August 12, 2011 at 7:33 AM
Raul Alcantara dazzles on rough night for affiliates
8/12 Cup of Coffee: Two doubleheaders added to a full slate of action on Thursday. Unfortunately for the affiliates, they walked away with just two victories in the eight games played. Pawtucket squeaked out a win over Charlotte and the GCL Red Sox took game one of their doubleheader in convincing fashion.
Two prominent rehabbing prospects aided Pawtucket in their 3-2 victory over the Charlotte Knights (CHW). Felix Doubront received the start for the PawSox, tossing 2.2 innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 3. Tommy Hottovy picked up the victory for his 2.2 innings of relief, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 4. Randy Williams contributed 2.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing 1 run on 1 hit, striking out 1. Michael Bowden picked up his 14th save by hurling 1.1 scoreless innings. Pawtucket’s only scoring of the game came in the first, receiving a Brett Carroll sacrifice fly and RBI singles from Luis Exposito and Jose Iglesias. The Knights plated runs in the fourth and seventh innings, but were otherwise held down by steady Pawtucket relief pitching. Ryan Kalish was 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Mediocre pitching and the inability to hit with runners on base helped the Akron Aeros (CLE) fold the Sea Dogs, 13-5. Chris Balcom-Miller pitched 5.0 innings, allowing 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 8. Eammon Portice added 1.2 innings of relief, allowing 7 runs (3 earned) on 2 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4. Mike Lee tossed 2.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Down 1-0 in the third, the Sea Dogs took a 3-1 lead on RBI singles by Will Middlebrooks and Ronald Bermudez, as well as an RBI double by Oscar Tejeda. After Akron grabbed a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth, Portland pulled to within one in the bottom half of the inning on a Middlebrooks RBI single. The scoring barrage for Akron continued, while Portland’s only other run of the contest came on a solo home run in the ninth off the bat of Middlebrooks. The Sea Dogs were a dismal 4 for 18 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men on base. Middlebrooks was 3 for 5 with a home run, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in the loss.
Salem had a tough night at the ballpark as they were hammered by the Kinston Indians (CLE), 11-1. Drake Britton dropped to 1-12 as he hurled 4.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out 2. Pete Ruiz added 2.2 innings of relief, allowing 6 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1. Will Latimer contributed 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and a walk, striking out 1. The Red Sox lone run of the game came in the fifth on a Peter Hissey RBI single.
Greenville was unable to climb out of an early hole as they fell to the Savannah Sand Gnats (NYM), 5-3. Brandon Workman received the loss for his 4.0 innings of work, allowing 5 runs on 10 hits and a walk, striking out 4. Tyler Lockwood added 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2. Michael Olmsted also added 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 2 hits and striking out 4. Christian Vazquez picked up where he left off a day prior, smoking a 2 RBI double in the first inning to give Greenville a 2-0 lead. Down 5-2 in the eighth, Michael Almanzar laced an RBI double to draw the Drive closer, 5-3. Greenville was unable to rally in the ninth, snapping their three game winning streak.
In the completion of yesterday’s suspended game, Lowell dropped a 5-3 decision to the Hudson Valley Renegades (TB). Tyler Wilson tossed 2.0 innings in the start, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, striking out 1. Nefi Ogando received the loss for his 5.0 innings of work, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and a walk, striking out 4. Matty Ott also contributed an inning of relief, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits while striking out 1. Down 2-0 in the second, Tim Roberson cracked a two run home run to tie the game 2-2. Joantoni Garcia’s solo home run in the fifth tied the game once again, 3-3. Hudson Valley came right back in the bottom of the fifth to reclaim the lead and added another run in the eighth to seal the 5-3 victory. Matt Marquis was 3 for 4 in the loss.
The Spinners couldn’t overcome an early hole as they lost game two of a doubleheader to Hudson Valley, 6-5. Raynel Velette received the loss for his 3.1 innings of work, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out 1. Joe Holtmeyer added 2.2 flawless innings of relief, striking out 5. Down 5-0 in the fourth, Nick Robinson poked an RBI single to get Lowell on the board. The Spinners plated four runs in the fifth on a wild pitch and a Jayson Hernandez three run home run. Trailing by one the rest of the contest, the Spinners were unable to get a runner past first.
In game one of a doubleheader, the GCL Red Sox squashed the GCL Rays (TB), 7-3. Francisco Tavares received the victory, tossing 6.0 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and a walk, striking out 4. Jadd Schmeltzer added a perfect inning of relief, striking out all three batters he faced. Oscar Perez’s RBI double in the second gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Down 2-1 in the fifth, Jose Colorado’s RBI triple and a botched pickoff attempt gave the Red Sox a 4-2 advantage. Jesus Loya added a solo home run in the sixth and an error as well as a Zach Kapstein RBI single in the seventh sealed the 7-3 victory.
A masterful pitching performance was not enough to lift the Red Sox as they fell to the Rays 2-1 in game two of the GCL doubleheader. Raul Alcantara was masterful in his 5.0 innings of work, allowing an unearned run on 4 hits, striking out 11. Newly signed Robby Scott tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in his Red Sox debut, striking out 3. Jennell Hudson received the loss, tossing 1.0 inning, allowing 1 run on 2 hits. Down 1-0 in the seventh, David Chester smacked a solo home run to tie the game, 1-1. The Rays pounced on Hudson in the first extra frame in the eighth to take home the victory.
The DSL Red Sox were easily defeated by the rival DSL Yankees (NYY), 6-0. Edwar Garcia received the loss, hurling 3.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 5 walks while striking out 2. Oscar Melendez added 5.0 innings of relief, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits, striking out 1. The Red Sox mustered just 4 hits and were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Player of the Night: Raul Alcantara, who twirled 5.0 innings, allowing an unearned run on 4 hits while striking out 11 in the GCL Red Sox 2-1 loss to the GCL Rays.
Honorable Mention: Will Middlebrooks, who was 3 for 5 with a home run, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in Portland's 13-5 loss to Akron.