Cup of Coffee: Duran leads offensive explosion, Dalbec homers again

5/14 Cup of Coffee: Things are as they should be in the Red Sox system, as Jarren Duran (pictured) and Bobby Dalbec filled familiar roles Monday night. Duran reached base five times to lead an offensive barrage for Salem, while Dalbec launched his seventh home run of the season to secure a team victory in Portland. With three SoxProspects.com top-60 prospects on the mound today, each active affiliate received strong pitching performances. Kyle Hart and Kutter Crawford continued their excellent seasons, while Alex Scherff came back into form with a strong start in Asheville.

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 2

A strong team effort helped Portland earn the win at home Monday night, with strong performances on both sides of the ball. Kyle Hart got the start and continued to roll with another excellent outing, surrendering only two earned runs in seven innings. Hart also struck out seven Yard Goats and has now surrendered two or fewer earned runs in each of his last six starts. Brian Ellington and Daniel McGrath each pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, with McGrath earning his first save of the season.

Following up on his colossal performance Saturday night, Bobby Dalbec blasted his seventh home run and walked. Brett Netzer continued his excellent 2019, going 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, and two runs scored. Also getting in on the action were Jake Romanski who doubled and scored a run, and CJ Chatham who drove in a run with a single and walked.

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Salem Red Sox 13, Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) 6

On a warm night in Fayetteville, the Salem bats were red hot, combining for a season-high 18 hits. Six Red Sox starters collected multiple hits, unsurprisingly led by Jarren Duran who laced two doubles, walked twice, and drove in a pair of runs. Pedro Castellanos and Marco Hernandez also bagged three hits (including a double) apiece, with Castellanos also driving in three runs. Attempting to keep pace with his partner in crime Duran, Ryan Fitzgerald added two hits, two RBI, and a walk. Jagger Rusconi and Jonathan Ortega each contributed a pair of hits, with Rusconi doubling and Ortega driving in two runs. Likely inspired by his SoxProspects.com Player of the Week selection, Kutter Crawford was sharp in his start. Crawford went six innings and struck out five while only surrendering a pair of earned runs on six hits and a walk. Devon Fisher struck out a pair in his scoreless inning of relief, and Hunter Smith struggled in his two innings of work but managed to close out the game for Salem.

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Asheville Tourists (COL) 2, Greenville Drive 0

Greenville was unable to get much going offensively Monday afternoon, notching just three hits on the night. Cole Brannen collected yet another hit, while Korby Batesole, and Marino Campana each chipped in with a single of their own. On the mound, Alex Scherff collected the tough-luck loss. The young righty went five innings and only allowed a pair of solo home runs while striking out five. Yoan Aybar followed Scherff by pitching a perfect sixth inning, and Oddanier Mosqueda closed out the game with two scoreless innings of relief.

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Player of the Day: Despite a two-game "slump" that saw his average fall to a mere .377, Jarren Duran has once again been red hot at the plate. With his 3-for-3, two-walk, performance Monday night, Duran has now notched a hit in 13 of his last 20 at-bats and raised his batting average to a blistering .412. 

Photo Credit: Jarren Duran by Kelly O'Connor

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