June 18, 2023 at 7:20 AM
Cup of Coffee: Perales shines for Salem; Anthony sparks Greenville
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Saturday's twinbill started off with a slugfest, as the two teams combined for 22 hits, 14 runs, and four homers in the seven-inning contest. Bobby Dalbec continued to mash, blasting his 17th home run in 50 games at the Triple-A level and adding a double as part of a 3-for-4 effort. Ronaldo Hernandez went deep as part of his 2-for-4 effort, while Enmanuel Valdez delivered a solo shot. Narciso Crook was 2 for 4 with two steals and two RBI. Rio Gomez got the start, surrendering two runs on seven hits in five innings. Oddanier Mosqueda recorded the last out of the sixth inning, getting credit for the win as Worcester scored three in the seventh.
Worcester Red Sox 5, Norfolk Tides 2 (Game 2)
The WooSox had only five hits in the nightcap, and nearly all of the damage came on one of them. Valdez blasted a third-inning grand slam, going deep for the second time on the day and for the fourth time in seven games since rejoining Worcester. David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a walk and his 27th stolen base of the season out of the leadoff spot. Brandon Walter surrendered only three hits and struck out six without walking a batter in 4 1/3 innings but was stung by the long ball, giving up a pair of solo shots. Brandon Nail struck out a pair in 1 2/3 shutout frames to pick up the win, and AJ Politi fired a scoreless seventh for the save.
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It was an all-around effort for Portland as every starter reached base in support of a strong start by Brian Van Belle. The Miami product allowed one run on four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking two. Christopher Troye got himself on track with two scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out three without issuing a walk. Joe Jones struck out a pair and walked one in a hitless ninth inning.
Corey Rosier led the way at the plate, delivering three of Portland's seven doubles as part of a 4-for-5 night, raising his average to .316. Nathan Hickey hit a solo home run in the seventh, his 10th of the season and sixth since his promotion to Portland. Tyler McDonough was 2 for 3 with a double, walk, run scored, and two RBI. Ceddanne Rafaela and Marcelo Mayer had two-baggers as well.
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A trio of the system's top-20 prospects were on display in the Drive victory. Roman Anthony continued his excellent first week since his promotion from Salem. He blasted his second home run of the series as part of a 2-for-3 night that also included two walks, two RBI, and three runs scored. Blaze Jordan was 2 for 3 with a walk, double, run scored, and two runs driven in. This came in support of another good start from Wikelman Gonzalez. The right-hander, ranked 12th in the system, surrendered only two hits in five shutout innings, striking out seven and walking three. After a very difficult April, Gonzalez has posted a 3.03 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 38 2/3 frames since the start of May.
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Luis Perales was again outstanding for Salem, giving up just one hit in a career-high six innings to lead a combined three-hit shutout. It was the second straight start with just one hit allowed for Perales, as he stuck out seven against just one walk. The 20-year-old has allowed a 2.60 ERA in his last eight starts going back to mid-April. Nathanael Cruz and Reidis Sena combined for three scoreless frames to close out the win, both allowing one hit apiece. At the plate, Jhostynxon Garcia was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Luis Ravelo added a pair of hits, while Cutter Coffey had a double and a walk.
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FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins, postponed
The FCL squad had its first postponement of the season as thunderstorms were going through Fort Myers. A makeup date has not yet been announced.
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Team Red outhit the Cubs 8 to 6 but was doomed by a 1-for-13 effort with runners in scoring position. Franklin Arias had a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot and is 10 for 23 on the young season. Juan Henriquez took the loss despite a solid start, giving up one run on four hits in four innings, striking out five and walking one.
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The Blue squad ripped four home runs and 13 hits to come out on top of the Cubs' other DSL affiliate. Frederik Jimenez had two of those homers, solo shots in the third and fourth innings. Yoeilin Cespedes went deep in the first inning, and Cristofher Paniagua delivered a two-run homer in the third. Ricardo Rodriguez got the start, giving up four runs in four innings. Cesar Ruiz gave up two hits and stuck out four in two shutout innings to earn the win.
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Player of the Day: While Luis Perales would certainly have been a worthy choice once again, the nod here goes to Roman Anthony, who has had an outstanding response to what seemed to be an aggressive promotion from Salem. Anthony, the youngest player currently in the South Atlantic League, homered and reached base four times in Saturday's victory. Despite his .228 batting average with Salem, the Red Sox were impressed with his patience at the plate and ability to make hard contact and challenged his approach with the move to High A. In his first five games, he has gone 7 for 21 with eight runs scored, two homers, a double, and three walks -- good for a .333/.417/.667 slash line.
Photo Credit: Roman Anthony by Kelly O'Connor