April 21, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Wright makes first rehab appearance, Olt and Travis lead Pawtucket's rally
-----
A walk-off double from Mike Olt capped an impressive PawSox comeback. Steven Wright, who underwent left knee surgery last May, made his first rehab appearance but it was cut short due to a stiff back. He had gone the first 2 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on two hits. Josh Smith followed by striking out six over 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball, and Ryan Brasier picked up his first win of the season with two scoreless innings.
Down 4-1 in the eighth, Ramon Flores lined an RBI single and later Sam Travis laced a two-run single to tie the game. Olt eventually won it in the 11th after his double scored Flores, who under the new minor league rules started the inning on second base. Travis went 3 for 5 with a double and a walk, and he is now hitting .386, while Olt went 2 for 5 to raise his average to .360.
Down 4-1 in the eighth, Ramon Flores lined an RBI single and later Sam Travis laced a two-run single to tie the game. Olt eventually won it in the 11th after his double scored Flores, who under the new minor league rules started the inning on second base. Travis went 3 for 5 with a double and a walk, and he is now hitting .386, while Olt went 2 for 5 to raise his average to .360.
-----
The Sea Dogs scored four times over the last two innings to steal the game from the Thunder. Luke Tendler roped a three-run double in the eighth to tie the game, and Cole Sturgeon scored the go-ahead run in the ninth on a wild pitch. Sturgeon went 2 for 4 with a walk, and Tate Matheny went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk as he lowered his average to .342.
Mike Shawaryn had another stellar start, allowing three runs over six innings while striking out three. Trey Ball was the first out of the bullpen and struck out five over two innings but he also allowed two runs on three hits. After not allowing a run over his first 6 2/3 innings, Ball has now allowed six over his last four innings.
-----
Bryan Mata was wild but effective, and Salem's offense did some damage against the Dash. Mata walked four in 4 1/3 innings, but he only allowed one hit and one run while striking out five. The 18-year-old now has 13 walks in only 13 1/3 innings. Daniel Gonzalez also tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, with six strikeouts.
The 12-hit attack was led by Jerry Downs, who went 3 for 5 with a double and a home run. Santiago Espinal hit 2 for 4 with a double and a walk, and Kyri Washington broke out of an 0-for-19 slump to go 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Bobby Dalbec had a long double but also struck out three times.
-----
A short outing for Nick Duron and a stagnant offense led to Greenville's 12th loss of the season. Duron lasted four innings and allowed four runs, walking two and striking out three. He has now allowed 20 hits in only 12 innings this season. Marcos Lantigua had a strong outing in relief, allowing only one hit over three shutout innings. Frankie Rios went 2 for 4 with a stolen base out of the leadoff spot, and Victor Acosta went 1 for 2 with a walk. He has now hit safely in all five games since he came off the disabled list.
-----
Player of the Night: A walk-off double from Mike Olt was the biggest hit of the night as the former supplemental first-round pick continued his fast start to the season. It has been an up-and-down career for Olt after making his major league debut in 2012 for the Rangers, but the 29-year-old has shown promise early in the 2018 campaign. The double was his sixth in eight games for the PawSox and he has already drawn eight walks.
Photo Credit: Mike Olt by Kelly O'Connor
Photo Credit: Mike Olt by Kelly O'Connor