July 30, 2012 at 8:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Up-and-down day for starters
7/30 Cup of Coffee: It was an up-and-down day for Sox affiliate starters. While Pawtucket's Billy Buckner and Greenville's Noe Ramirez recorded quality starts, Stolmy Pimentel failed to get out of the first inning and Matt Barnes allowed three home runs for Salem.
The Pawtucket pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter, as the PawSox beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (NYY) 4-0. Billy Buckner allowed only one hit over 6.0 innings to earn his third win in Triple-A. Jason Repko homered in the third inning to put the PawSox on the board, and they added two more in the fifth on a Ryan Lavarnway double and Lars Anderson sacrifice fly. Mark Prior, Daniel Bard and Chris Carpenter combined to throw the final 3.0 innings, allowing only one hit while walking one and striking out three. Bard has now thrown five consecutive scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while tallying five strikeouts during the stretch. Andy LaRoche added an insurance run in the eighth with his seventh home run with the PawSox. Lavarnway went 2 for 4 with a double while LaRoche had a double in addition to his home run.
-----
Stolmy Pimentel took a sizable step back on Sunday, and the Binghamton Mets (NYM) prevailed with a 6-2 victory. Pimentel gave up four runs while recording only one out before being pulled. He gave up four walks, one hit, and also hit a batter. The Sea Dogs scored twice in the sixth on a Jackie Bradley, Jr. home run and a Kolbrin Vitek double. Bradley went 1 for 4 with a walk, and the home run was his seventh on the season.
-----
Despite striking out nine, Matt Barnes gave up three home runs in a 9-3 loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats (ATL). Barnes threw 5.0 innings for Salem, allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits. He walked none and struck out nine. After hitting the leadoff man, Barnes gave up a two-run home run in the top of the first, and allowed a solo shot in the second to put Salem in an early hole. Barnes ran into more trouble in the fifth, allowing a sacrifice fly, and a two-out, two-run home run after a James Kang error extended the inning. Salem hit three home runs in the ninth, as Felix Sanchez, Heiker Meneses and Xander Bogaerts all homered to left.
-----
-----
2012 first-round pick Brian Johnson made his professional debut, and Kendrick Perkins hit a walk-off double in a 1-0 Lowell victory over the State College Spikes (PIT). Johnson tossed the first 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out one. He left the game after taking a line drive off his shin, but SoxProspects Director of Scouting Chris Mellen, who was in attendance, tweeted that it did not look bad. Francisco Taveras threw the final 5.2 innings, allowing only one hit while striking out three, lowering his ERA to 1.83 on the season. Lowell did not have much in the way of offense until the seventh, when Mookie Betts singled and scored from first on a Perkins double. Deven Marrero was the only Spinner to reach base twice, going 0 for 1 with two walks and a stolen base.
-----
Lowell held State College scoreless again in Game Two, winning 2-0. Mike Augliera was perfect in his 3.0 innings of work, striking out five.
Player of the Night: It took 10 starts, but Noe Ramirez finally picked up his first win, striking out nine over 6.1 innings of one-run ball. The 22-year-old right-hander has pitched well this season, and his ERA now stands at 3.35 ERA over 51.0 innings. He has struck out 45 and walked only 11.
Photo Credit: Noe Ramirez by John Corneau/Lowell Spinners
-----
Lowell held State College scoreless again in Game Two, winning 2-0. Mike Augliera was perfect in his 3.0 innings of work, striking out five.
Player of the Night: It took 10 starts, but Noe Ramirez finally picked up his first win, striking out nine over 6.1 innings of one-run ball. The 22-year-old right-hander has pitched well this season, and his ERA now stands at 3.35 ERA over 51.0 innings. He has struck out 45 and walked only 11.
Photo Credit: Noe Ramirez by John Corneau/Lowell Spinners