Cup of Coffee: Mieses keeps mashing; Bello cruises for Drive

5/27 Cup of Coffee: It was a night of extremes in the system, with a pair of affiliates getting no-hit into the late innings while the other two were seeing offensive explosions. Johan Mieses (pictured) had seven total bases through four innings to lead the Portland charge, while 22 Greenville baserunners supported a superlative effort from starting pitcher Brayan Bello. Salem nearly pulled off an unlikely comeback after going hitless into the seventh inning, and Worcester came within two outs of ignominy.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 6, Worcester Red Sox 0

Worcester was able to avoid being no-hit, and that was about the sum of the positive news out of Allentown on Wednesday. After a quartet of IronPig hurlers held the WooSox hitless through 8 1/3, Michael Chavis ripped a single to center for the only knock of the evening. Kyle Hart did not allow a run in his first three innings of work, extended his scoreless streak to 20 innings across three hits. Lehigh Valley jumped on the lefty in the fourth, quickly hanging five runs on him. Brandon Workman was a bright spot out of the bullpen, striking out a pair in a perfect sixth inning and throwing 11 of 13 pitches for strikes. 

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 1 (5 innings)

Only the weather proved able to stop the hit parade, as the Sea Dogs pounded out 12 hits in four innings before rain put an early end to the contest. Johan Mieses missed out on a chance at hitting for the cycle, as the right fielder homered, doubled, and singled in his three at-bats. Pedro Castellanos, Tanner Nishioka, and Roldani Baldwin joined in the fun with two hits apiece. Kutter Crawford gets credit for the first complete game in the system at any level for his five-inning effort. Crawford allowed one run on just four hits, striking out five without issuing a walk. 

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Greenville Drive 9, Rome Braves (ATL) 3

It has been an outstanding start to the year for Brayan Bello. The 22-year-old righty allowed one run on just two hits in five innings of work, striking out seven without walking a batter. Bello's efficiency was just as impressive as his dominance, as he needed only 60 pitches to get through those five innings, throwing 43 strikes. In 21 1/3 innings across four starts, Bello has a 2.11 ERA, 0.844 WHIP, 30 strikeouts, and four walks. The Greenville lineup wore out Rome pitching, working 12 walks in addition to nine hits as eight players reached base multiple times. Tyreque Reed blasted his seventh homer of the season and added a pair of walks. Cameron Cannon turned in yet another multi-hit game, going 2 for 6 out of the leadoff slot. 

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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (CHC) 6, Salem Red Sox 5

It was a strange evening in Salem, as the Sox didn't collect their first hit until the seventh inning. A Ceddanne Rafaela two-run double broke up the no-hit bid and narrowed the deficit to 4-3. Salem was able to even the contest, but Myrtle Beach added a pair in the top of the eighth to secure the win. Shane Drohan got the start, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits in his four innings, walking one and striking out two. Jaxx Groshans was the only starter to reach base multiple times, submitting a double and a walk. Nick Yorke has quietly pieced together an eight-game hitting streak. The 2020 first-round pick singled and stole a base in the loss. 

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Player of the Day: In 2015, Keury De La Cruz led the Portland Sea Dogs in home runs, hitting nine in a 142 game season. On Wednesday, in the 20th game of 2021, Johan Mieses matched that total. The Double-A Northeast parks that largely made up the former Eastern League were hardly known as a home run hitter's paradise, making Mieses' early-season power surge all the more impressive. Among minor leaguers, Mieses trails only Angels outfielder Jo Adell. 

Photo Credit: Johan Mieses by Kelly O'Connor

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