July 9, 2023 at 7:16 AM
Cup of Coffee: Mayer, Yorke, Guerrero shine in Futures Game; Anthony goes deep for Greenville
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It was a tough night for the American League representatives through no fault of the Red Sox contingent. Marcelo Mayer, Boston's top-ranked prospect, got the start at shortstop in the second spot in the lineup. He singled in his lone plate appearance and stole second base. Nick Yorke assumed his usual spot as Mayer's double-play partner and a less-familiar slot in the batting order, hitting ninth. He also had a single, the highlight of a 1-for-3 effort. Luis Guerrero came out of the bullpen to strike out the only batter he faced.
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Back in regularly affiliated action, Brian Van Belle made his Triple-A debut at Polar Park. The 26-year-old righty picked up the win, allowing three runs on three hits in five innings, striking out five and walking one. Richard Bleier made his third overall appearance of his current rehab stint and second with the WooSox, striking out a pair and giving up one hit in 1 2/3. Ceddanne Rafaela didn't quite match Friday's two-homer effort, but he did rip two doubles, his first two since his promotion after collecting 18 with Portland. This time it was Wilyer Abreu who went deep twice, delivering solo homers in the sixth and eighth innings. David Hamilton rejoined the Worcester lineup after a three-week stint with the big club, going 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
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Missing three Futures Game representatives? Hit hard by losing the system's third-ranked player and the evening's starting pitcher in Triple-A to promotions in the last week? Hardly a bother for Portland, as Grant Gambrell needed little assistance. Gambrell went eight strong innings, giving up two runs on nine hits, striking out seven against just one walk. Ryan Zeferjahn came on for a scoreless ninth to record the save. Chase Meidroth paced the offense with a 2-for-3 effort that included a double, walk, stolen base, and RBI. Corey Rosier also doubled as part of a two-hit effort.
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Another day, another big Roman Anthony game to lead the Greenville attack. The South Atlantic League's youngest player homered for the seventh time in 15 games since being promoted from Salem, blasting a two-run shot in the seventh. Overall, he was 3 for 5 with a pair of runs scored, and he is 11 for 19 with four doubles in his last five games, bookending a week missed due to an apparent case of strep throat. Tyler Miller also went deep for Greenville. It was a solid-if-uneven start for Dalton Rogers, who allowed just two runs on four hits in 4 2/3 but needed 92 pitches to record those 14 outs. He walked three and struck out three. Nate Tellier was excellent in relief to get the win, giving up just one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless frames, striking out four without issuing a walk.
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Luis Perales was again outstanding for Salem, getting plenty of support as the Sox rolled. Perales retired the first seven batters he saw and gave up just one hit in five innings of shutout pitching. He pitched around some wobbly control, walking four batters as he struck out four. The system's seventh-ranked prospect lowered his ERA to 3.21 with the effort, and he's surrendered just two runs in 26 2/3 over his last five starts -- a microscopic 0.68 ERA. Marques Johnson went two perfect innings of relief, striking out four of the six batters he faced, and Caleb Bolden finished things off, giving up a run in two innings, striking out four without a walk.
Allan Castro was a catalyst out of the leadoff spot, reaching base five times as he went 2 for 3 with three walks, a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Brooks Brannon was 2 for 5 with a two-run home run in the sixth. Mikey Romero doubled for his first extra-base hit in two games since being activated. Ahbram Liendo and Lyonell James had a pair of hits and pair of RBI apiece in the win.
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This contest began on July 4 but had not even gotten through the first inning when the rains came and forced a suspension. Obed Balderas had gotten the original start, throwing a scoreless inning on Tuesday. Ricardo Rodriguez got the call on the restart, giving up three runs (two earned) in 4 2/3. Alisson Del Orbe was again outstanding in relief to get the win, giving up just one hit in 2 1/2 scoreless, striking out six of the nine batters he saw without allowing a hit. The converted infielder got his first professional win and now has 23 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed in 14 1/3 innings across seven outings. A Gabriel Mavarez base hit in the bottom of the eighth scored a pair of runs to snap a 3-3 tie.
It was all Tigers in the regularly scheduled contest as they jumped on starter Jesus Garcia for five runs in the first inning. Kleyver Salazar was the highlight at the plate, going 2 for 2 with a walk.
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Team Red prevailed in a dramatic extra-innings comeback, surrendering a run in the top of the 10th before Jose Liriano led off the bottom of the inning with a pinch-hit two-run walk-off homer. It was the third on the year for Liriano. Franklin Arias doubled to extend his on-base streak to all 20 games of his pro career, but his batting average actually dipped under .400 to .397 with the 1-for-4 effort. Starter Juan Henriquez was excellent, giving up just one hit in five shutout innings. He struck out six and walked just one, lowering his ERA to 2.91.
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Player of the Day: Despite hitting just one home run and posting a mediocre .228/.376/.317 slash line in 42 games with Salem, some excellent batted ball data indicated Roman Anthony was primed for a challenge at the next level. Since being promoted he has done nothing but mash. In 15 games with the Drive, he is 20 for 56 with seven homers, five doubles, and 12 walks, good for an astonishing .357/.471/.821 line. This comes as he is the youngest player in the circuit -- in fact, he has never had a plate appearance as a professional at any level against a pitcher who is younger than he is. He is currently ranked fourth in the system.
Photo Credit: Roman Anthony by Kelly O'Connor