Cup of Coffee: Shaw, Haeger help Sea Dogs earn split

6/19 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket took advantage of some defensive miscues in a late victory, Portland split a doubleheader, and the GCL Red Sox rolled back into the win column. Lowell was postponed by rain, while a quintet of Salem and Greenville players saw All-Star action.

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A crazy ninth inning allowed Pawtucket to come away with a 3-2 win over the Columbus Clippers (CLE). Knotted at two going into the top of the inning, the PawSox were able to score the go-ahead run despite going 0 for 6 in the frame. With one away, Drew Sutton reached on an error by the third baseman and was forced out on a Mitch Maier grounder to second. Columbus then followed with two more errors, one fielding error on a grounder to second by Bryce Brentz, the next on a throwing miscue on a ball off the bat of Brandon Snyder. This series of mistakes allowed Maier to come around to score, giving Pawtucket the lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Columbus led off with a double off Ryan Rowland-Smith and followed with a base hit, putting the tying run at third with nobody out. A grounder back to Rowland-Smith cut down the lead runner, but Columbus came away from the play with runners on second and third. Rowland-Smith struck out old friend Jeremy Hermida for the second out and gave way to Anthony Carter to try to seal the game. After loading the bases with a walk, Carter struck out Chun-Hsiu Chen to pick up his 10th save of the season.

Earlier in the night, Pawtucket had received offensive contributions from Jackie Bradley, Jr., who broke an 0 for 18 slump with a solo home run, and from Xander Bogaerts, who went 2 for 5. Starting pitcher Chris Hernandez was solid, allowing two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Jose De La Torre was excellent in relief, picking up the win. The right-hander entered in the sixth to a bases-loaded jam, but notched the inning-ending strikeout. He went on to throw 2 1/3 scoreless frames, striking out four, while walking one.

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In the first game of a doubleheader, Portland fell 4-1 to the Reading Fightin Phils (PHI). Matt Barnes got the start, but received little support from his offense or defense. Portland compiled only three hits, and a pair of Derrik Gibson errors led to two unearned runs. Those were the only two scores allowed by Barnes, who gave up two hits in four innings, striking out six and walking two.

A pair of veteran arms combined for the shutout in the nightcap, a 3-0 victory. Charlie Haeger scattered four hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five walks, while striking out five to pick up the win. Rafael Perez pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn his first save in a Sea Dogs uniform. The big blow on offense was a bases-clearing double by Travis Shaw (pictured) in the third. The first baseman went 2 for 4, extending his hitting streak to five games.

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A pair of Salem Red Sox appeared in the Carolina League All-Stars' 12-2 victory over their California League counterparts. Blake Swihart got the start at catcher, notching an RBI single and scoring a run as part of a five-run fourth-inning rally. Garin Cecchini started at third, going 0 for 2 with a walk. Left-hander Henry Owens was named to the Carolina League squad as well, but did not appear in the game after pitching on Sunday.

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The Greenville Drive had a trio of representatives at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game, as the Southern Division fell to the North 2-1. David Chester was the starting designated hitter and went 1 for 2 on the night. Mookie Betts entered at second base in the fourth inning and was hitless in two at-bats. Reliever J.B. Wendelken, a late addition to the squad, pitched 1/3 of an inning, walking one and striking out one.

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The Lowell Spinners did not get a chance to build on their opening night victory, as their rematch with the Connecticut Tigers was postponed by rain. A make-up date has not yet been announced. The Spinners return to Lowell for their home opener tonight at 7:20 against the Tigers.

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A day after their six-game winning streak was halted, the DSL Red Sox got back on track with a 6-1 victory over the DSL Rays. Starter Luis Ramos moved to 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.29, allowing just one unearned run on two hits in five innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk. Jervis Torrealba threw four shutout innings to earn the save. Torrealba gave up just two hits, striking out five and walking one.

The offense benefited from some wildness by Rays pitching, as the Red Sox picked up nine walks, including two apiece by Victor Acosta and Javier Guerra. Raiwinson Lamenda went 2 for 4 with a double, driving in one run and scoring another. Gerardo Carrizalez scored three runs on the day.

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Player of the Day: Travis Shaw picked up three hits across Portland's two games, including a decisive three-run double in the nightcap. Shaw has now hit in five straight games and seems to be adjusting after a long slump. From May 1 to June 13, Shaw posted a .167 average and compiled only seven extra-base hits. Since then, he is 8 for 19 with three doubles and a home run.

Photo Credit: Travis Shaw by Kelly O'Connor

James Dunne is a Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com.

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