June 11, 2019 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Casas, Scherff drive Greenville
6/11 Cup of Coffee: It was a slow day for the Red Sox system, with just one full season affiliate in action. Both Portland and Pawtucket had days off while Salem saw its game delayed due to weather. However, due to an offensive barrage by Triston Casas (pictured), it was far from a quiet night, as Casas nearly single-handedly willed the Drive to victory. Alex Scherff was excellent on the mound for Greenville, while Bryan Gonzalez continued to dominate DSL pitching with another impressive performance.
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Salem Red Sox @ Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) PPD (Inclement weather)
Monday night's contest was postponed after the field conditions were deemed unplayable due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Tuesday starting at 5:00 PM.
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A mammoth performance from SoxProspects.com's May Player of the Month Triston Casas helped lead Greenville to an easy win in the series opener. Casas went 4 for 5 with a home run, a double, and four RBI in addition to two runs scored. Not to be outdone, Jordan Wren added a double of his own as part of a three-hit night and also scored a pair of runs. Kole Cottam and Tyler Esplin each chipped in with a pair of hits.
Alex Scherff was on the mound for Greenville and put in one of his best performances of the season. The righty allowed just one run on two hits and three walks in six innings pitched, while also striking out five. Angel Padron allowed a run in his two innings pitched out of the bullpen but also punched out three Kannapolis batters. Yorvin Pantoja closed things out with a perfect ninth inning.
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It was a rough day at the office for the DSL Red Sox1 squad who found themselves trailing early and never really showed signs of life until the seventh inning. Starter Gabriel Jackson was hit hard, allowing three earned runs in three innings despite not surrendering an extra-base hit. Royman Blanco relieved him and was excellent, striking out three across three scoreless innings. The Athletics were able to get to Nixson Ramirez for two insurance runs (one earned) despite the lefty striking out six batters. At the plate, Albert Feliz continued to showcase his power by smacking his fourth long ball of the season. For the second game in a row, Eduardo Vaughan notched a pair of hits, this time lacing his second and third doubles of the season.
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An offensive onslaught helped the DSL Red Sox2 rout their split-squad opponents, with Bryan Gonzalez once again finding himself in the center of the action. Gonzalez was 3 for 5 with a triple and was involved in four of the Red Sox 10 runs. Batting behind him in the clean-up spot, Luis Mota also collected a trio of hits, though all three were singles. Gregori Custodio doubled and stole a base in a two-hit effort, while Juan Rojas and Naysbel Marcano each added a double apiece. Angeudis Santos chipped in with a single, a walk, two stolen bases, and two runs scored.
The Red Sox pitching staff was almost as dominant as the offense, allowing only four hits and three walks in the game. Carlos Reyes got the start and allowed only one run in four innings pitched in which he struck out four batters. Pitching in relief Faysel Gregorio allowed only one unearned run in his three innings pitched while Jose Ramirez struck out a pair in two scoreless innings.
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Player of the Day: It was a slow start to the season for Triston Casas, but since the calendar turned to May the former first-round pick has been reborn at the plate. At the end of April, the strong lefty was batting just .208 with a pair of home runs to his name, but a monster May has given way to an equally impressive June which has seen him put up a .316/.366/.500 line. Casas has now raised his OPS .867 and will look to carry his strong performance into the South Atlantic League All-Star Game, where he will represent Greenville on the Southern Division Roster.
Photo Credit: Triston Casas by Kelly O'Connor
Photo Credit: Triston Casas by Kelly O'Connor