25 Cup of Coffee: Ross Ohlendorf pitched Pawtucket to victory, Portland was buried by New Hampshire. Matt Barnes turned in another strong performance for Salem but took a tough-luck loss, and Greenville lost a heart-breaker to Charleston in 13 innings. 

Ross Ohlendorf (Kelly O'Connor)

Pawtucket began its homestand with a 4-1 win over the Toledo Mud Hens (DET). Ross Ohlendorf - with his June 1 opt-out looming - turned in a very strong outing, going 6.0 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6. Nate Spears got the PawSox on the board with a solo home run in the second. In the fourth, Ryan Lavarnway doubled and came in to score on a Mauro Gomez single, giving Pawtucket a 2-0 lead. With Ohlendorf out of the game Toledo picked up a single run in the seventh, but Pawtucket responded in the bottom of the inning when Tony Thomas singled, stole second, and scored on a Pedro Ciriaco single. Pawtucket added another insurance run in the eighth when Lavarnway and Lars Anderson led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and Lavarnway scoring on a hit by Alex Hassan. Lavarnway was the offensive leader for Pawtucket, going 2 for 3 with a double, walk and scoring a pair of runs. Gomez also had two hits, a double, and an RBI.  Out of the bullpen, Clayton Mortensen gave up Toledo's only run in his inning of work, allowing 1 hit, walking 2 and striking out 1. Will Inman was unscored upon in his six consecutive outing, as he pitched a hitless eighth inning, walking 1 and striking out 1. Mark Melancon picked up the save in a scoreless ninth, allowing 1 walk and striking out 1.

It was a tough evening for Portland, as they took an 8-2 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR). The Sea Dogs actually got on the board first, as Juan Carlos Linares and Reynaldo Rodriguez hit consecutive doubles to give Portland the 1-0 lead. New Hampshire then went on to score eight unanswered runs, knocking starer Stolmy Pimentel around for one run in the first and two in the second. After a scoreless third, the first two batters reached in the fourth and Pimentel was replaced with Jeremy Kehrt. Kehrt didn't have any luck putting down the New Hampshire rally, allowing both inherited runners to score, and then three more, putting New Hampshire up 8-1. A Rodriguez solo homer in the sixth represented the rest of the scoring. Rodriguez went 3 for 4 on the night, driving in both Portland runs with the home run and a double. Pimentel's difficult outing, after consecutive quality starts, saw him give up 5 runs on 6 hits in 3.0 innings, walking 4 and striking out 2. Kehrt allowed those 3 runs in the fourth, but settled down to throw a scoreless fifth. He allowed 5 hits in his 2.0 innings of work, walking 2 without a strikeout. Wil Latimer pitched 3.0 strong shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits, striking out 3 without walking a batter. 

Matt Barnes took his first professional loss despite another excellent game, as the Winston-Salem Dash (CHW) took a 1-0 victory over Salem. Barnes and Winston-Salem's Matthew Heidenreich were engaged in a scoreless tie through five innings, when the Dash got to Barnes with back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth inning. Barnes final line was the 1 run on 5 hits in 6.0 innings of work. He struck out 3 and did not walk anybody. Manuel Rivera pitched 3.0 shutout innings out of the bullpen, giving up 1 hit, walking 1 and striking out 2. Salem's offense could not get going against Heidenreich who went 7.0 innings, or the Dash bullpen, accumulating only 4 hits and failing to advance a runner past second base. Jackie Bradley, Jr. reached base twice, going 1 for 3 and getting hit by a pitch, and Drew Hedman went 2 for 4 with the Red Sox only double. 

Leading 6-2 in the eighth, Greenville could not hold on and fell to the Charleston RiverDogs (NYY) 7-6 in 13 innings. Greenville got on the board early, scoring three runs in the first. A David Renfroe single scored Jose Garcia, who had led off with a double. After a Boss Moanaroa walk and a wild pitch gave the Drive second and third, Henry Ramos came through with the two-run single. Greenville added another in the second, as Jose Vinicio reached on an infield hit, stole second base, advanced to third on an error, and came around to score on a Garcia single. Given a 4-0 lead, Madison Younginer turned in a solid outing, shutting out Charleston through 4 and allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits in 5.1 innings on the night. Younginer struck out 6 and walked 1. Greenville added to its lead in the seventh as Garin Cecchini tripled to score Garcia, and then came in to score on a Renfroe sacrifice fly. However, Greenville was unable to hold onto its lead. Charleston rallied for three runs in the eighth, with the main blow a Gary Sanchez two-run home run off of Matty Ott. Ott pitched 2.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1. Charleston then tied the game at 6-6 in the ninth, picking up a run against Nefi Ogando. Michael McCarthy came on in relief and pitched well, not allowing a run in his first three innings of work as Greenville and Charleston marched along until the thirteenth, when the RiverDogs walked off with the win on a Tyler Austin single. McCarthy took the loss, allowing only the 1 run on 3 hits in 3.1 innings, walking 1 and striking out 6. Garcia had another good night for Greenville, going 3 for 5 with a double, walk, RBI and two runs scored, raising his OBP to .459. Blake Swihart also took another step toward putting his slow start behind him, going 3 for 6. 

