July 17, 2010 at 7:37 AM
Lowrie, Anderson lead scorching-hot PawSox
7/17 Cup of Coffee: Jed Lowrie seems to be picking a great time to get healthy, as he was one of four PawSox players to homer on a night when four of the games came down to the final at-bats.
Pawtucket scored in each of the first four innings before hanging a four-spot in the sixth in their 9-5 win over Syracuse (WAS). Clay Buchholz was solid in his rehab appearance, allowing a pair of runs on 4 hits in 3.2 innings before Fabio Castro, Chad Paronto, and Rich Hill cobbled together 3.1 frames of three-run relief. Michael Bowden tossed 2 perfect innings, striking out 3 to notch his first career save. Lars Anderson and Jed Lowrie had big nights at the plate, with Lowrie going 3 for 4 with a double, home run, and 2 RBI. Anderson was 2 for 5 with a double, a triple, and 3 RBI. Ryan Kalish hit a two-run home run, while Josh Reddick and Dusty Brown added solo shots of their own in the win.
Portland was aided by a runner-interference call that prevented the winning run from scoring in the ninth, but ultimately was dropped 6-4 by New Britain in ten. Casey Kelly was strong for the Sea Dogs, scattering 8 hits, including a solo home run in the sixth, and allowing 2 runs in 6.0 innings while striking out 5 and issuing 2 free passes. Eammon Portice and Bryce Cox each gave up 2 runs in relief, with Portice surrendering the lead and Cox serving up a two-run walk-off homer in the tenth. Nate Spears and Anthony Rizzo had 2 hits apiece, while Che-Hsuan Lin hit a two-run triple and scored on a Jeremy Hermida sacrifice fly in the third.
Salem needed extra innings as well, but came out on the winning end of a 7-6 battle with Winston-Salem (CWS). The Dash took the lead with 3 in the top of the ninth before Salem got 3 of their own in the bottom half of the frame, and Will Middlebrooks hit a walk-off single in the tenth to win it. Stolmy Pimentel was impressive for Salem, fanning 6 and allowing 2 runs on 3 hits in 7.0 innings. Middlebrooks was 2 for 5 with 2 driven in, and Pete Hissey went 2 for 5 with an RBI double. Will Latimer surrendered the three unearned runs in the ninth, and Kyle Fernandes tossed a perfect tenth to get the win.
Greenville fell victim to a pair of big innings Friday in a 9-3 loss to Savannah (NYM). The Sand Gnats scored 5 in the fifth off Pete Ruiz, and 4 runs, 3 earned, off Stephen Fox in the sixth. Derrik Gibson had the Drive's only multi-hit game and the lone RBI, while Ronald Bermudez and Shannon Wilkerson each added a double. Chris Court retired the final six batters in order.
Lowell kept it close this time, but couldn't catch a break in a 5-4 walk-off loss to Batvia (STL). The Spinners jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Miles Head's first professional home run in the first, and picked up two more runs on RBI doubles by Brandon Jacobs and Sean Kileen in the third, but couldn't muster enough offense to put them over the top. Tyler Wilson gave up 5 hits and walked 3 while allowing 4 runs in 3.0 innings, and Garrett Rau scattered 5 hits in 5.0 shutout frames of relief before Wilson Matos surrendered the winning run in the ninth. Jayson Hernandez and Joantoni Garcia each had 2 hits in the loss.
The GCL Red Sox extended their division lead to 5.0 games with Friday's 3-1 win over the second-place Orioles. The only blemish on the Red Sox ledger came in the fifth inning off Franciso Taveras, who fanned 5 and allowed just 2 hits in 4.1 innings. Matt Phillips yielded just 1 hit in 3.2 innings of relief, and Justin Erasmus put a couple guys on in the ninth before recording the save. Luke Yoder was 1 for 1 with a double and 2 walks, while Jose Vinicio had a pair of singles. Trygg Danforth and Moko Moanaroa drove in runs in the win.
Sticking with the walk-off theme, Eddie Loya's ninth-inning fielder's choice gave the DSL Red Sox a 2-1 win over the Pirates. Mario Alcantara was his usually impressive self, striking out 4 and walking just 1 while allowing an unearned run on 2 hits in 5.0 innings. Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an RBI double, and Nefi Ogando fanned 3 in 4.0 hitless, scoreless innings to get the win.
Player of the Night: Jed Lowrie was central to Pawtucket's second offensive explosion in as many nights, chipping in with a double, a home run, and a pair of RBI while going 3 for 4.