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June 3, 2015 at 7:00 AM

Cup of Coffee: Kopech and Buttrey stall on a rough night for pitchers


6/3 Cup of Coffee: It was a tough night on the farm, as all five of the completed games ended in losses for the affiliates. Michael Kopech and Ty Buttrey each had rough starts after having dominant outings recently, but nobody had a worse night than the DSL squad. Hanging on to a three-run lead with six outs to go, they managed to lose by 16. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Nick Longhi (pictured) continued to be bright spots, with each player collecting two hits. 

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The PawSox could not provide any offensive support for Keith Couch, who allowed only three runs on seven hits over seven innings. The start was a big improvement for Couch, who surrendered six runs in three innings in his last start against the RailRiders. 

Down 3-0 in the eighth, Bryce Brentz launched a two-out, two-run home run to cut the deficit to one, but the next four batters went down in order to end the game. Brentz walked in addition to slugging his sixth home run, and Jackie Bradley Jr. went 2 for 4 with a double. 

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Justin Haley dropped to 1-7 on the season as the Sea Dogs also lost a one-run game. Haley allowed four runs in only 4 1/3 innings, as his ERA rose to 5.75. Mike McCarthy was great in long relief, going 3 2/3 shutout innings while giving up only one hit. Pat Light added a scoreless ninth to keep Portland close. 

Portland had a chance to win the game, pushing the winning run to second base in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but Jonathan Roof grounded out to end it. Carlos Asuaje notched the lone extra-base hit, a fourth-inning triple to right field, while Blake Tekotte went 1 for 2 with a walk and a stolen base. 

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Salem's game was suspended in the second inning due to rain, and it will be completed at a later date. Ty Buttrey had already allowed three runs on five hits when the game was called. 

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Michael Kopech hit a bump in the road last night, lasting only 1 2/3 innings in a loss to Kannapolis. It took Kopech 55 pitches to record five outs, and though the two runs he did allow were both unearned, the error that caused the damage was his own. The Greenville defense did not do any favors for the relief pitchers, as an error by Yoan Moncada led to an unearned run scoring on Carlos Pinales, and a Javier Guerra error led to four runs scoring off of Williams Jerez. In all, eight of the nine runs allowed by Greenville were unearned. 

The miscues were too much for the Greenville offense to overcome, but they did tally an impressive nine hits and four walks. Nick Longhi went 2 for 3 with two doubles and a walk, and Mike Meyers added a solo home run. Moncada went 1 for 3 with a walk, but the two errors he committed  brought his total to six on the season. 

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Everything was going swimmingly for the Red Sox, as they held a 7-4 lead heading into the eighth inning, but then they allowed 19 runs over the final two innings in what is one of the most bizarre box scores you will ever see. It took four pitchers to record the final six outs, and of the 19 runs that scored, six were unearned,with three errors coming in the ninth inning. 

Willis Figueroa was the star on offense, going 3 for 5 with a stolen base, but he also came on to pitch and allowed four runs to score without recording an out. After the fourth consecutive batter reached base against him, he shifted back to right field, where he promptly had to field a double and a single that drove in the runners he put on base. 

This game was a little more traditional, as the second DSL team used three pitchers in a loss to the Cubs. Victor Garcia gave up one run in his three innings of work, but Jervis Torrealba was touched up for four runs over three innings. On offense, Lorenzo Cedrola went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run, and Ramfis Berroa launched a home run as well. 

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Player of the Night: Nick Longhi was on base three times and hit two doubles in Greenville's loss to Kannapolis. The 19-year-old slumped in May, hitting only .167 in 15 games from May 3 to May 27, but he is now 10 for his last 23, with three extra-base hits and three walks. His numbers are still respectable on the season thanks to a strong start, and it seems he has begun to make some adjustments in his first full season assignment.

Photo Credit: Nick Longhi by Kelly O'Connor