Cup of Coffee 8/11: Mookie Betts helped the Spinners to continue to stay hot, 2012 third-round pick
Austin Maddox made his professional debut in the Gulf Coast League, and a combination of great pitching performances helped the DSL Red Sox shutout the DSL Yankees.
The PawSox scored at least a run in each of their first three innings
to defeat the Rochester Red Wings (MIN), 9-3.
Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed two runs on five hits over 4.2 innings, striking out three and walking two in his ninth rehab start with Pawtucket. Matsuzaka allowed a two-run home run in the first inning, but recovered nicely, retiring the next three batters he faced.
Nelson Figueroa followed, allowing one run on four hits over 4.1 innings for the win.
Jason Repko led off the game with a home run to put Pawtucket on the board. The PawSox quickly reclaimed their lead in the second inning with RBI doubles from
Nate Spears and
Jose Iglesias.
Dan Butler hit a two-run single with the bases loaded, and Repko hit a two-run double to put the game even further out of reach in the third inning.
Danny Valencia hit a two-run double in the sixth to add insurance runs. Jose Iglesias was 3 for 5 with a double and a RBI. It’s the second time in three games that the shortstop was 3 for 5.
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Stolmy Pimentel could not escape a troublesome sixth inning, and
the Sea Dogs fell to the Erie SeaWolves (DET), 7-2. After giving up a two-run home run in the first inning, Pimentel pitched four scoreless innings before unraveling in the sixth inning. Pimentel could not escape the sixth after allowing five of the first six batters to reach base, and reliever
Chris Martin could not do much to stop the bleeding. The SeaWolves broke the 2-2 tie and tagged the two for seven runs. Pimentel gave up seven runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings.
Travis Shaw produced the only two Sea Dogs runs, with a two-run home run, his 17th of the season, in the fourth inning.
Xander Bogaerts continued a smooth transition to Double-A, having his second two-hit game in a row.
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The Salem Red Sox mustered only three hits and
fell 9-1 to the Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC). The Red Sox scored their sole run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from
Michael Almanzar.
Manuel Rivera lasted only 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits.
Michael Gleason fared worse, getting tagged for five runs on five hits and walking two in his sole inning of work.
Jeremiah Bayer’s only vice was surrendering a solo home run in his 2.1 innings of work, and
Pete Ruiz pitched an inning of scoreless relief.
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The Greenville Drive lost in heartbreaking fashion as the Savannah Sand Gnats (NYM) scored their winning run on a throwing error from
Tyler Lockwood in the bottom of the ninth
to defeat the Drive, 3-2. The Drive initially had a 2-0 lead thanks to a RBI single from
Jordan Weems in the fifth inning and
Bryan Johns scored on a fielder’s choice. The lead did not last long, though, as
Dylan Chavez surrendered a crucial, two-run double. Lockwood inauspiciously loaded the bases to start the ninth inning, and his throwing error resulted in a Sand Gnats victory.
Jason Garcia started the game for the Drive, throwing 1.0 inning, allowing a hit, a walk, and a strikeout.
Nefi Ogando piggybacked and threw 4.0 nearly perfect innings, the only blemish being a walk. It was Ogando’s third consecutive scoreless outing.
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Mookie Betts (pictured) was 3 for 5 with three RBI
to lead the Spinners to a 9-5 victory over the Hudson Valley Renegades (TB). It was the Spinners' 12th victory in 14 games. 2012 first-round pick
Pat Light started the game, allowing an unearned run on two hits over 3.0 innings, striking out four and walking none.
Tyler Wilson pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, but could not find his command in the sixth inning, allowing his first four batters to reach base, which resulted in three runs and a tied game. He allowed three wild pitches.
Gerardo Olivares picked up the victory, allowing a run on two hits over 2.1 innings of work, and
Yunior Ortega picked up the save. The Spinners wasted no time, jumping out to a three-run lead in the first inning.
David Chester hit an RBI single and scored all the way from first on Mookie Betts' two-run double. The Spinners added a run in the second on a sacrifice fly from New York Penn-League All-Star
Dreily Guerrero. The Spinners responded quickly after the Renegades tied the game, scoring two runs on a sacrifice fly from Chester and a single from Betts.
Mike Miller added two more runs with a home run in the eighth, and
Aneury Tavarez added one more in the ninth with a RBI double.
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The GCL Red Sox were able to squelch an eighth-inning threat
to defeat the GCL Twins, 8-4. Third round pick
Austin Maddox made his professional debut, throwing the first inning, and notched his first strikeout.
Sergio Gomez pitched the majority of the game, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out six.
Carlos Pineda ran into some trouble in the eighth inning when he loaded the bases after a fielding error from
Cleuluis Rondon. The four runs were futile, though, as the Red Sox already had a seven run lead. The Red Sox scored their first three runs in the third inning when
Iseha Conklin scored on a throwing error, and
Nathan Minnich hit a two-RBI single with the bases loaded. The Red Sox continued to pad their lead when
Keaton Briscoe forced a bases-loaded walk and
Mike Meyers hit a RBI single with the bases loaded. Former GCL Red Sox Jeremias Pineda (part of the Danny Valencia trade) prevented more runs from scoring on that hit, throwing out Briscoe at home. The Red Sox added two more insurance runs in the eighth inning on a RBI single from Conklin and a sacrifice fly from
Tzu-Wei Lin.
David Sopilka responded to the Twins’ four-run eighth inning with a RBI single in the ninth.
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Dioscar Romero,
Yankory Pimentel, and
German Taveras combined
to shut out the DSL Yankees, 4-0. Romero started the game, scattering three hits over 5.0 innings, striking out seven for the win. Pimentel threw 3.0 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out three for the hold.
Alixon Suarez put the Red Sox on the board in the first inning with a RBI single.
Andres Garcia added a run in the third when he led off the inning with a double, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly from
Manuel Margot. The Red Sox added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh when
Ricardo Andujar walked to begin the inning, stole second and scored on a RBI single from Andres Garcia, who advanced to second on the throw. Suarez came through again with another RBI single.
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Player of the Night:
Mookie Betts had his second 3 for 5 game in as many days. The two games snapped an ugly 1 for 18 slump. Betts was responsible for three of the nine Spinners runs. The 2011 fifth-round pick is batting .267 in 47 games with 13 stolen bases for the Spinners this season.
Photo Credit: Mookie Betts by William Parmeter
