August 8, 2021 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Munoz extends hitting streak; Davis goes yard
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It took until the ninth, but a Tate Matheny two-run home run was enough to give the visiting side the win, despite a run in the bottom half. Worcester had plenty of baserunners, notching nine hits, but it took until the team's final at-bat to push through. Yairo Munoz extended his hitting streak to 29 games with a pair of singles, while Jeremy Rivera and Matheny each had two knocks as well. Chris Sale was on the mound in another rehab start, pitching 4 2/3 shutout innings before reaching his 90-pitch limit. He surrendered three hits and walks each, but struck out eight hitters. Brandon Brennan added 1 1/3 shutout frames in relief, while Durbin Feltman did the same across two full innings. Zack Kelly completed the game, earning the save despite allowing the RailRiders' only run.
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Eight of the nine Sea Dogs hitters recorded hits as Portland exploded for nine runs. Binghamton scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the visitors punched back for seven in the next half inning, punctuated by a Hudson Potts grand slam. Potts was one of four with two hits, including Pedro Castellanos, Devlin Granberg and Jeisson Rosario. Each of the three doubled, while Rosario added a three-bagger as well. On the mound was Victor Santos, who pitched the first six innings. He scattered four hits and one run, with a single walk and nine strikeouts. Matthew Kent handled the seventh without issue, but all four runs in the eighth came on his tab, coming on four hits and a pair of walks. Dominic LoBrutto was given the ninth and split a single with two strikeouts.
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Joe Davis was 3 for 5, adding a two-run home run, in the dominant win. He and Stephen Scott, who also went deep, were the only two hitters with multiple hits, despite the 11-run tally. The bullpen was exceptional, pitching 4 2/3 no-hit innings. The headliner was Dylan Spacke, who contributed three perfect innings with five strikeouts. He was followed by Brendan Cellucci, who added a clean ninth. Yusniel Padron-Artiles earned the start, giving his team 4 1/3 innings. He surrendered three runs on five hits, with a pair of walks against five strikeouts.
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Salem scored three runs in the bottom of the first and took the momentum to secure a victory. Shane Drohan had a strong five-inning outing, giving up three hits and one run. He also walked two and struck out five. Jordan DiValerio allowed three hits across his two innings of work, but did not surrender a run, while Devon Roedahl added a clean ninth for the save. Nick Decker, who had Salem's only extra-base hit, was 2 for 5, while Alex Erro had two singles as well.
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Two hits each from Tyler Miller and Miguel Ugueto was the only offense for the home side in the cross-Fort Myers showdown, as the Red Sox came up short. Ugueto scored on a balk in the seventh inning. Juan Daniel Encarnacion was on the hill and pitched four innings, experiencing a trying outing. He gave up six hits and all five runs crossed the plate on his watch, of which four were earned. However, he did strike out seven against one walk. Gregori Segovia (one inning) and Reidis Sena (two innings) each coughed up a hit in relief.
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It was a hit-fest at the academy, as the two teams combined for 23 hits in a game that was full of offense. Five players had a pair of hits, including Kevin Garcia, Luis Ravelo and Albertson Asigen for Red, while Lyonell James and Armando Sierra did so for Blue. Yizreel Burnett earned the start for Blue and gave a strong four-inning outing. He was charged with two runs on six hits, while he walked one against a pair of punchouts. Opposing him was Francis Hernandez who was just as good across 4 2/3 frames. He surrendered just one run on three hits, with four strikeouts against a single free pass. Royman Blanco was the most impressive reliever, throwing two shutout innings with just a walk and a hit against two strikeouts.
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Player of the Day: All Joe Davis does is hit. He clubbed his 16th home run this season, including his sixth with Greenville in just 66 at-bats, as part of a 3-for-5 performance. This is a good thing for him, as almost all of his value is tied in his bat as a first base-only prospect. While he is not a liability defensively, he'll have to keep hitting to continue moving up the ladder. Davis has a career .322/.360/.551 line in 401 at-bats, including .345/.384/.612 in 189 at-bats so far in 2021.
Photo Credit: Joe Davis by Kelly O'Connor