August 23, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Jimenez, Williams, Phillips all notch four hits
8/23 Cup of Coffee: Three different players on three different squads drilled four hits, but those teams were only 1-2 in a 2-6 overall day down on the farm that included two doubleheaders and two cancellations. Brandon Phillips (pictured) helped lead Pawtucket to victory with his 4 for 5 effort, but identical lines from Grant Williams for Lowell and Gilberto Jimenez for the DSL Red Sox1 proved to be in defeat. Greenville was off and stayed three games out of the division, while Lowell is now two-and-a-half games behind Tri-City for the Stedler Division and one game away from claiming a wild card spot. Despite not playing, the GCL Red Sox clinched the South diviosn and will be headed to the playoffs.
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Brandon Phillips went 4 for 5, including a two-run home run in the fifth to lead the 11-hit charge, clinching Pawtucket's split with the Red Wings in a four-game set. Sam Travis and Ivan De Jesus Jr. each were 2 for 4, adding a pair of RBI. De Jesus drilled two doubles as well. William Cuevas was solid in six innings of work, allowing only an unearned run on five hits, walking only one against six strikeouts. Matthew Gorst also gave up an unearned tally in two one-hit frames, while Bobby Poyner finished it off.
Teddy Stankiewicz pitched a complete game in the first half of a doubleheader, allowing four runs on seven hits. However, the Sea Dogs were only able to collect six hits from six different hitters. Michael Chavis, Deiner Lopez, and Bobby Dalbec each had a double, while Chris Madera and Dalbec had RBI.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 6, Portland Sea Dogs 4 (7 Innings, Game 2)
Trey Ball struggled in his start, allowing five runs on eight hits in just three innings of work. Portland pitchers struck out only three batters. Darwinzon Hernandez made his first relief appearance of the year in his Portland debut, striking out one while also walking one and hitting two batters. Chris Madera, Michael Chavis and Deiner Lopez each contributed two hits.
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After Jake Thompson allowed a walk in the first inning, Daniel Gonzalez allowed three runs on eight hits across five innings of work in a piggyback outing. A run each in the seventh and ninth off of Joan Martinez proved to be the difference. Josh Tobias had a pair of hits, one of which was a solo home run, while Brett Netzer and Jagger Rusconi each had an RBI as well.
The second game of the twin bill proved to be low-scoring, but Salem was able to salvage a doubleheader split. Salem was down 1-0 headed into the bottom of the seventh but they were able to score two to walk off with the win on a Tyler Hill single. Jagger Rusconi, who scored the game-winning run, drove home the game-tying one. CJ Chatham added three hits as well. Hunter Smith gave four shutout innings and Durbin Feltman notched a strikeout against one hit in the seventh.
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Lowell punched out 14 hits but only scored four runs. Grant Williams was 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles and two more RBI with Alberto Schmidt adding three more hits. Lane Milligan and Devlin Granberg drove in the other two runs. Jose Gonzalez and Kevin Biondic each allowed five runs, while Tanner Raiburn struck out four in three shutout innings to close things out.
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GCL Red Sox vs GCL Orioles (Canceled, Rain)
Rain drenched Florida on Wednesday and the contest was canceled.
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Gilberto Jimenez had four hits as part of a 12-hit attack, but the Marlins were able to hold off the Red Sox. Jesus Rosillo gave up just three hits across his four-inning start, but two runs (one earned) came across the plate with three walks and three strikeouts mixed in. Carlos Cortes pitched the final four frames, allowing three more runs (two earned) on six hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out four.
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The DSL Indians/Brewers had merely two hits, but a wild pitch in the first, as well as an error combined with another wild pitch in the fourth, proved to be the difference. Both runs were charged to Bryan Lucas' tab, who pitched four innings. He walked one and struck out six. Robinson Parra gave his team four more one-hit innings, while Gregori Segovia finished it off. Kleiber Rodriguez drove in the team's only run, while Gabriel Perez had two hits.
DSL Red Sox2 vs DSL Indians/Brewers (Canceled, Rain)
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Player of the Night: Three players were 4 for 5 on the day but only one was able to do so with multiple RBI and a home run mixed in and that was Brandon Phillips. Phillips signed a minor league contract on June 27 after first breaking into the big leagues in 2002 and owns hits in nine of his last 10 games, including nine RBI. Wednesday started a modest hitting streak of three games and increased his slash line in Pawtucket to .306/.355/.477 with three home runs. Phillips has also only struck out just 19 times in 111 at-bats.
Photo Credit: Brandon Phillips by Kelly O'Connor
Photo Credit: Brandon Phillips by Kelly O'Connor