July 8, 2011 at 4:59 AM
Schwindenhammer and Moanaroa a dynamic duo for Spinners
7/8 Cup of Coffee: A tough night for affiliate pitching was salvaged by victories by the Spinners and the DSL Sox. A day after holding their bats at bay, Pawtucket was smoked by the Syracuse Chiefs (WAS), 8-2. Brandon Duckworth continued his recent struggles, going 6.0 innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7. Jason Rice added 1.1 innings of relief, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 3. Randy Williams contributed 0.2 innings, allowing 1 hit. The PawSox scored their only two runs of the contest in the eighth on an RBI double by Ryan Khoury and an RBI single by Ryan Lavarnway. Collectively, the team had 5 hits the entire game with Lavarnway being the only player with a multi-hit evening.
Taking part in day baseball, Portland was crushed by the Binghamton Mets (NYM), 10-4. Stolmy Pimentel struggled once again, moving to 0-9 on the season. Pimentel tossed just 1.1 innings, allowing 6 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks. Miguel Gonzalez added 3.2 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 6. Junichi Tazawa saw 3.0 innings of action, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk, striking out 4. The Sea Dogs received a Tim Federowicz RBI single in the first to take an early 1-0 lead. The Mets offense, however, came back to take a 9-1 lead after six, due in large part to a five run second inning. In the eighth, Portland plated two runs on Reynaldo Rodriguez RBI double. Chih-Hsien Chiang added an RBI single in the ninth to give the Sea Dogs their fourth run. Chiang, Will Middlebrooks and Heiker Meneses each had two hits to lead the Portland offense.
Salem’s four game winning streak was snapped as they were thrown for a loss by the Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC), 5-2. Anthony Ranaudo dropped to 1-4 after tossing 5.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Kendal Volz relieved Ranaudo and tossed 1.2 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits. Anatanaer Batista also twirled 1.0 inning of relief, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, striking out 1. Down 1-0 in the third, the Red Sox tied the contest on a Jorge Padron RBI single. The Blue Rocks came back the very next inning and reclaimed the lead for good, allowing a Miles Head home run in the sixth for the only other Salem run.
Greenville dropped their third in a row as the Rome Braves (ATL) downed the Drive 5-4 in 10 innings. Brandon Workman received the start for Greenville, hurling 5.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1. Justin Erasmus contributed 3.1 innings of relief, allowing a walk and striking out 2. Dennis Neuman picked up the loss as he went 0.1 innings, allowing the game’s winning run on 2 hits. Down 1-0 in the fourth, the Drive received a Brandon Jacobs RBI single to tie the game, 1-1. Trailing 4-1 after six innings, the Drive scored a singular run in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to tie the game courtesy of a Henry Ramos RBI double, throwing error, and Ramos RBI ground out. The game remained tied in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings where Rome received a triple, hit by pitch and a single to walk off with a victory.
After having their bats held in check yesterday, Lowell clocked the Aberdeen Ironbirds (BAL), 9-3. Luis Diaz picked up the victory for his 5.0 innings of work, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Swen Huijer added an inning of flawless relief and Corey Vogt contributed 2.0 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen. Michael McCarthy struggled in his lone inning of work, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 1. The Spinners were gifted a run in the first inning, as a throwing error by the Aberdeen catcher allowed Keury De La Cruz to scamper home. In the third, Lowell plated four more runs on RBI doubles by Boss Moanaroa and Jason Thompson, and RBI singles by Seth Schwindenhammer and Jayson Hernandez. A wild pitch and a Moanaroa bases loaded walk allowed the Spinners to expand their lead to 7-1 in the sixth. A Drew Turocy RBI ground out in the seventh and a Moko Moanaroa RBI ground out in the ninth accounted for the final two Lowell runs of the evening.
The GCL Red Sox quest to move to .500 was delayed one more day, as their contest with the GCL Rays (TB) was rained out.
In an evenly matched game, the DSL Rays (TB) outlasted the DSL Red Sox 4-3 in 12 innings. Pedro Reyes tossed 5.0 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 5. German Tavares added 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks. Ellis Jimenez took the loss as he went 3.2 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 4. In the second, back-to-back RBI doubles by Juan Ugas and Anthony Amaya gave the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead. The Rays would battle back for 1 in the third and 2 in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. The Red Sox tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, as Amaya came home on a wild pitch. The game remained scoreless until the twelfth, when the Rays plated a run to take home victory.
Player of the Night: Seth Schwindenhammer, who went 3 for 5 with a double, RBI and 3 runs scored in Lowell’s 9-3 victory over Aberdeen.