July 2, 2019 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Dalbec homers twice as Houck dazzles
7/2 Cup of Coffee: It was an eventful night in the Red Sox system as multiple players put together shining performances. Bobby Dalbec (pictured) and Tanner Houck teamed up to down the Thunder, while Salem found some power from three unlikely sources in support of an excellent outing from Jhonathan Diaz. In Lowell, Joe Davis launched the first home run of his pro career as Lowell sailed past the Lake Monsters.
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It was a day to forget for the PawSox as they fell behind early and never came close to getting back into the game. Erasmo Ramirez got the start for Pawtucket and was solid, allowing four runs in six innings pitched. Dan Runzler allowed an additional run in his two innings out of the bullpen, and Travis Lakins contributed with a scoreless ninth. The only extra-base hit came off the bat of Rusney Castillo, one of only four hits the PawSox would muster in the contest.
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Every member of the Sea Dogs lineup collected a hit, but it was the usual suspects who sealed the victory for Portland. For the third time this season, Bobby Dalbec launched multiple long balls, giving him three RBI and his seventeenth home run of the season. Jarren Duran continued his strong run with another multi-hit effort, his third in five days, while also stealing two bases. Batting in front of Dalbec, CJ Chatham had his twentieth multi-hit game of the season, while Jhon Nunez also chipped in with a pair of singles.
Tanner Houck faced off against the first half Eastern Division champions and proved that he was more than up for the challenge. Houck scattered four hits across seven innings, surrendering just an unearned run while punching out four. Kevin Lenik was just as impressive out of the pen, striking out four across two scoreless innings.
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A power display and a strong pitching performance helped Salem trounce their Houston counterparts. The Red Sox launched three home runs courtesy of Samuel Miranda, Jagger Rusconi, and Nick Lovullo. The long ball was the lone hit of the night for Rusconi, but Miranda added a triple while Lovullo added a single and two runs scored. Keith Curcio and Marcus Wilson notched two singles apiece, and Edgar Corcino chipped in with a double.
For his third start in a row, Jhonathan Diaz surrendered one earned run or less as he struck out seven batters across seven shut out innings. Zach Schellenger could not get out of the eighth as he surrendered three earned runs in just 2/3 innings out of the pen, but Andrew Schwaab managed to close things out with 1 2/3 scoreless, tacking on a pair of strikeouts.
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The Drive couldn't get anything going at the plate as they were held to just five hits on the night. The only player to collect multiple hits was Tyler Esplin who singled twice, while Devlin Granberg and Brandon Howlett each laced a double. Chris Machamer struggled, allowing five earned runs in five innings pitched as he collected the loss. Oddanier Mosqueda fared better out of the pen as he allowed just one earned run in three innings pitched, but it was not enough for Greenville.
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Joe Davis had it going on Saturday as his bat led Lowell to victory. The mustachioed Davis launched the first home run of his pro career and added a double as he drove in five of the Spinners' seven runs. Joining Davis in recording two hits was Nick Decker, while Elih Marrero doubled and scored two runs. On the mound, Bryan Lucas was excellent, firing five scoreless innings and striking out four. The rehabbing Jeremy Bleich was tagged for an earned run in his two innings out of the pen, and Osvaldo De La Rosa and Kris Jackson each added a scoreless inning of relief.
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It was a frustrating day at the ballpark for the Red Sox as they were unable to capitalize on the eight walks taken in the game. Catcher Austin Rei made his 2019 debut as he began his rehab assignment, walking once before being pulled after two at-bats. Ceddanne Rafaela had the only standout performance on offense as he singled and swiped two bases. Dominic D'Allessandro and Dean Miller each added a pair of walks. Felix Cepeda was on the bump for the Red Sox and allowed three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched, while Devon Roedahl allowed an earned run in 1 2/3 innings out of the pen.
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Despite only logging seven hits the Red Sox took advantage of a wild Braves staff to get 11 runs across the plate. Once again, Brainer Bonaci found himself in the thick of things, lacing a double and driving in three as part of his two-hit effort. Not to be outdone, Erick Flores notched a double and single himself, but added a pair of walks to help him score three times. Eduardo Vaughan came away with a pair of hits for the second straight game while Darel Belen capped off a monster fourth inning with an RBI triple.
Although he only allowed five batters total, starter Wilkelman Gonzalez had his worst start of the summer as he allowed three runs in three innings pitched. Jesus Rosillo was excellent in relief, hurling five scoreless innings and striking out four despite allowing five free passes. Royman Blanco pitched a shutout ninth in which he struck out a pair of batters
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The Red Sox struggled on both sides of the ball as they fell Monday afternoon. Frailyn Sanchez was on the bump for the DSL Red Sox2 squad and surrendered two runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Relieving him was Efren Diaz who was likewise roughed up to the tune of three runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 frames, and Felix Gomez who allowed two unearned runs in his inning of work. It was a light day at the plate for the Red Sox with only Angeudis Santos collecting multiple hits with his pair of singles. The only other notable performance came from Luis Mota who doubled, walked, and scored a run.
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Player of the Day: It has been an up and down season for Bobby Dalbec who has seen an excellent May sandwiched by months below the Mendoza line. One thing has stayed true for the slugger, however, as he has been able to find his power stroke over and is now on pace to outdo his 2018 home run total. Perhaps, more importantly, Dalbec has seen his strikeout numbers drop in 2019, as he has 13 fewer strikeouts than he had at this time last season.
Photo Credit: Bobby Dalbec by Kelly O'Connor