August 23, 2022 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Roman Anthony runs hitting streak to 9, Yosander Asencio goes 4 for 5
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The Red Sox scored seven runs between the seventh and eighth innings, but as they were down 9-0 after six frames, it was not enough to secure a victory. Roman Anthony continued his torrid start to his professional career with a 2-for-4 performance and now sports a 1.031 OPS over 36 plate appearances. He was joined in the multi-hit club by Ahbram Liendo, who was 2 for 3. Jedixson Paez had a trying outing on the mound, as he completed just four innings and surrendered three runs on four hits. He was followed by six relievers, only two of whom recorded more than two outs. Nate Tellier struck out both of the batters he faced, while Michael Valera had a clean eighth inning with a pair of punchouts.
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In a game that was originally cut short with Kansas City leading 4-0 in the fourth, Blue came storming back with a nine-run seventh to take home the win. Andy Lugo, who had three RBI, as well as Rivaldo Avila, had two hits, each while Kelvin Diaz drilled a two-run home run from the leadoff spot. The Red Sox combined to generate 13 base on balls and three more batters were hit by a pitch. Wandy Abreu was most impressive on the mound, striking out five batters over three innings of no-hit relief, while Andres Ortuno closed the game with two frames of shutout ball.
The Red Sox would dig themselves no such hole in the regularly scheduled contest, scoring the game's first seven runs on the way to yet another win. Lugo, who was 2 for 4, got it started with a solo home run in the third. He was joined by Marvin Alcantara and Albertson Asigen with two base knocks. While the Blue pitching staff recorded just six strikeouts, they were effective nonetheless. Ruben De La Cruz handled the middle innings, contributing 3 1/3 frames of one-hit ball, striking out a pair in the process. He followed Denison Sanchez, who did not surrender a run, but did walk three hitters and was only able to record two outs.
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In the battle of red-denoted DSL affiliates, the Red Sox would come out on top, in no small part due to a five-run eighth. Yosander Asencio was a big part of the offense, with a 4-for-5 day, including a pair of two-baggers and three RBI. The rest of his teammates combined for just five hits. On the mound, Yonfi Rodriguez, who finished the contest with just one hit and walk each over 2 2/3 innings of work. Dennis Reguillo and Andres Jimenez each surrendered three runs, two of which were earned, with a walk and a strikeout. The only difference was the length of the outing, as Reguillo did so over four innings, while Jimenez was over 2 1/3 frames.
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Player of the Day: Roman Anthony has had a very strong start to his professional career. The 18-year-old has played in nine professional games since being drafted in July and has a hit in each one, including five consecutive multi-hit outings with his 2-for-4 performance on Monday. This works out to a .469/.500/.531 line over 36 professional plate appearances. While this is certainly a small sample size and he surely will not continue to record a hit in nearly half of his at-bats, the 14th-ranked prospect has put bat to ball and that should help his plus raw power play as he physically matures with age.
Photo Credit: Roman Anthony by Kelly O'Connor