May 16, 2011 at 5:43 AM
Brentz extends streak on an otherwise rough day for the affiliates
5/16 Cup of Coffee: The Red Sox affiliates continued to struggle on Sunday, as they dropped 2 of 3 games.
Pawtucket used 13 hits to beat Scranton Wilkes-Barre (NYY), 9-3. Drew Sutton led the way, as he went 3-4 with a double and 4 RBI. Luis Exposito and Daniel Nava, who both have struggled mightily this season, contributed to the cause on Sunday. Exposito went 3-4 with a run and an RBI while Nava went 2-4 with 3 runs, an RBI and a walk. Matt Fox started for the PawSox and picked up the win. Fox went 5 innings and surrendered 4 hits and 3 runs. He walked 3 and struck out 7. Jason Rice, Scott Atchison and Michael Bowden combined for 4 stellar innings out of the bullpen, with only 1 hit allowed between them. Bowden’s first full season as a reliever could not be going much better. In 22.2 innings, he has a 1.59 ERA and a 28:4 K:BB ratio.
Portland’s game against New Britain (MIN) was postponed, with no makeup date announced.
Salem erased a 4-run deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning, but ultimately lost to Winston-Salem (CWS), 6-5, in 10 innings. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk. Dan Butler went 1-3 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 walks. Butler’s 9th inning 2-run double tied the game at 5. Pete Ruiz got the start for the Salem Sox. Ruiz pitched quite well, as he went 6 innings and allowed 4 hits and 2 runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out 4. Cesar Cabral lowered his ERA to 1.62, as he pitched the 9th inning. Cabral allowed 2 hits and an unearned run. He did not walk a batter and struck out 2.
Greenville allowed a whopping 16 hits as they lost to Charleston (NYY), 10-6. Both Bryce Harper of Hagerstown and Bryce Brentz of Greenville entered play on Sunday with lengthy hitting streaks, at 18 and 25 games respectively. While Harper went 0-4, Brentz went 1-4 with a walk, a 9th inning home run and 2 RBI to extend his streak to a spectacular 26 games. Based on yesterday’s events, I think it’s only fair to conclude that the Red Sox have the better Bryce. Also contributing for the Drive were Heiker Meneses (2-4, 2 runs, a double, a triple, an RBI and a walk) and David Renfroe (1-3, 1 run, a solo home run and a walk). Renfroe has hit all 3 of his home runs this season in the past 4 games. Kyle Stroup started for Greenville and lasted just 4.2 innings. He got rocked to the tune of 7 hits and 5 runs. Stroup walked 2 and did not strike out a batter. Keith Couch, Stroup’s de facto piggyback starter, went 3.1 innings in relief. He allowed 6 hits and 1 run. Couch did not walk a batter and struck out 4.
Player of the Day: Bryce Brentz, who went 1-4 with a 2-run homer in Greenville's loss to Charleston. Brentz extended his hitting streak to 26 games and his on-base streak to 35 games in Sunday's game.