Cup of Coffee: Despite loss, Wendell Rijo shines on slow Tuesday

7/17 Cup of Coffee: Tuesday was, by and large, widely uneventful for the Red Sox farm system, with half of the teams getting the day off from game action. Of the three squads that did play, only the DSL Red Sox found success - taking both ends of a doubleheader against the DSL Royals - while a ninth-inning rally fell just short for the GCL Red Sox.

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Bobby Lanigan, a right-hander making just his second appearance as a Sea Dog since signing last week, was lit up for five runs in Portland's 5-1 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR), the team's fifth loss in a row.

Lanigan gave up six hits and a walk, while fanning three during his four innings of work, which served as his first start at any level since 2011. Right-hander Kyle Kraus tossed four innings of shutout relief, striking out a pair, while giving up a lone hit and one walk.

The Portland bats, meanwhile, were held in check by the Fisher Cats' arms and totaled just five hits. Third baseman Garin Cecchini (1 for 3, walk) hit a solo home run in the sixth to account for the only Sea Dog run.

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Despite a two-out, two-run double from first baseman Nathan Minnich in the bottom of the ninth, the GCL Red Sox fell, 5-4, to the GCL Rays in Fort Myers, Fla.

Right-hander Dioscar Romero gave up single scores in each of the first three frames, only two of the runs earned, on four hits and five walks in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out three, while getting tabbed for the loss.

Prior to Minnich’s blow in the ninth, the only other Red Sox runs came in when left fielder Bryan Hudson lined a single to left to score right fielder Joseph Monge (hit by pitch) in the second, then when designated hitter Danny Bethea lofted a sacrifice fly to center to score second baseman Wendell Rijo (double) in the third.

Rijo (pictured) went 4 for 5 with three doubles. Hudson (2 for 4) and catcher Alixon Suarez (2 for 4, double) also recorded multi-hit games.

Right-hander Madison Younginer, on a rehab assignment from Salem, struck out one in a perfect inning of relief.

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The DSL Red Sox swept a doubleheader with the DSL Royals, taking Game 1 in a 12-0 blowout, then sneaking by with a 1-0 win in Game 2.

Offense was aplenty in the opener. Left fielder Raiwinson Lameda (3 for 5), third baseman Victor Acosta (2 for 4) and first baseman Darwin Pena (2 for 4) had three RBI each. Second baseman Luis Alejandro Besabe went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

On the mound, after right-hander Jose Almonte struck out five in his four innings, fellow righties Edinxon Pacheco (two innings) and Ender Machuca (one inning) finished the job.

The pitching success carried over into part two of the day's endeavors. Southpaw Javier Rodriguez and righty Algenis Martinez each threw four innings of shutout ball, combining to give up two hits and three walks.

Acosta drove in the lone run, while left fielder Juan Hernandez went 2 for 3.

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Player of the Night: Wendell Rijo, the shortstop-turned-second baseman who is finding some success in his first professional season. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Rijo went 4 for 5 in the GCL Red Sox' narrow 5-4 loss to the GCL Rays Tuesday afternoon, his three doubles and two runs scored accounting for a considerable bulk of his team's offense. He had just two extra-base hits — both doubles — in 15 games prior. Just 17, Rijo is hitting ..291/.420/.382 on the young season.

Photo Credit: Wendell Rijo by Kelly O'Connor.

Tim Healey is a staff writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @timbhealey.

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