September 24, 2021 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Crawford, Casas lead Worcester to win
9/24 Cup of Coffee: Worcester was again the only game in action stateside last night, as they made it back-to-back wins against Rochester. The offense recorded eight runs on 12 hits, led again by Triston Casas and his three-RBI night. Kutter Crawford (pictured) also racked up the strikeouts, picking up his third win since his promotion. The DSL teams split on Thursday, with the Blue squad getting the win to move 1/2 a game out of first place.
-----
Kutter Crawford started this one and impressed, going the first five innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out nine and walked just one hitter. Colten Brewer had a very nice outing out of the bullpen tossing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no free passes. John Schreiber finished it off by striking out the side in the ninth inning.
The Sox saw offensive contributions from everybody, as all nine starters reached base, with eight of the nine recording at least one hit. Triston Casas went 1 for 4 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, and three runs batted in. Jack Lopez and Jarren Duran doubled, while Jonathan Arauz, Taylor Motter, Jeter Downs, and Johan Mieses each picked up two singles. Duran also swiped a pair of bags, giving him 15 thefts with Worcester this year.
-----
Team Blue won their third straight and now sit just 1/2 a game behind the DSL Rangers1 for the North Division title. Jedixson Paez was excellent in his start, allowing just one hit in three shutout innings, striking out three without issuing a walk. Carlos Velez didn't miss a beat in relief, matching Paez's one hit through three scoreless and one-upping him in the strikeout category with four. Jhostynxon Garcia led the way at the plate with a three-run homer in the sixth, his fourth round-tripper of the year. Garcia added a single and was also hit by a pitch, scoring a pair of runs on the day.
-----
Blue beat Red in this game as well, but this time it was the Royals Blue squad who prevailed. Team Red was limited to six hits, with Ahbram Liendo and Kelvin Diaz picking up triples. Diaz was also hit by a pitch and stole a base. Francis Hernandez got the start and took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 4 2/3, striking out four without a walk.
-----
Player of the Day: Kutter Crawford continued to strikeout batters at a high rate, something he has done all season long. Even in the month of August, when he posted a 5,79 ERA, he still struck out 34 batters in 23 1/3 innings. He has continued that in September, with 25 strikeouts and five walks in 15 1/3 frames. Last night was his fourth consecutive start with Worcester with at least seven strikeouts.
Photo Credit: Kutter Crawford by Kelly O'Connor