Cup of Coffee: Snyder, Roberts lead PawSox to win in slugfest

5/13 Cup of Coffee: It took all of Pawtucket's 15 hits and nine runs to eke out the organization's only win on Monday. Salem fell in a devastating walk-off, and Greenville was roughed up.

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After getting off to a 9-3 advantage, Pawtucket held on for a 9-8 win over the Louisville Bats (CIN). The PawSox lineup had 15 hits, and four players had three apiece. Brandon Snyder (pictured), hit a game-tying homer in the third as part of a 3-for-5 effort. All three of Ryan Roberts hits went for extra bases, as the second baseman had two doubles and a triple. Alex Hassan and Ryan Lavarnway were both 3 for 4 with a walk and two runs driven in. Corey Brown, who got off to a very difficult start in 2014, hit a fifth-inning grand slam. It was Brown's third home run in four games, and he has driven in nine runs in that span, more than doubling his season total in both categories. 

Brandon Workman picked up the win despite allowing 10 hits and four runs in his five innings. He struck out two and walked one. Tommy Layne gave up a run on four hits in two innings, striking out three without walking a batter. The Bats rallied for three runs off Chris Resop in the eighth to come within one. Alex Wilson got the heart-attack save, walking two to put the winning run on base but ultimately escaping with the win intact.

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After a strong start from Simon Mercedes, Salem fell 4-3 to the Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC) in a walk-off. Mercedes struck out seven and walked only one while giving up just two runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings. Those seven punch outs represent a season high for the righty. After three dynamite innings where William Cuevas struck out five without allowing a run or issuing a walk, Wilmington shocked him in the ninth. After a leadoff base hit, Cuevas induced a ground ball to force the first out. Then, light-hitting second baseman Jack Lopez knocked a fly ball over the left field wall, and his first home run of the season sent the Blue Rocks home winners.

Aneury Tavarez led the way at the plate for Salem, going 2 for 4 with a sixth-inning home run that gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. Ryan Dent and Matty Johnson also had two hits apiece for Salem.

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Very little went right for Greenville as they lost 10-3 to the West Virginia Power (PIT). The Drive managed only four hits on the night, with Manuel Margot hitting an eighth-inning solo home run. Kendrick Perkins continues to swing a hot bat. In the lineup as the designated hitter, Perkins went 1 for 3 and is now 12 for 32 since he was added to the Greenville roster at the end of April. Starting pitcher Mario Alcantara struggled, allowing eight runs on nine hits in four innings. Control continues to be an issue for 2013 fourth-round pick Myles Smith, as the right-hander walked three in his three innings, and now has 18 in 24 1/3 frames on the year. Joe Gunkel was a bright spot on the mound, firing two hitless innings and striking out three while walking one.

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Player of the Day: After a brief stint with the major league club, veteran Ryan Roberts has established himself as a steady force at second base for Pawtucket. Roberts had three extra-base hits in Pawtuckets win on Monday, and he now has six doubles in his last eight games. 

Photo Credit: Brandon Snyder by Kelly O'Connor

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