April 30, 2019 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Mata and Duran sharp in Salem loss
4/30 Cup of Coffee: With Greenville off and the second game of Pawtucket's doubleheader postponed, the affiliates only played three games on Monday night. Jarren Duran (pictured) stayed hot for Salem, coming up a home run shy of the cycle with his three-hit night while Bryan Mata got the start and pitched well. Elsewhere Pawtucket came up short, despite launching three home runs, and Portland won a shootout in Hartford.
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A barrage of home runs was not enough to lift the PawSox over Buffalo on Monday night. Josh Tobias, Mike Miller, and Bryce Brentz each homered, with Miller adding another single. Chad De La Guerra also collected two singles, while Sam Travis singled and walked twice. On the mound, Chandler Shepherd struggled from the get-go, battling through three innings while surrendering nine runs (eight earned). Travis Lakins came on in relief and was tagged for three hits and one earned run in his 1 1/3 innings of work. Jeremy Bleich closed out the game with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two.
Pawtucket Red Sox @ Buffalo Bisons (TOR) PPD (inclement weather)
The nightcap of Monday's doubleheader was postponed due to rain. The PawSox will make up the game tomorrow, with a doubleheader beginning at 5:05 PM.
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Things got off to a rocky start for Portland, as Darwinzon Hernandez struggled in his first start since his cup of coffee with the Red Sox. Hernandez didn't make it out of the first inning, surrendering five earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Matt Kent came on to stop the bleeding and earned the win, going 5 1/3 innings and only giving up one run while striking out four. Zach Schellenger pitched a scoreless seventh inning, and Andrew Schwaab earned the save for Portland with his two scoreless frames to close out the game.
The Sea Dog's offense was lifted by strong performances up and down the order. Marcus Wilson and Brett Netzer each homered for Portland with Netzer also adding a single. Bobby Dalbec went 2 for 5 and drove in a run, while Luke Tendler stroked two singles and a double. CJ Chatham chipped in with a single, a walk, and an RBI.
The Sea Dog's offense was lifted by strong performances up and down the order. Marcus Wilson and Brett Netzer each homered for Portland with Netzer also adding a single. Bobby Dalbec went 2 for 5 and drove in a run, while Luke Tendler stroked two singles and a double. CJ Chatham chipped in with a single, a walk, and an RBI.
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Bryan Mata was on the bump for Salem and pitched well, going five innings and striking out four. The righty only allowed three baserunners on the night but was let down by his defense whose errors cost him two unearned runs. Alex Demchak was hit hard out of the bullpen, surrendering three runs in his two innings. Andrew Politi was sharp, tossing two shutout innings and striking out three.
The Salem offense was led by none other than Jarren Duran who tallied three hits, including a double and a triple. Pedro Castellanos also got in on the action with three hits of his own, stroking two doubles and driving in a pair of runs. Garrett Benge also collected two hits while Victor Acosta drove in the other run for Salem. Marco Hernandez went 0 for 5 and scored a run while also being held responsible for an error.
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Player of the Day: It was Jarren Duran's turn to earn Player of the Day honors Monday night, beating out teammates Pedro Castellanos and Bryan Mata. Duran continued his conquest of the Carolina League with his 3-for-5 night, raising his batting average on the season to a scorching .404 with a 1.027 OPS.
Photo Credit: Jarren Duran by Kelly O'Connor