May 23, 2021 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Duran goes deep twice; Dearden stays hot
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Worcester rebounded from a tough loss on Friday to topple the Bisons on the back of strong pitching and four home runs. Raynel Espinal earned the win, holding the Bisons to just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out nine over five innings. Bobby Poyner and Kevin McCarthy teamed up for two innings of one-run ball while Matt Hall surrendered Buffalo's final two runs in his two innings of work.
Jarren Duran exploded out of the leadoff spot, going five for five with two home runs, a double, while tallying three RBI and three runs scored. Duran launched his sixth and seventh home runs of the season, joining Jeter Downs and Yairo Muñoz, who hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Other than Duran's offensive outburst, Jett Bandy was the lone player to generate more than one hit, going 2 for 4 and scoring a single run.
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Portland struck first, and last, as they ultimately came from behind in the top of the ninth to capture the win. The Fisher Cats got to Frank German for two runs in both the third and fourth innings. German allowed an additional run to score in the fifth before Dominic LoBrutto came on in relief. LoBrutto allowed an inherited runner to cross before the bullpen closed the door on New Hampshire's offense. Tyler Olson, Jake Thompson, and Jose Adames combined to throw the final three hitless innings for Portland.
Joey Meneses led the Portland offense with a 3-for-5 night, including a double, and two RBI. Triston Casas went 2 for 4 with a triple, a walk, and two runs scored. Pinch-hitting for Jeisson Rosario, Roldani Baldwin struck the decisive blow in the ninth, smacking a one-out, two-on triple to drive in the tying runs before crossing the plate on a Pedro Castellanos single.
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The Drive built up an early lead against the Tourists and held on, despite some wild pitching and a late-inning push from the Tourists. Jay Groome breezed through his first three innings of work, walking just one and striking out seven before things went downhill in the fourth. The 22-year-old recorded two quick outs before allowing a single and issuing three straight walks to plate Asheville's first run. Oddanier Mosqueda came in to close out the fourth and followed up with two more scoreless innings to earn the win.
Tyler Dearden, fresh off last night's PotD performance, opened the scoring in the second inning, hitting his fourth home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 evening. Dearden crossed the plate again in the fourth after a Nick Sogard double. Christian Koss and Michael Osinski each chipped in two hits on the night.
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A day after notching their first win of the season, the FredNats found themselves back in the loss column at the hand of the Salem Red Sox. The Nationals scored their lone run off of Jeremy Wu-Yelland in the third before Jordan DiValerio came in out of the bullpen with two scoreless innings to notch his fourth win of the season. Brandon Walter and Cody Scroggins closed the door with three combined innings of one-hit baseball.
The top third of Salem's batting order was held in check, as Gilberto Jimenez, Matthew Lugo, and Jaxx Groshans combined to go 0 for 13, though Groshans did draw two walks. Joe Davis went 2 for 4 out of the fourth spot of the lineup, and Ceddanne Rafaela joined him with two hits on the night. Nick Yorke did notch one hit, but on the other side of the ball committed his seventh error of the season.
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Player of the Day: A five-for-five night is almost always enough to earn Player of the Day honors, but a second two-homer game in ten days made this one an easy choice. After a slow start to the season, Jarren Duran continues to swing a hot bat, lacing three extra-base hits in Worcester's win on Saturday. Duran's offensive outburst raised his season line to .299/.390/1.061.
Photo credit: Jarren Duran by Kelly O'Connor