June 10, 2011 at 7:10 AM
Hernandez helps Salem handcuff Hillcats
6/10 Cup of Coffee: With the major league squad completing a sweep of their bitter rivals, the affiliates brought home just two wins Thursday. Pawtucket and the DSL Sox were both quieted in close affairs. Portland saw a close game turn into a four run loss while Salem and Greenville both edged out victories.Despite compiling 9 hits, the PawSox were doubled up by the Norfolk Tide (BAL) 4-2. Felix Doubront went 5.1 innings in the start, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2. Jason Rice added 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just 3 hits. Clevelan Santeliz tossed an inning of relief, allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks. Down 1-0 in the third, Pawtucket took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single by Che-Hsuan Lin and a sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick. The lead held until the sixth, when Norfolk plated two to take a 3-2 lead. The Tides added an insurance run in the eighth and squelched a Pawtucket rally in the same inning to take home the victory. Daniel Nava was 4 for 4 to lead the offense.
Portland pitching was once again pounced on by the Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) as the Sea Dogs dropped their second straight, 7-3. Alex Wilson dropped to 5-4 on the year as he tossed 5.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2. Jeremy Kehrt relieved Wilson and went 2.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Miguel Gonzalez also pitched 2.0 innings of relief, allowing only a walk while punching out 1. Quickly down 1-0 after the top of the first, Portland added a run in the bottom half of the inning on Ryan Lavarnway’s RBI single. The Flying Squirrels would add six runs over the middle innings while Sea Dog bats remained quiet. In the ninth, Portland pushed across their only other run of the evening on a Jon Hee RBI ground out. Jeremy Hazelbaker and Chih-Hsien Chiang each had two hits to pace the Sea Dog offense.
Looking to build momentum from the previous night’s victory, Salem pitching muzzled the Lynchburg Hillcats (ATL) in a 3-1 victory. Chris Hernandez had another impressive start, going 5.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Tom Ebert picked up the victory for his 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing 2 walks and striking out 3. Jeremiah Bayer added his second save for his 2.0 inning relief stint, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 2. The Red Sox jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first, as Kolbrin Vitek roped an RBI single. Lynchburg tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, and the game remained knotted until the later innings. In the eighth, David Mailman broke the deadlock with a solo home run that gave Salem a 2-1 lead. The team added an insurance run in the ninth as Vitek scurried home on a passed ball. Vitek and Zach Gentile each had two hits for Salem.
In a close contest, Greenville held on for a 5-4 victory over the Rome Braves (ATL). Brandon Workman put together a quality start, tossing 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Scott Swinson hurled 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 1 run on 3 hits. Charle Rosario picked up his first save of 2011 for his 1.0 inning of work during which he allowed 1 run on 2 hits. Down 1-0 in the sixth, Greenville tied the game on David Renfroe’s sacrifice fly. The Braves answered in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own to take back the lead 2-1. The Drive, not looking to be outdone, added 3 runs in the top of the seventh on a Brandon Jacobs three run home run. Rome added a run in the bottom half of the seventh to trim the Greenville lead to 4-3. In the eighth, Xander Bogaerts, in his Drive debut, laced an RBI single to give Greenville some breathing room, 5-3. The Braves rallied in the ninth, adding a run but leaving a runner in scoring position. Rome outhit the Drive 12 to 6 in the loss. Renfroe was the only member of the Greenville lineup to have a multi-hit contest.
Red Sox bats didn’t have enough to overcome an early hole in a 3-2 loss to the DSL Pirates (PIT). Francellis Montas received the start and went 1.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 5 walks, striking out 2. Edwin Osorio relieved Montas and was outstanding, going 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits and striking out 4. Leonel Vazquez added 2.0 innings from the bullpen, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out 4. Quickly down 2-0 after the top of the first, Ynoel Aguero’s RBI single cut the Red Sox deficit in half 2-1. The Red Sox remained quiet until the seventh, when Aneudis Peralta drew a bases loaded walk to bring the team within one, 3-2. The Pirates held down Red Sox bats the rest of the way to claim victory as the team went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Player of the Night: Chris Hernandez, who tossed 5.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 in Salem’s 3-1 victory over Lynchburg.