July 9, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Cosart, Basabe have big games for Lowell
7/9 Cup of Coffee: Luis Alexander Basabe (pictured) blasted two home runs and Jake Cosart tossed five no-hit innings in a win for Lowell. Eastern League All-Star Marco Hernandez continued to rake, picking up three hits in a tough Portland loss. Greenville and Pawtucket lost heartbreakers, both coming in the 11th inning.
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The PawSox jumped out to an 8-1 lead after four innings, but failed to hold on as the IronPigs won in 11 innings. Quintin Berry and Garin Cecchini each went 3 for 5 and Carlos Peguero continued to be a very productive power source for Pawtucket by smashing his seventh home run of the year. Mike Miller also added two hits and two RBI.
Joe Kelly made his third start for the PawSox, but it didn't last very long. He was struck in the forearm by a line drive and was forced to leave the game after just one inning. Dalier Hinojosa came on and pitched fairly well but was hurt by an error. He gave up four runs, but only one of them was earned. He also struck out five in 3 2/3 innings of work. Dayan Diaz did a great job out of the bullpen, tossing three shutout innings after Jonathan Aro gave up four earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Jess Todd pitched a perfect 10th inning but ran into trouble in the 11th. With the bases loaded and nobody out, the PawSox tried to turn a 6-2-5 double play, but Luis Martinez overthrew the third baseman, giving the IronPigs the victory.
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The Sea Dogs collected 10 hits but were only able to manage one run and took the loss. Marco Hernandez led the way offensively by going 3 for 5 with his 20th double of the season. He is now batting .323. Sam Travis had an RBI single and Carlos Asuaje added a pair of hits.
Mike McCarthy started and took the loss after going four innings and giving up just one earned run. Simon Mercedes came on and punched out four in 2 1/3 innings of work. Williams Jerez tossed the final 1 2/3 innings and gave up zero earned runs, lowering his ERA with Portland to 2.00 in five appearances.
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Salem also dropped a one-run game. They banged out 12 hits, but just one went for extra bases, a double for Tzu-Wei Lin. Lin, Forrestt Allday, Mario Martinez, Jordan Procyshen, and Derek Miller each had multi-hit nights.
Trey Ball dropped to 6-7 on the season as he went the first six innings and surrendered four earned runs. He struck out two and walked three. Taylor Grover then came on and pitched two scoreless frames. German Taveras pitched the final inning without allowing a run.
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The Drive dropped a tough one, as they lost in the 11th inning on a three-run, walk-off home run. Greenville had 13 hits, including big nights from Yoan Moncada, Michael Chavis, and Javier Guerra. Moncada went 2 for 5 with a double to stay red-hot since the All-Star break, raising his season batting average up to .264. Chavis had two singles and a double, while Guerra went 4 for 5 with his ninth home run of the season. Guerra is now batting .287.
Jalen Beeks started and threw 6 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Ryan Harris tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings before Michael Dunn gave up the three-run homer in the 11th.
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The Spinners played a solid game overall, getting great pitching and just enough support on the offensive side. Luis Alexander Basabe had a night to remember, as he blasted two home runs and drove in all four of the runs for Lowell. He hit one of his home runs from the left side of the plate, and one home run from the right side. He is now batting .271 with four home runs in 17 games.
Lowell starter Jake Cosart threw five no-hit innings, but ran into some control problems, as he walked four batters, causing him to throw 85 pitches. He was relieved by Ben Taylor who went three innings and gave up one earned run while striking out five. Bobby Poyner closed it out with a scoreless ninth inning to earn his second save.
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The GCL Red Sox dropped to 12-3 on the season and were shut out for the first time. The Sox managed just five hits, all of which were singles. Luis Alejandro Basabe went 2 for 4 and Yoan Aybar went 2 for 2 after entering the game for an unofficially rehabbing Danny Mars. Mars was a 2014 sixth round draft pick who played a majority of last year with Lowell (where he hit .311) before being called up to Greenville in late August. Today was his fourth game of 2015 and first in center field.
Josh Pennington started for the Red Sox and went just two innings, giving up four hits and one run. Carlos Caceres came on and pitched four shutout innings to lower his ERA to 2.70. Algenis Martinez threw the next two innings and gave up three runs, one of which was earned. Nick Duron pitched a scoreless ninth and struck out two.
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The DSL Red Sox were able to hold on for a one-run victory after a great starting pitching performance by Eduard Bazardo. He went the first six innings and allowed just one run. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Luis Colmenares notched a three-inning save by not allowing a run and striking out five. Mario Campana went 2 for 4 with a triple and Luis Yovera went 2 for 3 with and RBI.
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Just like the PawSox, the second DSL Red Sox team held an 8-1 lead at one point and ended up losing 9-8. They were up 8-1 after five innings but the sixth inning got out of hand and they allowed eight runs. Gary Calvo started for the Red Sox and gave up one run in two innings. Jose Gonzalez came on in the third inning and pitched three shutout innings before he ran into major problems in the sixth. He ended up surrendering all eight runs that were scored in the sixth, with seven of them earned. Luis Rivero pitched the final two innings and did not allow a run.
Center fielder Juan Hernandez raised his average to .344 with a 2 for 5 performance. Juan Barriento and Imeldo Diaz also had a pair of hits. The huge nights came from Ramfis Berroa and Carlos Pulido. Berroa had four hits including a double and an RBI. Pulido had three hits and three RBI. Stanley Espinal added a triple.
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Player of the Night: Luis Alexander Basabe belted two home runs and four RBI in Lowell's 4-1 win. The 18-year old was acquired as an international free agent in 2012. He played all of 2013 in the DSL, and spent part of 2014 in the DSL and part in the GCL. He has an .834 OPS in 17 games this year for Lowell.
Photo Credit: Luis Alexander Basabe by Kelly O'Connor