Rizzo and Gonzalez lead an affiliate sweep

8/4 Cup of Coffee: Tuesday was an exciting day in the minors as every affiliate was able to claim victory. The teams showed there were multiple ways to win, with a walk off victory, come-from-behind victories, a 1-0 pitcher's duel and a 14-8 slugfest in Portland.

A back-and-forth contest swung Pawtucket's way in the ninth as they walked off with a victory over the Durham Bulls (TB) 5-4. Adam Mills returned from the disabled list to make the start, going 3.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. Rich Hill followed Mills, allowing 1 run on no hits and a walk in his 1.2 innings of work. Chad Paronto, Felix Doubront and Fernando Cabrera managed to pitch 4.1 scoreless innings to give the PawSox the ability to win the game late. After Durham scored a run in the top of the first, Pawtucket evened the score on a Dusty Brown RBI single in the bottom half of the inning. In the fourth, a Gil Velazquez RBI ground out and a Jacoby Ellsbury RBI double evened the score at 3-3. The Bulls scored another run in the top of the fifth to reclaim the lead but the PawSox clawed back, receiving a Josh Reddick solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score. The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when Aaron Bates laced a walk off RBI single to bring home the victory. Ellsbury was 3 for 5 from the top of the order in his last rehab game, leading the Pawtucket offense.

In a game that saw 36 total hits, Portland brought out the lumber in a 14-8 win over the Bowie Baysox (BAL). Stephen Fife took the hill and was knocked around in his 3.0 innings of work, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks. Blake Maxwell picked up the victory for his 3.0 innings of relief in which he allowed 1 run on 6 hits. Mitch Herold tossed 2.0 scoreless innings and Bryce Cox turned in a shaky ninth inning in which he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Portland was gifted a run in the first as the Bowie right fielder misplayed a Nate Spears double and allowed Che-Hsuan Lin to score all the way from first. Down 5-1 in the third, the Sea Dogs pulled within one on Anthony Rizzo's RBI double and Ryan Khoury's RBI single. Rizzo's second double of the game in the fourth brought home two more to give Portland the 6-5 advantage. The Sea Dogs opened up the game in the sixth, scoring five on Spears RBI triple, a double play ball, and RBI doubles by Jorge Padron and Chih-Hsien Chiang. Portland added three insurance runs in the seventh on Rizzo's third RBI double of the game and a Padron RBI single. Rizzo's recent hot streak continued as he went 4 for 5 with 3 doubles, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored to lead the Sea Dogs offense.

Stellar pitching was the story for Salem as they held down the Frederick Keys (BAL) 8-1. Miguel Gonzalez was outstanding as he carried a no-hitter through 5.1 innings. On the night he went 6.2 innings, allowing an unearned run on 3 hits while striking out nine and walking none. Zach Hammes followed with 2.1 innings of relief in which he did not allow a base runner. The Red Sox scored four in the first on a Mitch Dening lead off solo home run, RBI doubles from Tim Federowicz and Dan Butler, and an RBI single from Drew Hedman. An Alex Hassan RBI ground out in the fifth gave Salem a 5-0 lead. Two more runs came home in the sixth on a passed ball and a Jonathan Hee RBI single. Hassan capped the scoring for the Red Sox in the ninth as he belted a solo home run. Hedman was 3 for 5 to lead the Salem offense.

Greenville used a three run eighth inning to defeat the Lakewood Blueclaws (PHI) 3-2. Ryan Pressly received the start for the Drive, going 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. Armando Zerpa picked up the victory for his 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in which he walked 2 and struck out 4. Dennis Neuman picked up the save by recording the final out of the ninth. Down 2-0 in the eighth, Greenville picked up three on a Reynaldo Rodriguez RBI double, Michael Almanzar RBI ground out, and a Reymond Fuentes RBI single. Catcher Christian Vazquez was a perfect 3 for 3 to lead the Drive offense.

The Spinners captured their first series win of 2010 by nipping the Connecticut Tigers (DET) 1-0. Keith Couch was impressive in his start, going 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 7. Charle Rosario and Tyler Lockwood combined to pitch the final 4.0 innings of relief in scoreless fashion. The lone run of the contest came in the second as Brandon Jacobs cracked his third home run of the season. The back-to-back wins for Lowell mark only the second time the team has completed the feat this season.

Late inning heroics lifted the GCL Red Sox past the GCL Orioles (BAL) 6-5. Francisco Tavares tossed the first 2.0 innings, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits and a walk. Michael Gleason followed with 3.0 innings of relief, allowing 2 unearned runs on 3 hits and a walk. T.J. Large, Swen Huijer and Justin Erasmus combined for 4.0 scoreless innings of relief to finish off the contest. The Red Sox finally got on the board in the fifth as Henry Ramos cracked his first home run of the season. Down 6-1 in the eighth, the Red Sox exploded for six runs on a Luke Yoder two run home run, Willie Holmes RBI single, two wild pitches and a throwing error to take a 7-6 lead that they would not relinquish. The Red Sox are now 21-17, good enough for a one game lead in their division.

Solid pitching helped the DSL Red Sox brush back the DSL Royals (KC) 5-1. Yunior Ortega picked up his fifth victory of the season for his 6.0 scoreless innings in which he allowed just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 4. Sully Bonnelly picked up his third save for his 3.0 innings of relief in which he allowed 1 run on 3 hits and a walk. The Red Sox struck first on a Dreily Guerrero RBI single in the third inning. Guerrero's RBI double and Xander Bogaerts sacrifice fly in the fifth gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead. Jair Bogaerts RBI single in the eighth added the final Red Sox run of the evening. Guerrero and Roberto Duncan each had two hits to lead the offense.

Players of the Night: Anthony Rizzo, who went 4 for 5 with 3 doubles, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored in Portland's 14-8 victory. Miguel Gonzalez, who was outstanding in his 6.2 inning start for Salem, allowing just 3 hits and an unearned run while striking out 9 as the Red Sox defeated Frederick 8-1.

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