May 10, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Tellez posts four hits, three RBI for Greenville
5/10 Cup of Coffee: It wasn't a Saturday to remember for the Red Sox minor league affiliates, which combined to lose four out of their five games played. Offensive struggles were a common theme, with Greenville's seven runs and Cisco Tellez' (pictured, right) 4-for-5 showing being one of the few exceptions.
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The PawSox' weak showing at the plate came back to haunt them as Columbus overcame a 2-1 deficit to get the win in 10 innings. Second baseman Jemile Weeks had the best night of the bunch, going 2 for 4 with an RBI double and a triple. Shortstop Deven Marrero went 2 for 3 with an RBI, while first baseman Garin Cecchini went 1 for 4 with a double.
Starter Brian Johnson threw six strong innings – five of them scoreless – allowing three hits and one run and striking out four. Dana Eveland came on in the bottom of the sixth, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings and setting up a save opportunity for closer Heath Hembree. Hembree, however, blew the save after giving up the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. Columbus then sealed the victory with another run in the bottom of the 10th.
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Third baseman Mike Miller managed Portland's lone hit of the afternoon as the Sea Dogs struggled to overcome a career day for New Britain starter Yohan Flande. The only other Portland batter to get on base was second baseman Carlos Asuaje, who reached on a walk. Flande, who improved to 5-0 after the complete game shutout, has been Colorado's most dominant pitcher at the minor league level thus far in 2015.
Sea Dogs starter Mike Augilera allowed six hits and two runs while striking out seven, and drew the loss to fall to 1-5 this season. Madison Younginer and Kyle Martin combined to throw the final three frames in relief, with Younginer allowing New Britain's third run in the top of the seventh.
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Salem starter Trey Ball allowed seven hits, six runs and two walks in five innings of work, dropping to 2-3 with a 6.03 ERA in six starts this season. Right hander Taylor Grover held the Mudcats in check in relief, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out three.
Seven of Salem's nine starters produced a hit, but the lineup as a whole couldn't string together any meaningful offense and was held scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Designated hitter Mario Martinez finished 1 for 2 with a double and a walk, while first baseman Sam Travis plated shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin on a sacrifice fly.
Travis and Martinez paced Salem at the plate in the second game, and each finished 2 for 3 in the win. Travis smashed his third triple of the season in the bottom of the third, which scored Lin and pushed his RBI total to 21 on the year, good for second place in the Carolina League. Martinez chipped in a double and two RBI of his own.
Right hander Aaron Wilkerson got his first win of the season, going five innings and allowing three hits and two runs while striking out six. Austin Maddox allowed one hit across two innings in relief, keeping the Mudcats off the board to push his save total to five.
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Greenville dug itself an eight-run hole in the top of the first and couldn't find a way out, as starter Jamie Callahan lasted just 1/3 of an inning before being pulled. The 2012 second-round pick dropped to 0-3 after giving up seven hits and eight earned runs on 35 pitches, before being replaced by right hander Carlos Pinales. Pinales held the line, allowing two more runs in 4 1/3 innings and adding two strikeouts. Chandler Shepherd and Ryan Harris split the final 4 1/3 frames, with Shepherd allowing the final Hagerstown run in the top of the seventh.
First baseman Cisco Tellez had a strong showing at the dish, going 4 for 5 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Catcher Jordan Procyshen had two doubles and finished 3 for 5. Third baseman Rafael Devers went 2 for 5 with a double, while shortstop Mauricio Dubon hit a home run and finished 1 for 5.
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Player of the Day: His strong offensive showing may have come in a loss, but Cisco Tellez' four hits and three RBI were too impressive to go unrecognized. The 22 year old was picked by the Red Sox in the 24th round of the 2014 draft out of the University of California-Riverside, and had a generally unremarkable stint in Lowell last season. But with more performances like the one he turned in last night, it wouldn't be out of the question for him to work his way into a more consistent role in Greenville's lineup.
Photo Credit: Cisco Tellez by Kelly O'Connor
Photo Credit: Cisco Tellez by Kelly O'Connor