April 28, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Raudes goes six scoreless, Castillo slugs three doubles
4/28 Cup of Coffee: A big offensive performance from Rusney Castillo helped the PawSox overcome a shaky outing from Steven Wright, while Roniel Raudes (pictured, right) pitched a gem for Salem. Greenville snapped a long losing streak with a big comeback, though Alex Scherff continued to struggle.
-----
The PawSox blasted three home runs and Rusney Castillo had his best game of the season as Pawtucket came out on top in a slugfest. Steven Wright was cruising through five innings in his second rehab start, but he hit a wall in the sixth as he allowed the first four batters to reach base without recording an out before he was pulled. All four eventually came in to score, and he ended the day with five runs allowed over five innings, with a walk and four strikeouts. Marcus Walden allowed the inherited runners to score in his first appearance since being optioned on April 20.
Mike Olt, Dan Butler, and Jordan Betts all went deep, with Betts also adding a double. Castillo did the most damage, going 3 for 5 with three doubles as he raised his average to .333. He entered the game with only six extra-base hits over 73 at-bats, so the power surge was a very good sign for the talented outfielder.
-----
Reading Fightin Phils @ Portland Sea Dogs, PPD (rain)
Friday night's game was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 26.
-----
A great outing from Roniel Raudes led Salem past the Pelicans. Raudes tossed six shutout innings and allowed only two hits while walking one and striking out three. He has allowed one earned run or less in four of his five starts on the season. Salem broke the game open in the fourth when Santiago Espinal laced a three-run triple, his second of the year, and they added four more runs in the fifth. Ryan Scott went 2 for 3 with a double, walk, and a stolen base, while Bobby Dalbec added an RBI single but also struck out twice.
-----
Greenville's 13-game losing streak came to an end as they scored three in the ninth for a walk-off victory. Alex Scherff's rough start to the year continued as he surrendered four runs over five innings, walking three. The outing actually lowered his ERA to 9.35, and he now has 13 walks in only 17 1/3 innings. Marcos Lantigua kept the Drive in the game with three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Down by two in the ninth, Ricardo Cubillan singled to tie the game, then Lorenzo Cedrola added another single to win it. Cedrola finished the night 2 for 5 with a triple, and Pedro Castellanos went 2 for 3 and scored a run in the ninth.
-----
Player of the Night: Roniel Raudes lowered his ERA to 2.92 on Friday, and he is enjoying much more success in his second stint with Salem. While his 10 walks in 24 2/3 innings are concerning, he has limited the damage against him with less than a hit per inning. The 20-year-old is still very young for the league, and he is primed to rise from his ranking of 11th in the system with continued success.
Photo Credit: Roniel Raudes by Kelly O'Connor