July 29, 2019 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Sturgeon, Brentz, and Hernandez homer for Pawtucket
7/29 Cup of Coffee: The affiliates went 0 for 5 on Sunday, with a few of the teams squandering late leads. Pawtucket scored 10 runs behind an offensive outburst from Cole Sturgeon (pictured, right) but they still came up short. It was a similar story in Portland, while Lowell wasted a strong pitching performance from Aldo Ramirez.
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The ball was flying out of BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, with the two teams combining for nine home runs. Cole Sturgeon had one of his best games of the season, going 3 for 4 with a home run, double, and a stolen base. Gorkys Hernandez also had three hits and a home run, while Bryce Brentz went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run. The offense did not stop there, as Jantzen Witte was on base four times with three hits and a walk, and Chris Owings and Marco Hernandez each had two hits.
The pitching was a different story, with three of the PawSox pitchers struggling mightily. Teddy Stankiewicz was hit hard for 10 hits and seven runs in only 4 2/3 innings. Stankiewicz has been scuffling as of late, giving up 24 runs over his last 32 2/3 innings. Tanner Houck gave up five hits and two runs over 1 1/3 innings, breaking a streak of five straight scoreless appearances. The loss and blown save went to Travis Lakins as he gave up four runs, including a three-run home run in the eighth inning.
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The Sea Dogs bullpen blew a three-run lead, spoiling a strong start from Denyi Reyes. Reyes allowed three runs, two earned, over six innings, striking out seven without walking a batter. Over the last six starts Reyes has an ERA of 1.80 through 40 innings with 24 strikeouts and only four walks. Durbin Feltman gave up a two-run home run in his only inning of work, and Adam Lau took the loss as he gave up four runs in the ninth inning. Feltman now has an ERA of 7.45 over his last nine appearances.
Both Tate Matheny and Jeremy Rivera had three hits, with Matheny adding a double and a stolen base. Luke Tendler had two stolen bases, including one of home, as part of his 2-for-4 performance, and he also added a walk and scored two runs. C.J. Chatham was on base three times via two hits and a walk, and his double was just his ninth extra-base hit of the month.
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A rough start from Dylan Thompson dropped his record to 3-8 as the Red Sox were not able to complete the sweep of the Pelicans. Thompson gave up four runs on six hits over four innings, and Andrew Politi surrendered two runs over his three innings. Pedro Castellanos started the scoring off with a solo home run, and Nick Lovullo, Keith Curcio, and Victor Acosta all went 2 for 4 with a double, with Curcio also adding a triple.
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The Drive managed only three hits and did not draw a walk as they were stifled by the BlueClaws. Triston Casas hit a double in the fourth inning and came around to score on a single from Jordan Wren. Tyler Esplin went 0 for 4 out of the leadoff spot, extending his hitless streak to 19 at-bats. Hunter Haworth got the start and struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings, though he also allowed four runs on four hits. Angel Padron struck out three over 2 1/3 innings as he continued to pitch well out of Greenville's bullpen.
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Lowell's offense was not much better, managing only four hits in a loss to the Yankees. Second-round pick Cameron Cannon went 1 for 3 with a walk as he extended his modest three-game hitting streak, and Dylan Hardy went 1 for 4 with a stolen base. Starter Aldo Ramirez pitched very well, firing four shutout innings, but the Yankees got to Jenrry Mejia for a run in his two innings, and Miguel Suero gave up two runs (one earned) over the final two innings. Mejia has now thrown four innings on his rehab assignment, striking out five while allowing just the one run.
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Player of the Night: Cole Sturgeon did it all on Sunday, hitting a home run and a double while also stealing a base and drawing a walk. The 27-year-old has been alternating between the corner outfield spots for the PawSox, and the home run was his fifth of the year and the steal was his sixth. This continued a good stretch for Sturgeon who is now hitting .316 in his last 16 games.
Photo Credit: Cole Sturgeon by Kelly O'Connor