September 1, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Greenville and Lowell eliminated from playoff contention
9/1 Cup of Coffee: With the GCL playoffs already over, it is now official that no other Red Sox affiliate will play in the postseason. Greenville and Lowell were eliminated on Friday night while Pawtucket, Portland, and Salem were previously eliminated from contention. Rafael Devers (pictured, right) continued his rehab assignment, while Yasel Santana had a tremendous debut for Lowell.
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Rafael Devers played for the third straight night, going 1 for 3 with two strikeouts and a throwing error. The single was one of only three hits for the PawSox, with a Brandon Phillips solo home run and a Tony Renda single being the only other damage. Renda also stole a base, while Phillips slugged his third home run in the last nine games. Chandler Shepherd was the tough-luck loser, dropping to 7-10 after allowing two runs in six innings. Matthew Gorst followed with two innings of one-run ball, striking out three. It was a particularly tough evening for Michael Chavis as he went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts.
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Three Portland pitchers combined to strikeout 12 and give up only five hits in a win over Binghamton. Dedgar Jimenez walked a bit of a tightrope as he issued five walks but he only gave up two hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings. Darwinzon Hernandez came on in relief and walked three and struck out four over two innings while allowing a run. Deiner Lopez led the offense by going 2 for 3 with a triple and a walk while driving in two, and Chris Madera went 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
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Salem was blanked for the second straight night as they were pummeled by the Hillcats. A disappointing season for Jake Thompson came to an end with the Hillcats putting up seven runs on 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings. Thompson entered the year as the 15th ranked prospect in the system, but after pitching to a 5.30 ERA, he has dropped to 26th in the latest SoxProspects.com rankings. Durbin Feltman pitched more than one inning for the second time in 21 games this year, allowing two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four.
Salem had three hits and two walks a night after notching only two hits and drawing four walks.
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The Drive were officially eliminated from playoff contention as a late rally fell short. Angel Padron was hit hard as he surrendered 12 hits and five runs in six innings. A three-run home run from Tanner Nishioka in the seventh inning got the Drive within one, and they put runners on second and third in the ninth, but Charlie Madden grounded out to end it. Jarren Duran did his best to keep the playoff hopes alive as he went 2 for 4 and had an outfield assist, and Kervin Suarez hit a leadoff home run to open the scoring.
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Yasel Santana took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in his New York-Penn League debut, but the offense could not get anything going against the ValleyCats. With the loss Lowell is now eliminated from the wild card race. Santana allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out seven over five scoreless innings. The 21-year-old had a 1.97 ERA in 45 2/3 innings with the GCL Red Sox. The Spinners managed only two hits, a Trey Ganns double and a Xavier LeGrant single. 2017 second-round pick Cole Brannen went 0 for 2 and is now 0 for 28 since returning from the disabled list.
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Player of the Night: Signed for only $10,000 last July, Yasel Santana certainly looks like a bargain in his second year in the system. The 21-year-old had great numbers in the GCL, striking out almost a batter per inning while walking under two batters per nine innings. He carried that success with him to Lowell as he made a great first impression with the Spinners. SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall saw Santana in spring training and had his velocity up to 95, though Santana struggled with his control. He has put up low walk numbers all year while still missing bats, and he will be an intriguing arm to watch in the lower minors next season.
Photo Credit: Rafael Devers by Kelly O'Connor