Weiland dominantes Red Wings in masterful performance

6/30 Cup of Coffee: Every team except the Gulf Coast League was a winner on Wednesday, using different methods to defeat their opponents. Dominant pitching pushed Pawtucket, Salem, Greenville and Lowell to the winner’s circle while Portland used some ninth inning heroics to find the win column.

Backed by one of the most impressive minor league pitching outings of the year, Pawtucket plucked the Rochester Red Wings (MIN), 4-1. It was the Kyle Weiland show for the PawSox as he went 8.0 innings, allowing 1 unearned run on 1 hit while striking out 12 and walking none. Weiland held the Red Wings without a hit for the first 5.2 innings as he had Rochester off balance all night. Pawtucket got on the board in the fourth on a Luis Exposito RBI single, giving them a 1-0 lead. The Red Wings would tie the game in the sixth but Pawtucket responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning. Hector Luna’s solo home run, Daniel Nava’s bases loaded walk and Ryan Lavarnway’s bases loaded hit by pitch brought home the PawSox final three runs of the contest. Nava, Luna and Jose Iglesias each had two hits to lead the Pawtucket offense.

In a back-and-forth game, Portland walked off with a 4-3 win over the New Britain Rock Cats (MIN). Chris Balcom-Miller turned in a solid 6.1 inning performance, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9. Blake Maxwell tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out 4 to pick up the victory. With the game scoreless in the second, the Sea Dogs plated two runs on a Reynaldo Rodriguez RBI single and a run scoring double play. In the third, New Britain took advantage of a Tony Thomas error to tie the game at 2-2. In the fifth, Ryan Khoury laced an RBI single that brought home Mitch Dening to give Portland the 3-2 advantage. New Britain battled back to tie the game in the seventh as Maxwell entered the game and let up a costly double. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when Alex Hassan led off the inning with a game winning walk off home run. Hassan was the clear leader of the Portland offense, going 2 for 3 with a home run, run scored, RBI and 2 walks on the day.

Salem used solid pitching and timely hitting to shutout the Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC), 2-0. Pete Ruiz was outstanding during his 7.0 innings pitched, allowing just 3 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Chris Martin picked up his first save after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out a pair. Salem scored its lone runs of the contest in the fifth and the sixth, receiving an RBI single from Derrik Gibson and a solo home run from Bryce Brentz. Gibson was 3 for 3 with 2 doubles to lead the Red Sox offense.

Greenville had major contributions on offense and on the mound as they brushed aside the Asheville Tourists (COL), 9-1. Tyler Wilson picked up his first win as a member of the Drive, going 5.0 innings, allowing no runs on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. Juan Rodriguez added 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 1 run on 1 hit, striking out 2. Michael Olmsted also hurled 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 1 hit and striking out 4. The Drive wasted no time getting on the board in this one, plating two runs in the first on a Brandon Jacobs RBI double and a passed ball. Greenville opened up the game in the third, bringing home four more runs on an RBI double from Sean Coyle, RBI single from Drew Hedman, a Christian Vazquez RBI double and a wild pitch. In the fourth, Coyle laced another RBI double and Jacobs added an RBI single to extend the Greenville lead to 9-0. Coyle was the offensive leader for the Drive, going 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.

After being swept by the Tri-City Valley Cats (HOU) last week, the Spinners exacted some revenge in a 3-2 victory. Raynel Velette tossed the first 5.0 innings for Lowell, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2. Nefi Ogando picked up the victory for his 3.0 dazzling innings of relief, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 2. Michael McCarthy picked up his second save as he tossed a flawless ninth inning, striking out 2. Down 2-0 in the second, the Spinners cut the lead in half on a Matty Johnson RBI ground out. Lowell would tie the game in the fourth on a Drew Turocy RBI ground out. In the seventh, a key fielding error by the Valley Cats shortstop allowed Keury De La Cruz to score the eventual game winning run. De La Cruz led the Spinners offense by going 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

In a game where hits were at a premium, the GCL Red Sox were shutout 3-0 by the GCL Orioles (BAL). Raul Alcantara was magnificent on the mound, hurling 5.0 shutout innings for the Red Sox, allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 2. Jadd Schmeltzer provided 3.0 innings of relief, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits to pick up the loss. The Orioles took advantage of errors by Schmeltzer and Dreily Guerrero in the sixth to plate two runs and added another run in the eighth to claim victory.

Player of the Night: Kyle Weiland, who tossed 8.0 innings, allowing an unearned run on 1 hit and no walks while striking out 12 in Pawtucket’s 4-1 victory over Rochester.

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