May 24, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Mayer homers twice; Portland and Salem each walk off
5/24 Cup of Coffee: It was a great night down on the farm, as all four affiliates won. Four different players had two-home-run games, and both Portland and Salem erased three-run deficits in the ninth inning. Stephen Scott (pictured) was the hero for Portland, while Ahbram Liendo and Roman Anthony came through for Salem. Marcelo Mayer stayed hot for Greenville as well. On the mound, Matt Dermody, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Chih-Jung Liu delivered terrific starts.
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The Sox had the long ball working in this one, belting a whopping six home runs. David Hamilton and Niko Goodrum, the first two hitters in the lineup, put up identical stat lines, as they each went 2 for 5 with a pair of solo home runs. Nick Sogard belted a three-run homer, while Daniel Palka went 2 for 4 with a home run and three runs driven in. Jorge Alfaro continued his great season at the plate with a couple hits including a double, and Ryan Fitzgerald pitched in as well with a couple of two-baggers himself. It wasn't just the offense showing off, however, as Matt Dermody delivered a tremendous seven innings on the mound. He allowed three runs but struck out a season-high 11 with just one walk. Jake Faria and Kaleb Ort finished it out with a scoreless inning each, with Ort punching out three in his frame.
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Portland came storming back from a three-run deficit in the ninth inning to win it. Stephen Scott was the hero, blasting a three-run walk-off home run with one down in the ninth. It was Scott's second home run of the night, as he also hit a solo shot in the fifth. Philip Sikes also went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk, and Nick Yorke worked three walks. Chih-Jung Liu delivered another good start, allowing just one run over 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and only one hit allowed. The 24-year-old lowered his season ERA to 2.85. Theo Denlinger stuck out a pair in 1 2/3 scoreless frames, and Luis Guerrero grabbed his second win of the year, allowing a run in 1 2/3 innings.
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Marcelo Mayer led the way in this one, going 2 for 5 with two home runs. The organization's top prospect has been scorching in May, now hitting .377/.404/.717 in 13 games this month. Eddinson Paulino had himself a nice night as well, going 2 for 5 with three runs scored. Blaze Jordan and Alex Erro also chipped in with two hits each. Angel Bastardo started and did not allow a run over four innings. He stuck out six and walked four. Casey Cobb and Maceo Campbell each tossed a couple scoreless innings as well, with Cobb punching out two and Cambell fanning three.
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Like Portland, Salem also came back from a three-run deficit in the ninth inning to win. The Red Sox hit for the cycle as a team in the ninth, as Luis Ravelo got it started with a one-out single. Juan Chacon tripled him home, and then Ahbram Liendo belted a game-tying two-run homer. Enderso Lira and Roman Anthony finished it off with back-to-back doubles. Chacon's triple was his second triple of the night and fifth of the season. He also singled and walked. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz had a nice night on the bump with 10 strikeouts in five innings. The 19-year-old right-hander allowed three runs on four hits and walked only one. Gabriel Jackson tossed three scoreless innings before Michael Valera stuck out a pair in a scoreless inning of his own. The contest also featured the return of Miguel Bleis to the Salem lineup after missing two weeks with shoulder soreness. He got the start at DH and hit second in the lineup, going 0 for 4.
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Player of the Day: Stephen Scott continued his tremendous season offensively with two home runs, four RBI, and a season-high eight total bases. The catcher is now hitting .283/.383/.511 on the season with 10 extra-base hits and 17 RBI.
Photo Credit: Stephen Scott by Kelly O'Connor