July 17, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: PawSox pull off comeback; Dalbec can't be stopped
7/17 Cup of Coffee: Aneury Tavarez tapped into some late-game heroics for Pawtucket, Bobby Dalbec stayed red hot with Salem, and Greenville wasted a fine outing from Kutter Crawford while an undrafted right-hander and an international free agent both tallied wins at the lower levels.
-----
A two-out rally in the top of the ninth, highlighted by a two-run single by Aneury Tavarez, helps Pawtucket comeback to beat the Chiefs. In the ninth, Mike Miller was hit by a pitch with two outs. Dan Butler then singled and both Miller and Butler advanced a base on a wild pitch before Tavarez singled up the middle to plate both runners. Tavarez proceeded to steal second and score on a Tony Renda RBI single. Robby Scott struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning to seal the comeback.
Brandon Phillips had an RBI double in his second game with the PawSox while both Mike Olt and Dan Bulter homered.
-----
Portland starter Kyle Hart and former first-rounder Trey Ball got roughed up in a blowout loss to the Rumble Ponies. Both Hart and Ball surrendered nine hits and eight earned runs while combining for four free passes and just one strikeout over 5 2/3 combined innings. The Sea Dogs did muster 10 hits, with two apiece from Jantzen Witte, Tate Matheny and Luke Tendler, but were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, with the pair of runs coming on a two-run triple from Deiner Lopez.
-----
Despite the loss, Bobby Dalbec cannot be contained. The Salem third baseman had a double and a single on Monday, making it three straight multi-hit performances, and nine of 10 games where he's gotten at least one base knock. His batting average continues to rise, now standing out .268 after opening the month of July with a .227 average. Jake Thompson took the loss despite pitching pretty well, as the 2017 fourth rounder was a bit of a tough-luck loser, giving up four hits and three runs (two earned) across six innings.
-----
Kutter Crawford's five-inning effort was wasted in the top of the sixth, as Lexington added three to tie it before scoring two more in ninth to win the game. Crawford allowed six hits and two runs (one earned) and struck out eight, throwing 60 of his 89 pitches for strikes. It marked the sixth straight start where the 2017 16th round pick lasted at least five innings and fifth straight outing where he's struck out five or more. Durin O'Linger coughed up the lead in the sixth before Durbin Feltman had his first poor outing as a pro, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned) in the top of the ninth to take his first loss. The three hits triple the amount of base knocks the 2018 third round pick had allowed in his prior six appearances.
Tanner Nishioka went 2 for 4 while Samuel Miranda had the lone extra-base hit, knocking a two-run double in the second.
Tanner Nishioka went 2 for 4 while Samuel Miranda had the lone extra-base hit, knocking a two-run double in the second.
-----
Lowell completed a perfect road trip on Monday, winning its seventh straight thanks to a fielding error from the Muckdogs' shortstop in the top of the ninth, which allowed the game-winning run to score. Undrafted free agent Kevin Biondic, out of the University of Maryland, picked up his first professional win, allowing three hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief. The Spinners hit a total of six singles, with Devlin Granberg collecting two of them.
-----
GCL Rays 7, GCL Red Sox 1
Both squads gathered nine hits, but the Rays went 6 for 9 with runners in scoring position while the Red Sox were just 1 for 10. A six-run bottom of the seventh doomed the Red Sox, with Austin Glorius, who is on a rehab assignment, giving up all six runs in the inning and taking the loss. Lane Milligan, a 17th rounder in the 2018 draft out of Oklahoma City University, smacked two doubles to increase his batting average to .314 while Brandon Howlett, a 21st round draft pick this year out of high school, had two hits to extend his hitting streak to five games. Howlett's now hitting .333 in 45 at-bats.
-----
GCL Rays 7, GCL Red Sox 1
Both squads gathered nine hits, but the Rays went 6 for 9 with runners in scoring position while the Red Sox were just 1 for 10. A six-run bottom of the seventh doomed the Red Sox, with Austin Glorius, who is on a rehab assignment, giving up all six runs in the inning and taking the loss. Lane Milligan, a 17th rounder in the 2018 draft out of Oklahoma City University, smacked two doubles to increase his batting average to .314 while Brandon Howlett, a 21st round draft pick this year out of high school, had two hits to extend his hitting streak to five games. Howlett's now hitting .333 in 45 at-bats.
-----
DSL Astros 2, DSL Red Sox1 1
Fresh of an All-Star game appearance, Ceddanne Rafaela had the lone RBI for the Red Sox while Miguel Suero took the loss, pitching four innings and giving up two hits and two runs while getting seven of his 12 outs via a strikeout.
-----
DSL Red Sox2 3, DSL Rays2 1
Brayan Bello, an international free agent signed in 2017, allowed just four hits and an unearned run across six frames to pick up his third win of the season. The 6-foot-1 right-hander added four strikeouts as eight of his other 14 outs came on ground balls. He also didn't surrender a stolen base.
-----
DSL Astros 2, DSL Red Sox1 1
Fresh of an All-Star game appearance, Ceddanne Rafaela had the lone RBI for the Red Sox while Miguel Suero took the loss, pitching four innings and giving up two hits and two runs while getting seven of his 12 outs via a strikeout.
-----
DSL Red Sox2 3, DSL Rays2 1
Brayan Bello, an international free agent signed in 2017, allowed just four hits and an unearned run across six frames to pick up his third win of the season. The 6-foot-1 right-hander added four strikeouts as eight of his other 14 outs came on ground balls. He also didn't surrender a stolen base.
-----
Player of the Day: With a quiet night on the farm, a relatively unknown international free agent went the distance in a six-inning win for DSL Red Sox2. Brayan Bello, a right-hander from the Dominican Republic, went five-or-more innings for a fifth straight time, Monday being his longest outing in eight games started. He didn't allow a walk and lowered his ERA to 1.73 on the season.
Photo Credit: Aneury Tavarez & Kutter Crawford by Kelly O'Connor
Tommy Cassell is a Contributing Editor for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tommycassell44.
Photo Credit: Aneury Tavarez & Kutter Crawford by Kelly O'Connor
Tommy Cassell is a Contributing Editor for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tommycassell44.