April 21, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Chavis homers in 10th inning to lead Drive
4/21 Cup of Coffee: The weather was uncooperative on Monday night, as both Pawtucket and Portland saw their games postponed by rain. Fortunately there was still plenty of action with a pair of extra-inning contests. Greenville capped its come-from-behind victory with a Michael Chavis (pictured, left) 10th-inning blast, while Salem squandered an early lead, falling in 11.
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The first game of the series at McCoy Stadium between the International League's two hottest team was postponed because of heavy rain. The two clubs will play a make up game on Tuesday as part of a doubleheader.
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The Sea Dogs contest in New Britain was also rained out. They will join their Triple-A counterparts playing a doubleheader on Tuesday.
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In a wild game in Salem, the Red Sox failed to hold an early 4-0 lead. Starting pitcher Kevin McAvoy came into the contest with five walks in 33 1/3 innings as a pro, but issued seven free passes in only five innings. Despite his bout of wildness, the former Bryant Bulldog allowed only one run, limiting Myrtle Beach to two hits. Joe Gunkel and Mike Adams each allowed solo home runs as the Pelicans cut the Salem lead to one. Austin Maddox allowed the game-tying run in the ninth and three more in the 11th to take the loss.
At the plate, Manuel Margot continued to swing a hot bat, chipping in with a pair of hits to raise his average to .361. Margot has still yet to strike out on the season. Wendell Rijo had a two-run homer in the third, but also struck out four times on the night.
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The Drive prevailed in a dramatic comeback, with Michael Chavis breaking a tie game in the 10th inning with his third home run of the young season. The stage was set for Chavis' heroics by Mauricio Dubon, who led off the top of the ninth with a game-tying homer. Nick Longhi was 3 for 5 with a double, and Joseph Monge doubled and walked as part of a two-hit night.
Michael Kopech was sharp in his start, allowing only two hits in five scorless innings. The 18-year-old righty struck out four without issuing a walk. He left with a two-run lead, but the Legends grabbed the lead with a two-run homer against Reed Reilly and a solo blast off of Chandler Shepherd. Two scoreless innings from Kuehl McEachern allowed Dubon and Chavis to steal the spotlight and gave the right-hander the victory.
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Player of the Day: The Red Sox top pick in the 2014 draft, Michael Chavis went deep for the second consecutive game and the third time this season. Getting the start at designated hitter, Chavis' 10th-inning blast led Greenville in the first game of its three-game set with Lexington.
Photo Credit: Michael Chavis by Kelly O'Connor