Iglesias, Sea Dogs walk off with win in extras

8/23 Cup of Coffee: It was a good night for Sox affiliates, when Pawtucket played two on the road and some extra-innings drama propelled Portland to victory as part of an organizational sweep of Sunday's action.

The PawSox took an early lead and piled on late, taking game one from Buffalo (NYM) 9-2. A Bisons error followed by three straight singles plated the first pair of Pawtucket runs in the first, which was plenty for starter Ramon A. Ramirez. Ramirez went the distance in this one, allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits and a walk in his 7.0 innings. Still a tight game through 5.0, the Pawtucket offense added insurance in a big way in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, a solo shot by Lars Anderson was followed two batters later by a two-run job off the bat of Gustavo Molina to score three runs, and in the seventh, Anderson added a two-run double while Jeremy Hermida clubbed a two-run bomb to add four more. Anderson's 2-for-3 showing, including a walk and 3 RBI, led the way on offense, while Hermida, Molina, Jorge Jimenez and Jack Hannahan all had 2 hits apiece.

In game two, a back-and-forth battle ended in Pawtucket's favor, producing a 7-5 victory. Once again, the scoring started early for Pawtucket, as Anderson singled in a run in the first and Gil Velazquez doubled home a run in the second for a 2-0 lead. The Bisons finally got to Robert Coello in the fourth, however, touching him for 3 runs before the inning was over. In all, Coello went the first 4.0 giving up 3 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks, striking out 5. Ultimately, the Buffalo lead was short lived, as Aaron Bates hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth, making it 5-3 Pawtucket. But back again came the Bisons in the sixth, as Robert Manuel gave up the tying runs to send the game to the seventh knotted at 5. In the final frame, former big league closer Chad Cordero got the first two outs, but then gave up a walk and three straight singles, then made a throwing error, and when the dust had settled it was 7-5 Pawtucket. That's how things would stay thanks to Fernando Cabrera, who recorded his sixteenth save in the ninth. Bates and Anderson did most of the damage in this one at the dish, as the former was 3 for 3 with a walk and 4 RBI, and the latter went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.

It took some extra-innings drama, but in the end, Portland escaped with a 7-6 victory over Trenton (NYY). The game was relatively quiet in the early going thanks to Alex Wilson, who allowed just 1 run on 1 hit and 3 walks through the first 5.0, striking out 8 and leaving the mound with a 2-1 lead. After a perfect sixth, however, Ryne Reynoso ran into all kinds of trouble in the seventh, allowing a single, double, triple, and sacrifice bunt in succession to turn a 2-1 lead into a 4-2 deficit. But right back came the Sea Dogs, scoring a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth on a two-run double by Chih-Hsien Chiang to take a one-run lead to the ninth. After getting the first out in the ninth, though, Ryne Lawson served up a game-tying home run, sending this one to extra frames. Things looked bleak after Daniel Turpen allowed the go-ahead run to the Thunder in the top of the tenth, but Nate Spears homered in dramatic fashion to tie things in the bottom half. Just an inning later, a lead-off single by Matt Sheely and a throwing error by the Thunder catcher set the stage for Jose Iglesias, who laced a single to left to end the game. Portland banged out 18 hits in this one, including three each for Iglesias, Ray Chang, and Ryan Khoury, and two each for Ryan Lavarnway, Chiang, and Sheely.

After allowing an early run, Stolmy Pimentel and the Salem bullpen clamped down, blanking Frederick (BAL) the rest of the way to secure a 4-1 win. The tying and eventual winning runs scored in the third, when Ryan Dent and Alex Hassan went back-to-back with home runs to open the inning. The Red Sox also scored in the sixth, on a Pete Hissey single, and seventh, on a single by Oscar Tejeda, but Pimentel already had all he needed. The Sox starter was a bit wild but ultimately effective, going the first 5.2 innings allowing a run on 3 hits and 4 walks, striking out 5. Cesar Cabral went the next 2.0 innings scoreless, and new closer Patrick Ryan slammed the door from there for his fourth save of the year. It was the Ryan Dent show at the dish in this one, as the Salem shortstop and lead-off man went 3 for 4 with a double and a home run. Tim Federowicz also had a good night, going 2 for 4 with a double. The win puts Salem just a half game behind division-leading Winston-Salem in the Carolina League's southern division.

Greenville also found itself in an early 1-0 hole, and though it was closer, the result was the same, a 2-1 win over Charleston (NYY). That run came off of Kendall Volz, who threw the first 3.0 frames yielding just 1 hit, striking out 2. He left the game off the hook thanks to Reynaldo Rodriguez, who singled home the tying run in the third. Pete Perez kept the Riverdogs off the scoreboard for the next 4.0 innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk, which set the stage for the Drive eighth. With two down, Zach Gentile doubled, and after a walk, a double steal, and another walk, the bases were loaded. All it took was a wild pitch, and just like that, Greenville had the lead. Already having set Charleston down in order in the eighth, Anatanaer Batista came back out for the ninth and struck out two en route to the save. Gentile was the only Drive hitter with multiple knocks, going 2 for 3 with a walk, though Jeremy Hazelbaker did continue his dominance on the base paths, stealing his 54th and 55th bases of the season.

Lowell took care of business the more traditional way on Sunday, taking an early lead and riding it all the way to a 5-3 win over Hudson Valley (TB). That lead came courtesy of a Jose Garcia ground out in the third, and a Seth Schwindenhammer single, a Nick Robinson walk, and a Felix Sanchez ground out in the fourth to make it 4-0. Through 4.0, Miguel Celestino had been cruising, but he ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth, getting the first out but then allowing back-to-back hits before being pulled. Charlie Rosario wasn't much more effective in relief, allowing two more runs to score to make it 4-3. But an RBI single by Robinson in the sixth padded the lead, and there were no further incidents from there. Robinson and David Renfroe led the way at the plate, each going 2 for 3 with a walk, while Sanchez was 2 for 4.

Player of the Night: Jose Iglesias, who had 3 hits, including a walk-off single, in a dramatic Portland win in extra innings.

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