June 9, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Haviland throws four-hitter; Chavis hits 15th homer
6/9 Cup of Coffee: There was little to cheer about Thursday night at the major league level, but the Red Sox had an excellent day down on the farm. All four stateside affiliates won their contests with several standout individual performances. Shawn Haviland (pictured) dominated for the PawSox, spinning a four-hit shutout victory, while Portland had nine doubles as part of its 16-hit matinee. Michael Chavis made his way into the record books in Salem's win, and recently-minted South Atlantic League All-Star Roldani Baldwin led the charge for Greenville.
-----
It was a clinic in Pawtucket in every aspect of Thursday's contest. Former Harvard Crimson ace Shawn Haviland turned in the first complete game shutout of his professional career. The 31-year-old allowed only four hits, striking out seven without issuing a walk and inducing 13 ground ball outs. Haviland got plenty of support, as the PawSox reached base 19 times. Blake Swihart scored three runs, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a hit batter. Allen Craig also reached base four times, and Ryan Court delivered his fifth home run of the year.
-----
Four of the first five batters of the game recorded doubles for the Sea Dogs, setting the pace for a two-touchdown afternoon. Tzu-Wei Lin led off with the first of Portland's nine two-baggers, and recorded another double and a home run in his 3-for-4 day. Nick Longhi turned in his second two-double game in as many days, and Rafael Devers notched his 13th of the year while going 2 for 4 with a walk. Kevin McAvoy got back on track with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3, allowing three runs on five hits.
-----
This is the ninth season of Boston's affiliation in Salem, Virginia. During that time, Salem has gained a reputation as a difficult park, particularly for home runs. The most round-trippers a Salem player had from 2009 to 2016 was the 14 hit by Sean Coyle in 2013. Despite being only 190 at-bats into the 2017 season, Michael Chavis has already topped that mark after launching a solo shot in the sixth inning. Through 50 games, the 2014 first-round pick now has 50 RBI and 45 runs scored. Daniel Gonzalez took care of things on the mound, giving up only two hits in six shutout innings. The 21-year-old out of Venezuela extends his record to a perfect 8-0 between Salem and Greenville, and lowered his ERA to 2.01.
-----
Leading the Drive's 12-hit attack was catcher Roldani Baldwin. The 21-year-old went 3 for 4 with a walk, double, RBI and run scored, and he ranks third in the organization in extra-base hits behind only Chavis and Devers. Chris Madera was 2 for 4 with a walk to raise his average to .327, and Ryan Scott doubled and drove in a pair as part of his two-hit night. Starter Jhonathan Diaz struck out eight without issuing a walk, earning the win while allowing three runs in five innings. Pat Goetze and Hildemaro Requena combined for four scoreless innings to seal the win.
-----
Alexander Martinez continues to be a bright spot for the DSL Sox. The center fielder was 1 for 3 with a double, bringing him to 7 for 16 on the young season. Starter Luis Colmenares was solid, allowing one earned run on two hits in four innings.
-----
Player of the Day: Thursday saw standout days from some of the top offensive performers of the first half of the 2017, with Rafael Devers, Michael Chavis, and Roldani Baldwin all keying victories for their respective squads. However, the nod goes to veteran right-hander Shawn Haviland who turned in arguably the best performance of his 10-year pro career. Haviland allowed only five baserunners, giving up three singles, a double, and a hit batsman, while notching seven strikeouts and another 13 outs on the ground. The righty now has 56 strikeouts against only 15 walks on the year, and has turned in quality starts in seven of his 10 turns.
Photo Credit: Shawn Haviland by Kelly O'Connor