Affiliates go winless on fruitless Saturday

6/12 Cup of Coffee: The offenses struggled throughout on Saturday, with affiliates going 0-3 along with a rainout.

After being rained out Friday night, Pawtucket's bats came up dry as they were dispatched by the Charlotte Knights (CWS), 3-1. Brandon Duckworth pitched 5.0 scoreless innings for the PawSox, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 4. Pawtucket got on the board in the sixth for the first run of the game on a double by Nate Spears. But Charlotte got to the PawSox bullpen late. After a rehabbing Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless inning, the Knights scored a pair of runs off of Scott Atchison and another off of Hideki Okajima. Spears was the only player to have a multi-hit game for Pawtucket, reaching base in all four plate appearances thanks to a pair of doubles and two walks.

Portland's game against the Bowie Baysox (BAL) was rained out and will be made up tomorrow as part of a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

Salem had trouble pushing runs across as well and though they collected six hits, they were unable to get on the board as they were shutout by the Potomac Nationals (WAS), 2-0. Junichi Tazawa continued to rehab from Tommy John surgery and pitched well, throwing 4.0 scoreless innings. He allowed just 2 hits without walking a batter and fanned 3. Pete Ruiz was saddled with the loss after allowing the only two runs of the game in his 3.0 innings of relief. Michael Gleason also tossed a scoreless inning, allowing a pair of hits. Six different players combined for Salem's six hits, never picking up more than one baserunner in an inning.

Greenville scored three runs in the eighth, but the deficit was too much to overcome as the Drive fell to the Rome Braves (ATL), 6-5. Xander Bogaerts picked up his second RBI in a Drive uniform on an RBI single in the second. But the Braves got to Manny Rivera in the middle innings with three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Rivera finished with 6.0 innings pitched and 5 runs allowed on 6 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. The Drive scored again on a single from Miles Head to cut the Rome lead to 5-2. After the Braves got to Juan Rodriguez for a run in the seventh, Greenville scored three in the eighth on RBIs from Jose Garcia, Brandon Jacobs, and Jose Garcia, though the comeback fell just one run short.

The DSL Red Sox were off on Saturday, but will take on the DSL Astros (HOU) today at 10:30 a.m.

Player of the Night: Brandon Duckworth, who pitched 5.0 innings of one-hit ball with 4 strikeouts, but had just a no-decision to show for it in Pawtucket's 3-1 loss to Charlotte.

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