June 9, 2013 at 8:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Ramos, Salem record system’s lone win on Saturday
6/6 Cup of Coffee: As successful as the Red Sox farm system was offensively on Friday, it was much less so Saturday, an apparent scoring drought one day after the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea drenched parts of the East Coast. The teams combined for 14 runs in six games, including a doubleheader for Salem.
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Right-hander Rubby De La Rosa was impressive — again — in his five innings of one-run ball, but it wasn’t enough for the Pawtucket Red Sox, who blew two one-run leads in a 4-3 loss to the Syracuse Chiefs (WAS).
De La Rosa scattered four hits and three walks, and he has allowed just four earned runs in his last 31 2/3 innings dating back to April 23.
Catcher Ryan Lavarnway drove in the first two PawSox runs via a sacrifice fly and single to right field in the first and sixth innings, respectively.
Designated hitter Mitch Maier reached base three times (two singles, one walk), while third baseman Will Middlebrooks, still on a rehab assignment for a bad back, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and a walk.
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Right-hander Matt Barnes had his second poor outing in a row, and the Portland Sea Dogs’ late rallies weren’t enough in a 4-3 loss to the Akron Aeros (CLE). It was the team's fifth loss in six games.
Down 4-0 headed into the seventh, third baseman Michael Almanzar doubled and came around to score. Right fielder J.C. Linares’ two-out double in the eighth scored shortstop Xander Bogaerts and Almanzar, but he was stranded at second to end the threat.
Right-hander Jeremy Kehrt and southpaw Rafael Perez each tossed two shutout innings of relief.
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Late insurance runs for the Salem Red Sox, including a home run from center fielder Henry Ramos (pictured), salvaged their doubleheader against the Lynchburg Hillcats (ATL). Salem dropped the opener, 2-1, before recording a 5-1 win in game two.
Game one featured right-hander Kyle Stroup limiting Lynchburg to two runs on five hits and a walk in five innings. Yet it was not enough for a Salem offense that managed just one run.
That one run, the result of a Ramos groundout, came in the sixth inning and halved a 2-0 deficit, but it was too little, too late for the visitors.
Third baseman Garin Cecchini was the only Salem batter to post a multi-hit game.
The nightcap treated the Red Sox much better, starting on the mound with Kyle Kraus. The right-hander went five innings, fanning five, while allowing a run on four hits for his first win with the High A club.
Salem got on the board in the first inning with a pair of runs. Ramos (2 for 4, two RBI) doubled home left fielder Felix Sanchez to get things started. After single unearned runs in the fourth and fifth, Ramos added a solo shot in the seventh to account for the 5-1 final.
Designated hitter Matthew Gedman was a perfect 3 for 3, while catcher Carson Blair went 2 for 2 with a walk and right fielder Keury De La Cruz was 2 for 4.
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The Greenville Drive lost for the first time on the young month, dropping a 5-1 decision to the Hickory Crawdads (TEX).
The Drive’s lone run came in the bottom of the ninth when center fielder Cody Koback tripled to score second baseman Mookie Betts, who had just drawn his second walk of the game.
Right-hander Luis Diaz ran into trouble from the start, with Hickory plating single runs in each of the first two frames. In all, Diaz gave up four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, though he did strike out eight and walk just one.
Designated hitter Alex Hassan and third baseman Mario Martinez each had a pair of hits.
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The DSL Red Sox suffered just their second loss in seven games when they fell to the DSL Mariners, 2-1.
The Red Sox managed just four hits, two of them off the bat of catcher Jhon Nunez, who tripled and singled. Seventeen-year-old right-hander Jose Almonte struck out seven, while walking three and giving up three hits in his five innings of work.
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Player of the Night: Henry Ramos, who went a combined 2 for 6 with a walk, three RBI and two runs scored as Salem split their doubleheader with Lynchburg. After an 0-for-2 showing with an RBI to plate the lone Red Sox run in the opener, the 21-year-old center fielder doubled and homered to power Salem to a 5-1 win. Ramos has hits in five of his last six games, with three of those contests being of the multi-hit variety. His .757 OPS is good for sixth-best amongst Carolina League outfielders.
Photo Credit: Henry Ramos by Kelly O'Connor.
Tim Healey is a staff writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @timbhealey.