Cup of Coffee: Coyle dashes home to walk off with Salem victory

8/9 Cup of Coffee: The Salem Red Sox had an exciting last-minute victory, and Aneury Tavarez took responsibility for all four Spinners runs in a mixed night for the affiliates.

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The PawSox barely evaded what would have been an embarrassing shutout, losing to the Syracuse Chiefs (WAS), 10-2. Chris Hernandez struggled for the first time since being promoted to Triple-A. He gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits in 2.0 innings of work. Mark Prior relieved Hernandez in the third inning, but was unable to stop the bleeding, allowing two more runs to score. Andrew Bailey tossed a scoreless inning of relief as he nears the culmination of his rehab. Chris Carpenter also threw a scoreless inning of relief, extending his scoreless innings streak to ten. John Lannan silenced the Pawtucket offense until the sixth inning when Mauro Gomez hit a two-run home run to put the PawSox on the board.

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The Sea Dogs could not produce any runs after the first inning and fell to the Akron Aeros (CHC), 5-1. The Sea Dogs were the first to score, as Jeremy Hazelbaker doubled and came home on a single from Bryce Brentz in the first inning, but Akron tied the game with an unearned run in the third. Drake Britton pitched a good game until the sixth inning when he gave up three consecutive hits and the go-ahead run before exiting. Britton ended up giving up only one earned run over his 5.1 innings of work on seven hits, but it was still enough to give him the loss. Portland mustered just two hits over the final eight innings in the loss.
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The Salem Red Sox scored three clutch runs in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to defeating the Carolina Mudcats (CLE), 7-6. Salem squandered the lead twice before Sean Coyle (pictured) ended the game when he raced home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth after singling in the tying run. The Red Sox scored their first two runs in the third inning when Carson Blair scored from third after Heiker Meneses stole second and the Carolina second baseman could not corral the throw. Meneses later scored on a Brandon Jacobs single. They lost the lead in the fourth inning when Salem starter Miguel Celestino (6.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) gave up a three-run homer, but Salem took the lead back in the fourth when Carson Blair hit a sacrifice fly and Lucas LeBlanc scored on a wild pitch. The Mudcats reclaimed the lead when Celestino gave up two more solo shots in the sixth inning and added to it with another solo shot in the seventh. But their laser show was not enough. Xander Bogaerts came to the plate in the ninth inning with two outs and hit an RBI triple. Coyle followed with an RBI single and finished the game for good when he stole home.
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The Greenville Drive could only muster one run in their 9-1 loss to the Savannah Sand Gnats (NYM). Noe Ramirez started the game, allowing four runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings of work. The Sand Gnats put the game out of reach in eighth inning when they scored five runs off Matty Ott, who allowed the first four batters to reach to open the inning. Keury De La Cruz went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple. He is batting .385 with a .442 on-base percentage over his last 10 games, continuing his breakout season.
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Aneury Tavarez (pictured) paved the way to the Spinners' 6-1 victory over the Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM). Tavarez started the scoring in the first, singling through the left side to move Mookie Betts to third. The left fielder threw home even though Betts held, but the throw went over the catcher to the pitcher, who was backing the play up. When the pitcher threw to third to try and catch Betts off the bag, that throw went off the mark as well into left field, allowing Betts to score with Tavarez coming all the way around behind him. Tavarez added two more RBI in the sixth inning, hitting one off the base of the wall in left in what was credited as a triple. Mike Augilera started and threw 3.0 scoreless innings, and Francisco Taveras piggybacked him, allowing one run over 5.2 innings of work. Yunior Ortega only had to face one batter, whom he struck out, to get the save.
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The GCL Red Sox shut out the Rays, 3-0. Mario Alcantara, Jeffery Wendelken, Willie Ethington, and Robby Scott combined for the shutout. Alcantara struggled with his control a bit in his 3.0 hitless innings of work, but pitched around five walks. Nick Moore scored the first run of the game on a balk, Tzu-Wei Lin scored on a wild pitch in the fifth, and Cleuluis Rondon hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Lin was 2 for 4 on the day with a double and a triple, and scored two of the three Red Sox runs.
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Players of the Night: Sean Coyle and Aneury Tavarez were the difference makers for their respective teams. Coyle is batting .286 over his last 10 games with a .422 on-base percentage. Aneury Tavarez was responsible for all four Spinners runs. Tavarez is batting .364 over his last 10 games with 12 hits and a .432 on-base percentage.

Photo Credit: Sean Coyle by David Letizi; Aneury Tavarez by William Parmeter 

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