May 1, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Thornburg terrific, Castillo continues to mash
5/1 Cup of Coffee: Tyler Thornburg struck out the side in the top of seventh, giving those at McCoy Stadium something to cheer about in the PawSox' 5-1 loss to the Red Wings. Rusney Castillo (pictured) picked up two hits in the loss. For the sixth time this season, the Sea Dogs weren't able to play due to field conditions and both the Red Sox and Drive had off days.
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A three-strikeout performance from Tyler Thornburg was the highlight of the night in the PawSox second-straight loss. The right-handed reliever made his first rehab appearance in his return from right-shoulder surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome. Thornburg gave up a lead-off single and issued a wild pitch, but was otherwise sharp. He struck out the side in the top of the seventh inning, throwing 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes.
Rusney Castillo, who entered the game with the most hits in the International League, went 2 for 4 with two singles and the lone RBI, driving in Mike Miller in the third inning on a line drive to center field. Castillo has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and now has 10 multi-hit performances this season. He hasn't hit a home run but has 39 total bases and sports a .333 batting average.
In the loss, the PawSox mustered just six team hits, all of them singles. Chandler Shepherd took the loss on the mound, going 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out four. Shepherd's ERA rose to 7.36 and the 25-year-old right-hander has lost his last two starts.
Rusney Castillo, who entered the game with the most hits in the International League, went 2 for 4 with two singles and the lone RBI, driving in Mike Miller in the third inning on a line drive to center field. Castillo has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and now has 10 multi-hit performances this season. He hasn't hit a home run but has 39 total bases and sports a .333 batting average.
In the loss, the PawSox mustered just six team hits, all of them singles. Chandler Shepherd took the loss on the mound, going 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out four. Shepherd's ERA rose to 7.36 and the 25-year-old right-hander has lost his last two starts.
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Portland Sea Dogs vs. Trenton Thunder (NYY), postponed
The rough weather and field conditions resulted in another postponement at Hadlock Field, its sixth postponement out of 12 scheduled home games. The game will be made up Tuesday as part of a doubleheader, starting at 6 p.m.
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Player of the Night: on a quiet night, Tyler Thornburg made some noise at McCoy, striking out the side in the top of the seventh inning during the PawSox loss. The 29-year-old reliever was acquired by the Red Sox from the Milwaukee Brewers in December of 2016 but hasn't pitched in a big-league game since the 2016 season due to thoracic outlet syndrome. Monday night's performance was a positive step for the right-hander, who mixed in a few curveballs and changeups with his fastball, which sat between 92 and 95 MPH.
Photo Credit: Rusney Castillo by Kelly O'Connor