July 15, 2021 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Ockimey powers WooSox; Koss rips four hits
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Worcester went shorthanded into its doubleheader with first-place Scranton following the news that Jarren Duran would be promoted to the major league squad. Josh Ockimey did his part to pick up the slack, blasting a pair of solo homers off top Yankee pitching prospect Deivi Garcia. Yairo Munoz added a pair of hits. Despite taking the loss, Kyle Hart went the distance for the (seven-inning) complete game. Hart allowed four runs 10 hits, striking out eight, and walking three.
After dropping the opener, things looked bleak again for Worcester in the nightcap trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Ockimey broke through with an RBI single, followed by a base hit by Tate Matheny that knotted the score. Franchy Cordero played the hero in the seventh, hitting a one-out triple and racing home on a wild pitch for the victory. Pushed into a starting role, John Schreiber was excellent for the WooSox, giving up just two hits across four scoreless innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. Scranton scored a pair off of Marcus Walden, and Jose Adames earned the win with a scoreless seventh, his third straight appearance without allowing a run since his promotion from Double-A Portland.
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The Sea Dogs never trailed, extending their winning streak to nine games. Triston Casas pulled further from his June power outage, blasting his second homer in as many nights. His two-run shot in the fifth inning broke a 2-2 tie. The 2018 first-round pick still has not struck out in the month of July, a stretch that now covers 40 plate appearances over 11 games. Ronaldo Hernandez doubled twice, walked, and drove in a run. Joey Meneses ripped his organization-leading 22nd double of the year, while Grant Williams also had a two-base hit as part of his two-hit effort. Enmanuel De Jesus picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings, striking out seven, and walking two before a trio of relievers slammed the door with four shutout innings.
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The Drive were in full control, starting with the strongest appearance by Grant Gambrell since his acquisition a month ago. Gambrell scattered four hits across five scoreless innings, striking out eight and walking a pair. A four-hit night by Christian Koss led the offensive attack. Koss added a walk as well as a run scored and an RBI. After slumping to a .230/.301/.327 line over the first two months of the season, Koss is hitting .432/.500/.730 in 10 July contests. Tyler Dearden, Nick Sogard, and Elih Marrero all went deep for Greenville.
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A five-run outburst in the second inning gave Salem a lead it would not relinquish. Nick Yorke returned to the Sox lineup after missing a week to provide a spark out of the leadoff spot. He reached on an error and scored as part of the second-inning rally, and also added a walk. Gilberto Jimenez singled, walked, and drove in a pair, as he is now riding a modest six-game hitting streak. Starter Jorge Rodriguez allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in three innings. Dylan Roedahl struck out three in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen to get credit for the win.
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Player of the Day: Josh Ockimey has become a staple in the Red Sox system. One of only three remaining players in the organization from the 2014 draft, Ockimey now has 91 homers in 617 over parts of seven seasons. Strikeouts have been a problem for the big first baseman at the Triple-A level, but he now has 10 home runs on the year, seven of which have come in 19 games since the start of June.
Photo Credit: Josh Ockimey by Kelly O'Connor