June 23, 2016 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Moncada stays hot in Portland; Lowell improves to 6-0
A back-and-forth contest broke Syracuse's way. Aaron Wilkerson started for Pawtucket, striking out four and allowing one run on four hits and two walks in three innings. Wesley Wright added 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five. Roman Mendez took the loss, allowing two unearned runs in the final 2 2/3 innings of the contest. Down, 3-0, in the fourth, Pawtucket got on the scoreboard on a Henry Ramos solo home run. In the fifth, Jantzen Witte added an RBI single. Pawtucket tied the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the eighth on a Witte RBI double and a Ramos RBI ground out. The Chiefs wasted little time in grabbing the lead back, bringing home two runs in the top of the ninth. The loss stopped the PawSox five-game winning streak.
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Keith Couch struggled in his 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks. Trailing, 7-0, in the bottom of the fourth, the Sea Dogs plated two runs on back-to-back RBI singles from Nate Freiman and Aneury Tavarez. In the fifth, Portland brought home three runs on a Yoan Moncada (pictured, above right) RBI single, an RBI ground out by Cody Decker, and an RBI single from Freiman. Moncada added another RBI single in the sixth, pulling the Sea Dogs within 7-6. Harrisburg pulled away in the eighth, plating two runs off of Luis Ysla. Moncada's second appearance at the Double-A level was excellent; he went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored from the leadoff spot. The loss snapped Portland's four-game winning streak.
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Down, 1-0, in the fifth, a Carlos Tovar RBI single tied the game. In the sixth, Tovar added another RBI single, giving the Spinners a 2-1 advantage. In the eighth, Hudson Valley tied the game on an RBI ground out. After playing two scoreless extra frames, the PawSox brought home the winning run on a Tyler Hill RBI single.
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Pitching was the name of the game as the Red Sox blanked the Athletics. Alejandro Rodriguez picked up his first victory of 2016, allowing just one hit and striking out seven in six innings. Juan Florentino picked up his fourth save, pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The Red Sox got all the offense they would need in the first, as Carlos Pulido laced an RBI single. In the fourth, the Red Sox expanded their lead, bringing home runs on an Elwin Tejada RBI single and a Ramfis Berroa sacrifice fly.
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The Red Sox overcame a steep deficit to take Game 2 of the doubleheader. After the Athletics scored five runs in the first, the Red Sox brought home four in the third inning on two wild pitches and an RBI double from Eddy Reynoso. The Red Sox scored two more runs in the fourth to take the lead. The Red Sox added a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to take home the victory. The Red Sox took full advantage of six Athletics wild pitches.
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Gregory Santos improved to 2-1, allowing two runs on three hits over five innings. Luis Rivero picked up his first save of the young season, pitching spectacularly in four scoreless innings. The Red Sox wasted no time getting on the board, as they scored a run in the first on a Pedro Castellanos RBI single. With the game knotted, 1-1, in the top of the fourth, the Red Sox brought home the winning runs on a Rafael Rincones RBI triple. The Red Sox improved to 13-3.
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Player of the Night: Yoan Moncada gets the nod after going 3 for 5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI in just his second Double-A game. The 21-year-old second baseman is now hitting .305/.423/.489 with four home runs and 35 RBI between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. Moncada has had an impressive month of June, hitting .345/.438/.615 with 12 doubles and 11 RBI.
Photo Credit: Yoan Moncada by Kelly O'Connor