May 9, 2011 at 7:44 AM
A tough Mother's Day for Red Sox affiliates
5/9 Cup of Coffee: The affiliates take just 1 out of 4 games, struggling mightily at the plate.
Pawtucket used a full team effort to squeak past Scranton Wilkes-Barre (NYY), 5-4. All but 2 members of the lineup had 1 hit, but only 1 player (Drew Sutton) had more than 1. Sutton went 2-4 with a double. Nate Spears went 1-3 with 2 RBI in the victory. Brandon Duckworth started for Pawtucket and struggled, but battled through 6 innings to earn the victory, and improve to 4-1 on the season. Duckworth gave up 8 hits and 4 runs, while he walked 1 and struck out 5. Michael Bowden pitched a perfect 7th inning with 2 strikeouts. Dennis Neuman, in his first appearance for the PawSox since being transferred from Greenville, earned a 2 inning save. Neuman allowed just 1 hit, did not walk a batter and struck out 1.
Portland could not muster up much offense in its 4-1 loss to New Britain (MIN). Che-Hsuan Lin went 2-4 with a double and drove in the team's only run. Lin is hitting .421 (8-19) over his last 4 games. Oscar Tejada went 2-3 with 2 singles. Alex Wilson started for the Sea Dogs and pitched pretty well, despite struggling with his control. Wilson went 5.1 innings and allowed just 3 hits and 1 run. He walked 4 and struck out 5. Caleb Clay came on in relief and surrendered 4 hits and 3 runs in 1.2 innings. He did not walk or strike out a batter. Tommy Hottovy pitched the final 2 innings for Portland and allowed just 1 hit. He did not walk a batter and struck out 2.
Salem compiled just 4 hits in a 4-1 loss to Myrtle Beach (TEX). The only offense in the game came from Kolbrin Vitek and, what a surprise, Reynaldo Rodriguez. Each went 2-4, and Vitek's 6th inning RBI single accounted for Salem's lone run. Vitek ranks 6th in the Carolina League in batting average, while Rodriguez checks in at 3rd, and is 2nd in OPS, trailing only teammate Dan Butler. Miguel Gonzalez started for Salem and took the loss. Gonzalez went 4 innings, and allowed 5 hits and 1 run. He walked 1 and struck out 3.
Greenville had 4 hits as well, but they were kept out of the run column in a 1-0 loss to Kannapolis (CHW). David Renfroe went 1-2 with a walk in the game. Brandon Jacobs returned to the lineup after being out of action since April 28th with a sore wrist. He went 1-3. Miguel Celestino started for the Drive and took the loss, although he pitched pretty well. Celestino went 4 innings and allowed 6 hits and 1 run. He walked 1 and struck out 7.
Player of the Day: Miguel Celestino. This was not an easy decision, as everyone and their mother struggled on this day, but I'm going to give the nod to the tall righty. Celestino struck out 7 over 4 innings of 1-run ball in Greenville's loss to Kannapolis.
Pawtucket used a full team effort to squeak past Scranton Wilkes-Barre (NYY), 5-4. All but 2 members of the lineup had 1 hit, but only 1 player (Drew Sutton) had more than 1. Sutton went 2-4 with a double. Nate Spears went 1-3 with 2 RBI in the victory. Brandon Duckworth started for Pawtucket and struggled, but battled through 6 innings to earn the victory, and improve to 4-1 on the season. Duckworth gave up 8 hits and 4 runs, while he walked 1 and struck out 5. Michael Bowden pitched a perfect 7th inning with 2 strikeouts. Dennis Neuman, in his first appearance for the PawSox since being transferred from Greenville, earned a 2 inning save. Neuman allowed just 1 hit, did not walk a batter and struck out 1.
Portland could not muster up much offense in its 4-1 loss to New Britain (MIN). Che-Hsuan Lin went 2-4 with a double and drove in the team's only run. Lin is hitting .421 (8-19) over his last 4 games. Oscar Tejada went 2-3 with 2 singles. Alex Wilson started for the Sea Dogs and pitched pretty well, despite struggling with his control. Wilson went 5.1 innings and allowed just 3 hits and 1 run. He walked 4 and struck out 5. Caleb Clay came on in relief and surrendered 4 hits and 3 runs in 1.2 innings. He did not walk or strike out a batter. Tommy Hottovy pitched the final 2 innings for Portland and allowed just 1 hit. He did not walk a batter and struck out 2.
Salem compiled just 4 hits in a 4-1 loss to Myrtle Beach (TEX). The only offense in the game came from Kolbrin Vitek and, what a surprise, Reynaldo Rodriguez. Each went 2-4, and Vitek's 6th inning RBI single accounted for Salem's lone run. Vitek ranks 6th in the Carolina League in batting average, while Rodriguez checks in at 3rd, and is 2nd in OPS, trailing only teammate Dan Butler. Miguel Gonzalez started for Salem and took the loss. Gonzalez went 4 innings, and allowed 5 hits and 1 run. He walked 1 and struck out 3.
Greenville had 4 hits as well, but they were kept out of the run column in a 1-0 loss to Kannapolis (CHW). David Renfroe went 1-2 with a walk in the game. Brandon Jacobs returned to the lineup after being out of action since April 28th with a sore wrist. He went 1-3. Miguel Celestino started for the Drive and took the loss, although he pitched pretty well. Celestino went 4 innings and allowed 6 hits and 1 run. He walked 1 and struck out 7.
Player of the Day: Miguel Celestino. This was not an easy decision, as everyone and their mother struggled on this day, but I'm going to give the nod to the tall righty. Celestino struck out 7 over 4 innings of 1-run ball in Greenville's loss to Kannapolis.