July 18, 2010 at 6:42 AM
Portland bats come alive in win
7/18 Cup of Coffee: Portland rebounded from a tough walk-off loss with force, while bullpen collapses plagued Pawtucket and Lowell on Saturday night.
Josh Beckett had another effective rehab start for Pawtucket, going 4.0 innings and allowing 3 runs in Pawtucket's 9-5 loss to Syracuse (WAS). Randor Bierd held the Chiefs scoreless for 2.0 innings before Santo Luis allowed 5 runs to dig the PawSox a hole they couldn't get out of. Lars Anderson doubled and tripled for the second straight night, and Mark Wagner drove in a pair of runs. Niuman Romero and Aaron Bates each added solo shots in the loss. Tommy Hottovy gave up a run in 1.1 inning of relief.
Ryan Lavarnway and Jorge Padron collected their first Double-A RBI in a six-run first inning as Portland trounced New Britain (MIN) 11-3. Che-Hsuan Lin went 4 for 5, and Chih-Hsien Chiang was 3 for 5 with a double and a pair of RBI. Lavarnway finished with 2 RBI, as did Jeremy Hermida, with only one Sea Dogs starter not driving in a run. Alex Wilson was efficient, going 6.1 innings and surrendering just 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3. Blake Maxwell allowed a run in 2.2 innings of relief.
Salem's pitching staff was smacked around to the tune of 23 hits Friday, but the Red Sox held on for a 10-9 win over Winston-Salem (CWS). Will Middlebrooks hit a two-run first-inning home run and Alex Hassan added a solo shot, while Mitch Dening and Pete Hissey each had a pair of hits and an RBI. Miguel Gonzalez gave up 3 unearned runs in 5.0 innings, but Pat Ryan gave up 4 runs, 1 earned to bring the Dash back within 1. Hassan was 4 for 4 with 3 RBI.
Greenville got all the offense they needed in the early innings, scoring 2 in the first and third innings en route to a 4-2 win over Savannah (NYM). Ronald Bermudez doubled to drive in a run and scored on a throwing error on the same play to give the Drive a lead they'd never relinquish. Kendal Volz continued his impressive season, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and striking out 5 in 6.0 innings of work, and Jeremiah Bayer allowed a run but recorded the nine-out save.
It looked as though Lowell would put a rare notch in the win column, but 2 runs in the ninth and 3 in the tenth gave Aberdeen (BAL) a 6-3 win over the Spinners. Miguel Celestino held the Ironbirds to 1 run on 2 hits in his Low-A debut, though he walked 4 in 5.0 innings. David Renfroe was 2 for 5 with a double, and Kolbrin Vitek added a double and a triple. Bryce Brentz also tripled, while Joantoni Garcia drove in a pair. Ramon A. Ramirez tossed 2 scoreless innings to begin his rehab assignment, but Cesare Angeloni gave up a pair of runs in the ninth to send it to extras. Tyler Lavigne's organizational debut was a struggle, as he walked 4 and allowed 3 runs in the tenth.
The GCL Twins hung a crooked number on Swen Huijer in the fourth en route to a 7-3 win over the Red Sox. Huijer surrendered 5 runs, 4 earned on 7 hits in 1.2 innings in relief of Jason Garcia, who allowed a run on 2 hits in 3.0 innings of work. Luis Bastardo fanned 4 and gave up 1 earned on a pair of hits in 4.1 innings of relief. Willie Holmes hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and Boss Moanaroa added a pair of hits and a run batted in.
Player of the Night: Alex Hassan started his night with a solo home run and continued to drive in 2 more runs en route to a 4 for 4 night Saturday.