Sheely comes up big in Portland win

7/21 Cup of Coffee: There was a lot of offense in Tuesday’s games for Sox affiliates, while a few late rallies provided some excitement for fans.

Despite only being out-hit 12-10, Pawtucket lost big to Toledo (DET), 7-1. Kris Johnson took the brunt of that damage, going 6.0 innings and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. Tommy Hottovy allowed a run in the inning he pitched, and Kason Gabbard allowed 2 runs in his 2.0 frames. On the offensive side of the ball, Pawtucket had many chances in the game, but went an astounding 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position. That one hit was an Aaron Bates double that brought home Niuman Romero with the lone PawSox run in the third. Bates and Lars Anderson both went 2 for 4 in the game, while Josh Reddick was 2 for 3 with a walk.

It was a barn-burner in Manchester, NH on Tuesday, as the visiting Sea Dogs pounded out 18 hits and took advantage of 4 Fisher Cats errors en route to a 13-6 pasting of New Hampshire (TOR). Seven Sea Dogs had multiple-hit games, and the only starter not to record a hit was Che-Hsuan Lin, who was ejected in the second inning in the middle of an at-bat. Portland got on the board early when Anthony Rizzo doubled home two in the first inning, and after collecting another run in the second, the Sea Dogs scored three more in the third on a two-run single by Ryan Lavarnway and an RBI knock by Matt Sheely, who took over for Lin. Sheely had a monster game in relief, going 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI. The big damage, though, was done in the fifth, when Portland tallied 5 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, the big blow coming in the form of a bases-loaded – and clearing – double by Lavarnway. Single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, the latter of which took the form of the aforementioned Sheely blast, just put the game further out of reach. Ray Chang was the other member of the 3-hit club, going 3 for 5 with a walk, while Lavarnway’s 5 RBI led the way in that category. The big catcher is now hitting .398/.522/.500 since joining the Sea Dogs. Jeremy Kehrt was the beneficiary of all that support, getting the win by tossing 6.0 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned, on 7 hits and a walk.

Salem’s game at Potomac (WAS) was postponed.

After digging an early five-run hole, Greenville nearly escaped but ended up losing 5-4 to Kannapolis (CWS). The game was actually scoreless through four thanks to the stellar starting pitching of Drake Britton, who allowed only 2 hits and no walks while striking out 4. He was replaced to start the fifth by Tom Ebert, who wasn’t nearly as successful, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits and a walk in his 4.0 frames. Dennis Neuman pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout to hold things close, but Greenville couldn’t quite complete the comeback. That comeback started in the seventh with two down, as Christian Vazquez reached on an error and was doubled home by Jeremy Hazelbaker. A Chris McGuiness single made it a two-run inning. In the ninth, Derrik Gibson hit an RBI single to make it 5-3, and went to third on a wild pitch that scored Hazelbaker to make it 5-4. But Ronald Bermudez struck out to end the game, stranding the tying run 90 feet away. Hazelbaker was the offensive leader for the Drive out of the leadoff spot, going 2 for 4.

The struggles continued for Madison Younginer and the Lowell Spinners, as they dropped another lopsided decision, this one of the 7-2 variety to Brooklyn (NYM). Younginer struggled right out of the gate, loading the bases in the first but escaping with the aide of a double play, and getting another twin killing to help him through the second. But his luck then ran out, as the Cyclones struck for three in the third. Younginer ended up going the first 5.0 innings in this one, allowing those 3 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. The 19-year-old starter now has 18 walks in 28.1 innings pitched on the year. Charlie Rosario went the rest of the way for the Spinners but got lit up, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in 4.0 innings. Offensively, Lowell got on the board in the seventh, when Brandon Jacobs homered to left to lead off the inning and Seth Schwindenhammer singled home Sean Killeen a few batters later, but that was all the team would get. No Spinners hitter had more than one knock in the game.

After surrendering a three-run lead late, the GCL Red Sox came roaring back, scoring four times in the top of the ninth to take a 10-7 victory over the GCL Rays (TB). There was a lot of scoring early in this one, as Luke Yoder and Trygg Danforth each produced RBI hits in the first, only to see the Rays score 3 runs in the bottom of the frame. But the Sox tied it up in the second on an RBI single by Ken Roque, and took the lead with a single run in the third provided by a Henry Ramos single. A Heiker Meneses single and a Yoder sacrifice fly brought home two more in the sixth to give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead, but 4 Rays runs in the seventh put the Sox behind the eight ball. But the road team came on strong out of the gate in the ninth, putting the first three runners on for Jose Vinicio, who tripled to clear the bases and re-take the lead. A Ramos sacrifice fly tacked on an insurance run for Scott Swinson, who slammed the door with a perfect ninth for his third save. Juan Rodriguez started this one and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in his 4.1 innings, while Michael Gleason was little better in relief, allowing 4 Rays runs on 6 hits and a walk in 3.2 innings. Danforth and Wilfred Pichardo led the hit parade for the Red Sox, each going 3 for 5, while Vinicio and Leonel Escobar were both 2 for 4. Ramos ended up 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

The DSL Red Sox were also off on Tuesday.

Player of the Night: Matt Sheely, who went 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI in a relief appearance for victorious Portland.

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