May 26, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Chavis keeps rolling; Boyd deals gem
5/26 Cup of Coffee: If there have been two constants of the minor league season so far, they have been rainouts and Michael Chavis dominance. Thursday featured both. Chavis continued his torrid run at the plate, reaching base five times in Salem's doubleheader sweep. Meanwhile, Portland and Pawtucket were victims of weather, with both their contests getting rained out. Logan Boyd (pictured) led a trio of Greenville hurlers in a 1-0 shutout victory.
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Pawtucket Red Sox vs. Louisville Bats (CIN), PPD rain
The PawSox were rained out for the eighth time this season. The Bats do not return to McCoy Stadium this year, so if the game is made up it will be with Pawtucket playing a "home" game in Louisville during their trip there in mid-August.
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Portland Sea Dogs at New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR), PPD rain
The 11th rainout of Portland's season spoiled the series finale in Manchester. The game will be made up when the Sea Dogs return July 13-16.
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Another day, another pair of extra-base hits for Michael Chavis. The 2014 first-round pick had a double and a home run as part of a 3-for-4 effort. He drove in three, and also scored in the first inning when he raced home from third on a throw down to second base. Jordan Betts also went deep for Salem, while both Josh Ockimey and Trenton Kemp were 1 for 3 with a walk. Dedgar Jimenez was solid, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings.
Chavis had a relatively tame nightcap, going 1 for 3 with a walk. In 24 games in May, Chavis has reached base at least twice in 17 of them. Shortstop Chad De La Guerra hit his fourth homer of the season. He has flown under the radar but has posted an excellent .311/.405/.496 line in 37 games. Daniel Gonzalez scattered three hits across five scoreless innings, and Gerson Bautista gave up an unearned run to pick up the two-inning save.
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A trio of Greenville hurlers combined for a four-hit shutout in Thursday's pitchers' duel. Starter Logan Boyd led the way, giving up just three hits and striking out four in six scoreless frames. Matthew Gorst and Stephen Nogosek completed the blanking with three innings out of the bullpen. Santiago Espinal had a pair of hits, and scored what proved to be the decisive run in the first when he doubled and came home on a Tyler Hill base hit. The day after his hitting streak came to an end at eight games, Chris Madera got right back into rhythm with a two-hit night.
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Player of the Day: A case could be made nearly every day for putting Michael Chavis in this space. However, in the interest of spreading the love and recognizing outstanding performances throughout the organization, the nod goes to Greenville starter Logan Boyd. The 2015 19th-round pick fired six shutout innings on Thursday, continuing what has been a strong start to his season. Boyd has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his nine starts, and he lowered his ERA to 3.49 for the season. In 49 innings he has struck out 36 against only 14 walks.
Photo Credit: Logan Boyd by Kelly O'Connor