Player of the Night: With his opt-out date only a week away, Ross Ohlendorf gave perhaps his best start in a PawSox uniform, going 6.0 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out a season-high six batters.

Cup of Coffee: Sea Dogs take double header; Salem, Greenville split

5/24 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs won both ends of a double header against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, while Salem beat the Winston-Salem Dash at home, and the Drive lost to the Asheville Tourists.

J.C. Linares (Kelly O'Connor)

The Sea Dogs played a double header against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) to make up for Tuesday night's rainout. Portland held off a Fisher Cats rally and won game one 7-6 in extra innings. The Sea Dogs started off the game with a run in the top of the first when Jeremy Hazelbaker drew a walk and then was driven in by Ronald Bermudez. The Fisher Cats answered with two run homer in the bottom of the frame against Portland Pitcher Chris Hernandez. The top of the third gave the Sea Dogs three more runs, with a solo home run from J.C. Linares and a Derrik Gibson single that scored Reynaldo Rodriguez and Bryce Brentz. The Fisher Cats retaliated with two more runs in the fifth to tie the game at 4. Hernandez came off the mound in the sixth inning with two outs and a man on first. He  pitched 5.2 innings with 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 errors, and three walks. Hernandez was replaced by Brock Huntzinger who struck out the next batter to shut the inning down. Huntzinger remained scoreless in the seventh and picked up his first win of the season. He pitched 1.1 innings with 2 hits, no runs, no walks, and 3 strikeouts. Due to the double header, the game was supposed to be abbreviated to seven innings, but the tie forced extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Portland put up three runs. Gibson led off the inning, reaching with a double, and was advanced on a bunt from Zach Gentile. Gibson then scored on a balk. Hazelbaker drew a walk to reach base, followed by a Linares double that scored Gentile and Hazelbaker. The Sea Dogs put Caleb Clay on the mound to begin the eighth, and let up a two run homer to the Fisher Cats, but was able to get the next three batters out to end the game. Clay pitched 1 inning with 1 hit, 2 runs, and a walk. Both teams had 11 hits in the opener, and Gibson led Portland with 3.

Portland also took game two 3-2 over the Fisher Cats. The Sea Dogs put up the first run of the game in the second when Ryan Dent drew a walk, stole second base, and then was driven in on a Hazelbaker single. The Sea Dogs put up two more runs in the top of the sixth when Brentz blasted a homer that scored himself and Linares. Portland pitcher Billy Buckner kept New Hampshire scoreless through five innings, but gave up a home run in the sixth. Buckner pitched six innings with 5 hits, 1 run, and 2 walks and was credited with the win, which improved his record to 3-3. He was replaced in the seventh inning by Josh Fields, who gave up a home run to make the score 3-2, but got the remaining batters out to end the game. Fields pitched 1 inning with 1 hit, 1 run, no walks, and 2 strikeouts. The Sea Dogs gained 2 games on the Fisher Cats, but remained in last place in the Eastern Division, only half a game back from New Hampshire.

Salem hosted the Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) and came out on top, winning 7-5. The Dash put up the first run of the game in the first inning. The Red Sox answered with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to a Travis Shaw single that scored Jackie Bradley and a sacrifice fly from Drew Hedman that drove in Shaw. Winston-Salem put up another run against Red Sox pitcher Ryan Pressly to tie the game in the second. They then took the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth. Salem answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Hedman and Shannon Wilkerson drew walks to lead off the inning and were both driven in on a Michael Almanzar double. After a pitcher change, Carson Blair singled and Felix Sanchez hit into a double play, but managed to drive in Almanzar. They put up another run in the bottom of the fifth when Hedman singled to drive in Xander Bogaerts, who had reached on a fielding error. Pressly pitched 5 innings with 6 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks and was replaced to begin the sixth by Ruben Flores. The Dash put up a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Flores, who pitched 1 inning with 2 hits, 1 run, and no walks was replaced in the seventh by Pete Ruiz. Salem picked up their last run of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Hedman blasted a solo home run. Ruiz kept the Dash scoreless for the last three innings of the game, and pitched 3 innings with 2 hits, no runs, and no walks. Both teams had 10 hits on the night, and Hedman, Wilkerson, and Almanzar each had 2 hits for the Red Sox.

The Greenville Drive visited the Asheville Tourists and gave up 6 runs in the 4th inning to lose 7-2. The game was scoreless through the first three innings, until the bottom of the fourth when Asheville broke open the lead with 6 runs against pitcher Henry Owens. Owens hadn't allowed any hits until the fourth when he gave up seven and a wild pitch to help the Tourists score. He pitched 4 innings with 7 hits, 6 runs, 6 errors, and 2 walks. He was replaced in the top fifth by Scott Swinson who kept Asheville scoreless through the next three innings before giving up a run in the bottom of the eighth. Swinson pitched 4 innings with 5 hits, 1 run, and a walk. On the offensive side, it was a quiet night for the Drive. They put up their first run in the top of the fifth when Blake Swihart doubled to score Lucas Leblanc. They put up one more run in the seventh when Henry Ramos reached on a fielding error, which helped score David Renfroe. The Drive had just 5 hits in the game, compared to Asheville's 12.

Player of the Night: J.C. Linares, whose two hits for 3 RBI's helped Portland pull off a game one victory in extra innings.