Volz in the driver's seat for Greenville

6/2 Cup of Coffee: Great staring pitching was the theme on Tuesday, but blown leads were also common, as Sox affiliates mustered only two wins.

Some stellar pitching from Boof Bonser was all undone in the late innings, as Charlotte (CWS) came back to top Pawtucket 3-2. Bonser, in his finest outing of the year, tossed 7.0 innings allowing only 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 6 and walking nobody. He left the game in line for the win with the score 2-1 in favor of the PawSox thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Niuman Romero in the third. But Chad Paronto couldn't hold the lead in the eighth, allowing a two-run home run of his own, and while Pawtucket but two men on in the eighth and the lead-off man on in the ninth, there would be no comeback in this one. Lars Anderson was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk to pace the offense, as Pawtucket managed only 4 hits in the game.

It was another great start and another poor finish for the Sea Dogs, who fell 6-2 at the hands of the Trenton Thunder. Jeremy Kehrt delivered the solid start in this one, lasting 5.0 innings but allowing only 1 run on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 5. Luis Exposito and Anthony Rizzo's RBI in the fourth made sure Kehrt left the game in line for the win as well, but a three-run Trenton sixth and a two-run Trenton seventh quickly put the game out of reach. That damage was done against Eammon Portice, who ended up allowing 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and a walk in his 1.2 innings to take the loss. Portland recorded only 5 hits in the game, with no player collecting more than one.

One big inning against Stolmy Pimentel and an inconsistent offensive showing led to a 4-0 loss for Salem at Lynchburg (CIN). Pimentel was solid except for in the fourth inning, when he allowed a single, 2 doubles, a triple and 3 earned runs, going 5.0 innings in all allowing just those runs on 7 hits, with no walks and 3 strikeouts. Miguel Gonzalez, making his first appearance of the season, went the final 3.0 innings allowing a run on 3 hits. Offensively, Salem had a few chances to score but could not capitalize, squandering a leadoff double by Pete Hissey in the first, a second-and-third one-out chance in the sixth, and putting two runners on in the ninth. The team had 7 hits, including 2 each for Hissey and Mitch Dening, but was 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

The starting pitching was sensational yet again, but this time the bullpen was equally good, as Greenville pulled out a 2-0 win over Kannapolis (CWS). This time it was Kendal Volz who baffled the opposing lineup in the early going, as the big righthander allowed only 3 hits and a walk in his 5.0 inning start, striking out 5. Jeremiah Bayer was impressive as well in relief, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 5 of his own over 3.0 innings. Cesar Cabral, not to be outdone, struck out 2 in a perfect ninth to earn the save. Greenville's early lead came courtesy of Reynaldo Rodriguez, who hit his second home run of the year in the third to make it 1-0. Jeremy Hazelbaker once again created a run with his wheels in the sixth when he tripled to open the inning and scored on a Derrik Gibson single. Hazelbaker also stole his 25th base of the year in this one, while Gibson ended up 3 for 4 with a steal of his own, his 15th.

Despite being out-hit 10 to 7 by the Pirates, the DSL Red Sox out-walked the Pirates 9 to 1, leading throughout and using a big ninth inning to win handily, 9-3. Two fielding errors by the Pirates and 3 Red Sox walks led to the game's first run in the fourth, and that's the way it would stay until the sixth thanks to the pitching of Manny Alcantara, who threw the first 3.0 innings and allowed only 1 hit, striking out 3. Luis Diaz followed Alcantara to the mound and was good for his first two fames, but allowed the tying run in the sixth. The Red Sox picked him up in the eighth, when another Pirates error and 2 walks loaded the bases for Roberto Duncan, who promptly untied the score with a bases-clearing double to make it 4-1. Duncan ended up 3 for 4 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI in the game. The Pirates would make it close with two runs in the eighth, but a five-run ninth by the Red Sox put the game on ice.

Player of the Night: Kendal Volz, who allowed nary a run and only 3 hits in 5.0 innings to help drive Greenville to victory.

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