July 29, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Story homers; Robertson and Hagenman make system debuts
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A quality start from Shane Drohan went to waste as Rochester pulled ahead in the ninth. Drohan walked two and struck out six while allowing three runs over six innings. Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson made their system debuts after being acquired from the Dodgers for Kiké Hernández. Hagenman threw a scoreless inning, while Robertson allowed a solo home run in the eighth. AJ Politi allowed two runs and took a blown save in the ninth. Trevor Story led the offense going 1 for 2 with a solo home run and a walk. Ronaldo Hernández went 2 for 4 with a solo shot and a double.
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Seven shutout innings by Grant Gambrell led the Sea Dogs past the Flying Squirrels. Gambrell struck out eight and walked one while allowing three hits. Theo Denlinger and Dylan Spacke finished off the shutout with an inning apiece. Marcelo Mayer struck out four times in five at-bats, but otherwise, the offense was firing on all cylinders. Nick Yorke went 2 for 6 with a double and Tyler Esplin went 3 for 5 with two doubles and five RBI. Yorke played for the first time in a week after a minor Achilles injury. Phillip Sikes went 3 for 4 with a walk, Corey Rosier went 3 for 6, and Chase Meidroth went 2 for 3 with two walks.
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It was a rough night for Greenville's pitching staff in a loss to Bowling Green. Starter Juan Daniel Encarnacion gave up nine runs over the first four innings, and then Nate Tellier was tagged for seven runs while recording just one out. The offense did manage eight runs on 10 hits, though the game was never close. Bryan Gonzalez led the way going 2 for 3 with a double, triple, and a walk. Ronald Rosario went 2 for 4 with a double and four RBI, Eduardo Lopez went 2 for 4 with two doubles, and Alex Erro went 2 for 4 with a double.
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It was the first time Yordanny Monegro allowed multiple runs in a game this season, as Salem fell to Lynchburg. Monegro allowed five runs and walked four over four innings while striking out three. Michael Valera and Caleb Bolden combined to throw 3 2/3 shutout innings while striking out six. Jhostynxon Garcia homered for the second straight day, going 1 for 4 with his two-run shot.
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FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox, Suspended (rain)
The game got suspended due to rain in the top of the fifth, with the Red Sox leading 4-1. Gilberto Jimenez, Christian Koss, Bradley Zimmer, and Dan Altavilla made rehab appearances.
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This game started on July 17 but got suspended in the fourth inning. The Tigers scored 13 times in the first four innings last week, but Jesus Garcia kept them off the board on Friday. Garcia struck out six and allowed just four hits over five shutout innings. A three-run home run from Starlyn Nunez helped draw the Red Sox closer, and Frederik Jimenez went 3 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI. Yoeilin Cespedes and Cristofher Paniagua had two hits, with Cespedes driving in three and Paniagua adding two walks and a double.
Cespedes and Nunez tacked on two more hits, but it was not enough to topple the Tigers. Cespedes finished 2 for 3 with a walk and his 12th double, while Nunez went 2 for 4 with two RBI. The Red Sox pitching staff walked four and hit four batters in seven innings. Daury Pena had the most success, striking out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
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The Red squad also had a suspended game on July 17 that got completed on Friday. They came out on top thanks to some strong relief work from Cristofer Soriano and Daniel Nunez. Soriano did not allow a hit over 2 2/3, and Nunez struck out six while allowing one run over four innings. Jancel Santana and Andruw Musett drew three walks, and Natanael Eusebio went 2 for 4 with a double.
It was a thrilling comeback, with the Red Sox scoring three times in the final inning to win. Gerardo Rodriguez laced a two-run single to tie it, and Jose Liriano drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run. Starter Juan Henriquez allowed one run over four innings, and the win went to Andres Jimenez who worked around two walks in a scoreless frame.
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Player of the Day: Grant Gambrell fired seven shutout innings as he improved to 4-2 in Double-A. Gambrell had some non-descript numbers in High-A this season before his promotion, but he has turned things around since joining the Sea Dogs. His ERA sits at 3.12 over 69 1/3 innings while striking out 72 and walking 23. He has risen to 55th in the system's rankings, and the 25-year-old will be Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason. He has been imposing in July, pitching to a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings with 31 strikeouts.
Photo Credit: Grant Gambrell by Kelly O'Connor