June 13, 2019 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: De La Guerra knocks grand slam; Castillo notches 4 hits
Cup of Coffee 6/13: It was a productive night on the farm, as Red Sox affiliates went 4-2 on Wednesday. Rusney Castillo (pictured) was 4 for 4 and scored twice in Pawtucket's loss, while Chad De La Guerra drilled a grand slam. Tanner Houck and Chase Shugart each had strong performances on the mound for Portland and Greenville, while each DSL squad was successful at the plate with varying degrees of effectiveness on the mound.
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Pawtucket scored six runs in the second inning but trailed 7-6 after the end of the frame. The Red Sox were held scoreless until the eighth, but were unable to muster a comeback. That second frame was headlined by a Chad De La Guerra grand slam, while Rusney Castillo registered a 4 for 4 performance with two runs scored. He had half of his squad's eight hits. Ryan Weber struggled on the mound, allowing seven runs, six of which were earned, on six hits in 1 1/3 innings. He allowed two home runs as well. Steven Wright succeeded in a rehab appearance, pitching three two-hit frames. Jenrry Mejia struck out the side in his inning of work.
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It was scoreless headed into the sixth inning, but a Portland runner crossed the plate in each of its final four at-bats to take home the win. Tanner Houck did his part on the mound, throwing six one-run innings. He struck out six and allowed six hits while not walking a batter. Despite issuing three free passes, Jordan Weems did not allow a hit nor a run in his inning of work, while Adam Lau earned the six-out save. Jeremy Rivera had three RBI, while Luke Tendler hit his fifth home run of the season.
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Salem Red Sox vs. Winston-Salem Dash (CWS), Canceled (Weather)
Salem's date with Winston-Salem was canceled because of persistent rain in the area. The contest will not be made up.
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Chase Shugart continued his string of strong performances to begin his 2019 campaign with 5 2/3 innings of work, allowing only an unearned run on four hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. Oddanier Mosqueda and Logan Browning completed the game with 3 1/3 shutout innings with seven strikeouts. Jordan Wren delivered a two-run double in the fourth and Tyler Esplin provided the insurance run the following frame in the form of a single.
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Each team struck for five runs in the ninth inning, with the Red Sox using a Brainer Bonaci two-RBI double to complete the comeback and walk off with the victory. Bonaci was 3 for 5 and registered almost half of his team's seven base knocks. Richardson Jimenez allowed four runs in his 2 1/3-inning stint out of the bullpen in part because of five walks. The Red Sox offense worked 10 walks and were hit by four more pitches.
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The Rangers led 5-3 after the seventh-inning stretch, but scored 11 runs over their final two at-bats to secure victory. Of the 10 Red Sox players to record an at-bat, nine of them recorded a hit. Frailyn Sanchez, Railin Perez, Armando Acosta and Felix Gomez each allowed more than three earned runs during their tours of duty on the mound. Moises Barajas delivered a three-RBI triple in an eighth-inning pinch-hitting appearance.
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Player of the Night: Perfect nights at the plate are hard to come by and Rusney Castillo was able to do so, despite the losing effort. Castillo's struggles at the major league level have been well-documented, but the Cuban hit .314 and .319 in 2017 and 2018, respectively and has performed well given his situation. His numbers are down overall his season, but he is still slashing .268/.316/.376.