Coello and Cameron shine in Portland victory

5/24 Cup of Coffee: It was a dismal day for the most part for Sox affiliates on Sunday, as teams dropped three of four contests with feeble offensive efforts. But in the lone victory, there was plenty of excitement to go around:

Not much went right for the PawSox on Sunday, as the team spotted Durham (TAM) a 10-0 lead after two innings and wound up falling 18-1. Most of the damage was done against starter Boof Bonser and reliever TJ Large, who each allowed 7 earned runs on 13 combined hits through the first 3.0 innings. Ramon A. Ramirez was a little better in his 3.2 innings, allowing 3 more earned runs, but the pitching performance of the night belonged to Robert Manuel, who managed to allow only an unearned run in 1.1 innings. Down 14-0 in the fourth, Pawtucket tried to start a rally when the first three batters of the inning reached base. But Bubba Bell grounded into a double play, plating a run but killing the rally, and the PawSox would produce little else the rest of the way. Lars Anderson and Dusty Brown each had 2 hits in the game, including a double for each man. By contrast, seven Bulls hitters had multiple-hit games in this one.

Portland built a big lead against Trenton (NYY) on Sunday, let it get away, but still made sure the fans went home happy, pulling out a 7-6 victory in ten innings. Robert Coello got the spot start for the Sea Dogs and performed well, allowing only 1 earned run on 4 hits and a walk in 5.0 innings, striking out 6 in the process. Portland was down 1-0 when Coello left the mound in the fifth, but his teammates quickly put him in line for a win. It was a death by a thousand stings for the Thunder in the bottom of the frame, as four singles, a double and a walk plated six Sea Dogs runs to make it 6-1. Nate Spears and Luis Exposito each had two-run hits in the inning. But just as quickly as the lead was built, Mitch Herold managed to lose it. After a lead-off walk and a line out, five straight Trenton hitters reached base, and when the dust had settled, the game was tied 6-6. Herold would up pitching 2.0 innings, allowing 5 earned runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. The drama mounted as the game wore along, with each team swapping scoreless frames over the next three innings, but the rehabbing Mike Cameron ended things in a hurry in the tenth, blasting his second Double-A home run to lead off the inning and give Portland the walk-off win. Masterful relief work over 3.0 innings from Santo Luis helped him earn the win. Cameron was the offensive leader for the Sea Dogs and the only Portland hitter with multiple hits, going 3 for 5.

It was a much less dramatic affair in Salem, where the vaunted Red Sox offense couldn't get the timely hits and fell to Potomac (WAS) 6-0. All the damage was done against Fabian Williamson, who allowed 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 4.2 innings. Mike Lee and Lance McClain were good in relief, allowing nary a run on just 2 combined hits, but Salem's bats just didn't have it in this one. The Red Sox managed just 6 singles in the game, but Will Middlebrooks did have 2, going 2 for 4 to raise his season line to an impressive .345/.437/.521.

Not to be outdone by their Carolina League brethren, the Drive dropped their game in similar fashion on Sunday, losing 5-0 at home to Augusta (SFG). Greenville managed just 5 hits, with Reymond Fuentes and Ronald Bermudez each turning in 2-for-4 efforts to pace the offense. It was a decent outing for Manny Rivera, who went 5.1 allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2, but not nearly good enough on this day as the Drive dropped to 21-23 on the year.

Player of the Night: Robert Coello, who made the spot start and pitched brilliantly for Portland in the only affiliated victory of the day.

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