August 27, 2016 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Dubon collects five hits, Chatham belts two homers
8/27 Cup of Coffee: Mauricio Dubon just won't cool down, as he picked up five more hits in the Sea Dogs' win. C.J. Chatham belted two homers and Rafael Devers and Aneury Tavarez each had big nights. The system also got some great starting pitching from Henry Owens, Keith Couch, Trey Ball, Dedgar Jimenez, and Darwinzon Hernandez.
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Henry Owens dominated in his first start back with Pawtucket after his rough outing with Boston. He threw six shutout innings, allowing just five hits and a walk. He struck out eight. Roman Mendez tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a hit before Noe Ramirez picked up the save with a scoreless ninth.
Bryce Brentz had a big day, reaching four times with three hits, including a triple, and a walk. Christian Vazquez continued to swing a nice bat, collecting two hits and two RBI. Ryan LaMarre also had a pair of hits.
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Offense stole the show for Portland in this one, highlighted by a 5-for-5 performance from Mauricio Dubon. He had three doubles, giving him 20 with the Sea Dogs. Dubon is currently on a tear, batting .541 over his last 10 games. Aneury Tavarez stayed hot as well, collecting three hits, a double, two runs, and three RBI. Yoan Moncada went 2 for 4 with a walk and three runs, and Nate Freiman went 2 for 3 with two walks and two RBI.
Keith Couch was terrific for Portland, lasting six innings and allowing just one run on three hits. He struck out four, walked two, and lowered his ERA to 3.34. Brandon Workman faltered coming out of the bullpen and surrendered five runs on six hits, including two home runs, in 2 1/3 innings. Austin Maddox got the final two outs without allowing a run.
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Salem was able to hold off a late surge from the Keys. A four-run seventh broke it open for the Sox, but Frederick countered with three in the final two innings but ultimately fell short. Trey Ball allowed eight hits in five innings but limited the damage to one run. He racked up seven strike outs against just two walks. Yankory Pimentel gave up two runs (one earned) in three innings with no walks and three strikeouts. Bobby Poyner finished it off by allowing a run in the ninth.
Rafael Devers had a big night by going 3 for 5 with two doubles, a run, and an RBI. His batting average is up to .280 and now has 31 doubles. Jose Sermo went 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs and David Sopilka went 2 for 3 with three RBI.
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The Drive took a 2-1 lead into the seventh but were unable to hold on. Dedgar Jimenez allowed a run in the first, two in the seventh, and sandwiched five scoreless frames in between. Overall, he gave up 10 hits in his eight innings, did not walk a batter, and struck out seven. Marc Brakeman pitched the final inning, allowing an unearned run.
Derek Miller was the only Greenville player with multiple hits, going 2 for 5. Kyri Washington drove in the only two runs with his eighth triple of the season. Roldani Baldwin added an RBI double and Josh Ockimey reached twice with two walks.
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Things got interesting late, as the Spinners gave up the tying run in the eighth, but answered back with a pair in the top of the ninth on C.J. Chatham's second long ball of the game. Chatham had three hits in five trips with the two home runs and four RBI. Matt McLean also had a 3-for-5 night at the top of the lineup. Victor Acosta added a double.
Darwinzon Hernandez was great for 5 1/3 innings. He allowed just one unearned run on only two hits. He struck out six and walked one. Pat Goetze was tagged with a blown save and a win after getting hit around for two runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings. Jordan Weems picked up the save despite allowing three baserunners and a run in the ninth.
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The Red Sox evened their record with the Twins with the loss in this one, as the bullpen couldn't hold a late lead. Robby Sexton and Jared Oliver combined to pitch five shutout innings to start the game, with Sexton going the first three. They each struck out three and walked none. Marcos Lantigua came on and allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings on a hit and two walks. Angel Padron blew the save and took the loss by allowing two runs in 1 2/3 innings. He gave up two hits and two walks. Lorenzo Cedrola, Rafael Oliveras, and Juan Barriento each had two singles and Imeldo Diaz smacked a triple.
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A day after being rained out, the DSL Sox were suspended in the fourth due to more rain. They had a 5-0 lead behind a strong start from Ritzi Mendoza, who gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out three. Carlos Pulido and Willis Figueroa each had two hits, with Figueroa scoring twice. Kervin Suarez was 1 for 2 with two runs and two RBI.
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The second DSL Sox team grabbed a win thanks to a 10-hit attack. Everlouis Lozada, Yeison Coca, and Kleiber Rodriguez each had two hits. Rodriguez had a double, a triple, and two RBI. Eduard Conde went 1 for 3 with two RBI and Pedro Castellanos ripped his 23rd double. Warlyn Guzman started and went four innings allowing just a run on three hits. Jose Gonzalez tossed a scoreless frame and moved to 8-0 on the year. Rayniel Moreno gave up two runs in three innings and Gregory Santos picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth.
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Player of the Night: A five-hit night is tough to beat for Player of the Night. Mauricio Dubon did just that, going 5 for 5 with three doubles and earning Player of the Night honors for the second straight day. We already knew Dubon was a solid hitter, but the recent power surge has been a pleasant surprise. He already has 30 extra-base hits in 53 games with Portland after notching just 14 in 62 games with Salem. His line is up to .352/.382/.563 with the Sea Dogs.
Photo Credit: Mauricio Dubon by Kelly O'Connor