PawSox, Sea Dogs lose in extras as Rivera throws a gem for Drive

4/16 Cup of Coffee: On an evening when two teams fell in extra innings, a pair of young pitchers in Salem and Greenville delivered outstanding starts in earning the organization's only victories Thursday night.

Each of Pawtucket's starting nine got a hit and Daisuke Matsuzaka left the game with a 2-0 lead, but the PawSox couldn't hold on Thursday afternoon, falling 3-2 to Buffalo (NYM) in 10 innings. Making the second start of his rehab assignment, Matsuzaka threw 6.0 shutout innings, striking out 2 and allowing 3 hits. Angel Sanchez knocked in a run on a soft liner to right in the second inning, and Darnell McDonald opened up the fifth with a solo shot to left to make it 2-0. Dustin Richardson took over for Matsuzaka in the seventh and promptly gave up a single and a home run to level the game at 2. Alan Embree added an inning of perfect relief, and Chad Paronto made it through the ninth before Buffalo got to him in the tenth. Sanchez was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and McDonald, Jorge Jimenez, and Tug Hulett had two hits apiece.

In front of their home fans for the first time this season, Portland needed extra innings as well, but Trenton (NYY) dropped the Sea Dogs, 4-2, in 11. The Thunder opened the scoring in the top of the third with a double off Sea Dogs starter Kyle Weiland. Weiland went 5.0 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 6. Down 2-0 in the fifth, Portland pulled back within one when Jose Iglesias doubled and scored on a Jason Place single. Lars Anderson doubled with two down in the sixth and was knocked in by Yamaico Navarro to make it 2-2. From there, it was a bullpen battle. Andrew Dobies and Bryce Cox combined for 5 scoreless, 2-hit innings, each striking out 3, but Ryne Lawson allowed a 2-run home run in the 11th to take the loss. Iglesias was the only Sea Dog with a multi-hit game, going 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Ryan Lavarnaway hit a two-run home run in the top of the first and Salem never looked back, topping Lynchburg (CIN), 7-2. Fabian Williamson started for Salem and delivered his second straight stellar outing. In 5.0 scoreless innings, Williamson struck out 3 and held the Hillcats to just 2 hits. Salem added 2 more on an error and a wild pitch in the fifth before Lavarnway went deep for a second time, this time a three-run shot to left in the seventh inning. Mike Lee gave up 2 runs in 2.2 innings of relief before Will Latimer finished it off with 1.1 scoreless frames. Lavarnaway finished the day 2 for 4 with 2 homers and 5 RBI, and Jon Hee was 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and 2 runs scored.

In the final game of their opening homestand, Greenville got an incredible start from Manny Rivera, who struck out 9 in a 4-0 win over Rome (ATL). The Braves managed just 1 hit, a single, in Rivera's 5.0 innings. Wilfred Pichardo tripled to open the fourth inning and scored on a Michael Almanzar single, and Reymond Fuentes scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to make it 2-0 Sox. Chris McGuinness and Almanzar finished it off with back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth. Jeremiah Bayer notched his second save of the season, coming in for Rivera in the sixth inning and throwing 4.0 scoreless innings. He struck out 3.

Player of the Night: Manny Rivera, who notched 9 strikeouts and earned the win in Greenville's 4-0 victory.

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