July 22, 2011 at 7:58 AM
Mario Alcantara dazzles in GCL's near perfect victory
7/22 Cup of Coffee: Portland, Salem, Lowell and the GCL Red Sox were all victorious thanks to stellar pitching on Thursday. Pawtucket and Greenville saw their bullpens struggle in close losses. The DSL Red Sox bashed their way to a doubleheader sweep of the rival Yankees.Looking to complete a four game sweep, Pawtucket’s bullpen faltered late as they fell to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI), 5-4. Tony Pena received the start for the PawSox and went 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Hideki Okajima received the loss for his lone inning of work, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits. Clevlan Santeliz added a flawless inning of relief, striking out 2. The white-hot Ryan Lavarnway cracked a two run home run in the first inning to give Pawtucket a 2-0 lead. With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth, Luis Exposito laced an RBI single to put the PawSox on top, 3-2. After the IronPigs got to Okajima in the eighth for three runs, Pawtucket retaliated with an RBI ground out from Nate Spears to pull within a run at 5-4. The Lehigh Valley bullpen quieted the PawSox the rest of the way to take the rubber game of the series.
The Sea Dogs notched their second win in a row as they caged the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR), 6-2. Chris Balcom-Miller was outstanding on the mound for Portland, tossing 6.2 shutout innings, allowing 7 hits and no walks as he struck out 5. Caleb Clay added 2.1 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 1 hit and 2 walks, striking out 4. Jon Hee’s RBI single in the second gave the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead. In the third, a Will Middlebrooks RBI double and a Tim Federowicz RBI ground out vaulted Portland to a 3-0 advantage. Chih-Hsien Chiang’s solo home run in the fifth and Mitch Dening’s solo home run in the sixth gave Portland a comfortable lead at 5-0. Ryan Dent added an RBI double in the eighth to give the Sea Dogs their sixth and final run. Clay got off to a shaky start in the ninth, but quieted the Fisher Cats to ensure the victory.
Salem was clicking on all cylinders in a 7-1 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats (ATL). Chris Hernandez moved to 9-5 on the season for his 5.0 inning performance, allowing an unearned run on 3 hits and a walk, striking out 5. Chris Martin notched his fourth save, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2. Down 1-0 in the fourth, Bryce Brentz smoked a two run home run to put the Red Sox on top, 2-1. In the fifth, a Derrik Gibson RBI double and a Jorge Padron RBI single extended the Salem lead to 5-1. In the eighth, Mark Wagner cracked a two run home run to cap scoring and extended the Red Sox advantage to 7-1. Wagner was 3 for 4 with a home run, run scored and 2 RBI to lead the Red Sox offense.
In a back-and-forth game, the Greenville bullpen faltered late as they were nipped by the Lakewood Blueclaws (PHI), 5-4. Scott Swinson pitched 6.0 innings for the Drive, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk, striking out 4. Tyler Lockwood added 2.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 1. Garrett Rau received the loss for his 0.1 innings of work, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits. Down 1-0 in the third, David Renfroe scampered home on a wild pitch to tie the game, 1-1. Lakewood grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the third, but Michael Almanzar’s RBI single in the fourth tied the game once again, 2-2. Down 3-2 in the eighth, the Drive tied the game on a Henry Ramos RBI double. In the ninth, Renfroe’s RBI ground out gave Greenville their first lead of the contest, 4-3. A sloppy bottom of the ninth, including a key error by Sean Coyle and two hit batters, allowed the Blueclaws to walk off with a victory.
In game one of a doubleheader, Lowell scored late to clip the Vermont Lake Monsters (OAK), 3-2. Raynel Velette picked up his first victory of the season, hurling 5.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 4. Andrew Jones notched his first save for his 2.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 2 hits. Down 2-0 in the sixth, Travis Shaw’s RBI single brought home two and Boss Moanaroa’s RBI double brought home another to give the Spinners a 3-2 advantage. Vermont attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, having a runner thrown out at home to preserve Lowell’s victory.
Game two of the Spinners-Lake Monsters doubleheader was postponed. The game will be made up this evening as part of another scheduled doubleheader beginning at 6:05.
Pitching was the name of the game as the GCL Red Sox shut out the GCL Orioles (BAL), 3-0. Mario Alcantara was outstanding in his 6.0 innings of work, not allowing a base runner as he struck out 3. Jordan Flasher added 2.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1. William Cuevas tossed a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his first save. Zach Kapstein’s RBI single in the third put the Red Sox on the board, 1-0. In the ninth, Kapstein’s RBI single and Jose Vinicio’s RBI triple gave the GCL squad a 3-0 victory.
In game one of a doubleheader, the DSL Red Sox clobbered the rival DSL Yankees (NYY), 12-1. Edwar Garcia notched his first victory of the season, tossing 5.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Carlos Pinales added 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out 1. The Red Sox wasted no time scoring in this contest, plating three in the first on an Aneudis Peralta RBI double and a Cleuluis Rondon RBI single. In the second, a Peralta RBI single and a sacrifice fly by David Sopilka gave the Red Sox a 5-0 advantage. The DSL squad brought home four more in the fourth on an RBI ground out by Deiner Lopez, an RBI triple by Sopilka and an Alixon Suarez two run home run. In the fifth, a wild pitch and an RBI double by Peralta put the Red Sox on top, 12-0. Peralta was the star of the game for the Red Sox, going 3 for 4 with a run scored, 2 doubles and 5 RBI.
The DSL offense continued to be in high gear as they completed the doubleheader sweep of the DSL Yankees, 6-3. Jonathan Aro picked up his first victory of the season, going 6.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk, striking out 5. Ellis Jimenez picked up his third save for a scoreless innings of relief. Andres Garcia’s RBI single in the third gave the Red Sox a 1-0 advantage. Down 3-1 in the fifth, a run scoring double play and an Aly Gonzalez RBI double vaulted the Red Sox back on top, 4-3. Ynoel Aguero stole home in the sixth and Anthony Amaya lofted a sacrifice fly in the seventh to give the Red Sox a 6-3 victory.
Players of the Night: Aneudis Peralta and Mario Alcantara. Peralta went 3 for 4 with a run scored, 2 doubles and 5 RBI in the DSL Red Sox 12-1 victory over the DSL Yankees. Alcantara tossed 6.0 perfect innings, adding 3 strike outs, in a 3-0 Red Sox victory of the GCL Orioles.