Cup of Coffee: Davies leads GCL Sox sweep

8/13 Cup of Coffee: It was a quiet Monday on the farm, with only three affiliates in action. The GCL Red Sox swept a de facto doubleheader, resuming play of last Thursday's game suspended in the second inning before playing their regularly scheduled contest. The DSL Red Sox also had a doubleheader on tap, but after winning game one, the nightcap was suspended in the fourth. Salem took the only loss on the day.

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Salem fell 7-3 to the Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC). Kyle Stroup struggled in his start, allowing four runs on five hits in only 2 2/3 innings. Mike McCarthy took over in the third and was solid until the seventh when he allowed a solo home run and a two-run blast. In all, he allowed three runs on five hits in four innings. Matty Ott pitched a scoreless 1 1/3, giving up a hit and striking out one.

Cody Koback was on base three times for the Sox, going 2 for 3 with a walk, a double, and a run scored. Nick Natoli and Henry Ramos added a double apiece. 

The rubber match of the three game series will take place tonight at 7:05.

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Completing a game suspended on August 8 by rain, the GCL Red Sox offense exploded, piling on 17 hits to beat the GCL Rays, 8-4. At the center of the attack was Jake Davies, whose two-run homer in the fourth was his first of the season. Davies went on to go 4 for 4, scoring twice. Bryan Hudson was also on base four times, going 3 for 4 with a walk. Mike Meyers doubled, scored and drove in a run as part of his 3-for-5 day. Third-round pick Jon Denney went 1 for 3 with a walk, scoring a pair.

The offensive outburst made life easy on the pitching staff. Myles Smith, Boston's fourth-round pick out of Lee University, made his pro debut on Thursday before the rain hit, throwing an inning and allowing one hit, while striking out one. Luis Ortega was on the mount when play resumed, and he was credited with the win. Ortega allowed three runs on four hits in four innings, striking out four without walking a batter. German Taveras allowed a run in two innings of relief.

After its 17-hit outburst earlier, the GCL Sox notched only six hits in the regularly scheduled game, but it was enough for a 3-2 win over the Rays. Gabe Speier got the start and was solid, throwing two shutout innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out one. Edwar Diaz gave up two runs on three hits in four innings to get the win, moving to 4-1 on the year. Oscar Perez tossed a scoreless seventh for his fifth save.

Davies reached base twice more, going 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. Wendell Rijo ripped his 14th double of the season, placing the 17-year-old second baseman third in the Gulf Coast League, just one behind the league leaders. Nick Longhi and Aneudis Peralta added doubles of their own, while Jordon Austin went 2 for 3 with a run scored.

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As has been the case for much of the 2013 season, pitching again carried the DSL Red Sox in a 3-2 win over the DSL Athletics in the first game of a doubleheader. Yankory Pimentel allowed two unearned runs in six innings, striking out six and walking only one. It was the second straight outing of at least six innings for Pimentel, who lowered his ERA to 2.33. Victor Ramirez struck out two in a perfect seventh to record the save. It was the eighth consecutive scoreless appearance for Ramirez, who sports a microscopic ERA of 0.70.

Franklin Guzman paced the offense with two hits and a run scored. Luis Alexander Basabe was on base three times, going 1 for 2 with a pair of walks, 

The nightcap was suspended in the fourth due to rain with the score knotted at zero. Samir El Halaby had allowed three hits in four shutout innings when the weather hit.

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Player of the Day: Jake Davies had a monster day leading the GCL Red Sox to a pair of wins. The 21st-round pick out of Georgia Tech in the 2012 draft was on base six times, going 5 for 6 with a walk. He connected on his first home run of the season and scored three runs while driving in two. 

Photo Credit: Jake Davies by William Parmeter

James Dunne is a Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com.

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