August 19, 2011 at 6:00 AM
Red Sox affiliates go 0-7 for the night
8/19 Cup of Coffee: The system was swept last night (Salem was rained out), including Greenville losing both games of a doubleheader.
A faulty bullpen let up a late lead, allowing the Columbus Clippers (CLE) to sail by Pawtucket, 7-5. Alex Wilson made his Triple-A debut, tossing 6.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 7. Scott Atchison received the loss for his 2.0 innings of work, allowing 4 runs on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 3. Tommy Hottovy contributed a scoreless ninth inning, walking 1. Down 1-0 in the second, the PawSox grabbed a 4-1 lead on an RBI single by Hector Luna, an RBI triple by Brett Carroll, and an RBI ground out by Jose Iglesias. The PawSox took a one run advantage to the eighth, but a two out grand slam by the Clippers gave Columbus a 7-4 lead. Pawtucket plated a run in their half of the eighth on a Daniel Nava solo home run, but could not muster a rally. Luna was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead the PawSox offense.
A steady barrage of offense helped the Reading Phillies (PHI) knock down Portland, 8-3. Matt Rusch made his first professional start in two years, hurling 5.1 innings, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits and a walk, striking out 7. Kyle Fernandes added 0.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1. Mike Lee added 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out 1. Down 2-0 in the third, the Sea Dogs cut the lead in half on Mark Wagner’s RBI double. A Will Middlebrooks solo home run and an Oscar Tejeda RBI double allowed Portland to tie the game 3-3 in the in the sixth. The Sea Dogs bullpen could not hold the line however, allowing 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth and two runs in the seventh to succumb 8-3. Wagner, Tejeda and Jon Hee each had two hits to lead the Portland offense.
Salem’s contest against the Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC) was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader starting tomorrow at 5:05.
In the completion of a suspended game, Greenville managed just two hits in a 3-1 loss to the Savannah Sand Gnats (NYM). Scott Swinson originally made the start, tossing 4.0 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits while striking out 3. Andrew Jones added 3.0 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk, striking out 2. Dennis Neuman tossed 1.0 inning out of the bullpen, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 1. The Drive’s lone run of the contest came in the fourth on a Drew Hedman RBI ground out.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Savannah took advantage of 5 Greenville errors to squash the Drive, 10-5. Swinson made the start, hurling 3.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and a walk, striking out 1. Charle Rosario contributed 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1. Tyler Lockwood also added 2.0 innings out of the Greenville bullpen, allowing 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 1. The Drive took a 2-0 lead in the second on a Xander Bogaerts two run home run. Down 9-2 in the fourth, Brandon Jacobs cracked a solo home run to bring the Drive a run closer, 9-3. Sean Coyle’s 2 RBI single in the fifth plated the final two runs of the game for Greenville. Bogaerts had a rough day in the field, committing three of the Drive’s five errors.
For the second night in a row, the Batavia Muckdogs (STL) jumped all over the Spinners, 7-2. Luis Diaz received the loss for his 6.0 innings of work, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2. Braden Kapteyn added an inning of relief, allowing 1 run on 1 hit, walking 2 and striking out 1. Joe Holtmeyer provided 2.0 innings out of the Spinners bullpen, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2. Down 2-0 in the third, Matt Gedman hit his first Spinners home run to cut the Batavia lead in half. In the fourth, Matt Marquis’ RBI single tied the game, 2-2. The Muckdogs took advantage of Lowell pitching in the later innings, scoring a singular run in the sixth, seventh and eighth, while plating two runs in the ninth to take home the decisive victory.
For the second day in a row, the GCL Orioles (BAL) bashed the GCL Red Sox, 8-1. Mario Alcantara picked up the loss for his 3.2 innings of work, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks, striking out 4. Yunior Ortega contributed 3.1 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 3. Matt Kramer added a scoreless inning of relief, walking 1. The Red Sox lone run of the contest came in the second on a David Chester solo home run. The Red Sox now find themselves on the verge of playoff elimination, with one more loss or Orioles victory eliminating the team from the postseason.
The DSL Astros (HOU) took advantage of a leaky GCL Red Sox bullpen to claim a 6-4 victory. Jonathan Aro hurled 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 4. Jose Espitia received the loss for his 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Jair Bogaerts' RBI double gave the Red Sox a 2-1 advantage. With the game tied in the third, Aneudis Peralta scampered home on a wild pitch to allow the Red Sox to reclaim the lead, 3-2. The Astros offense came alive in the seventh, plating four runs to take a 6-3 advantage. A run scoring double play in the ninth provided the Red Sox with their final run of the contest, while also helping to squelch a rally. Bogaerts was 3 for 4 to lead the Red Sox offense.
Player of the Night: Hector Luna, who was 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI in Pawtucket’s 7-5 loss to Columbus.