June 9, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Perales leaves with injury; Paez strikes out eight
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Jason Alexander tossed six shutout innings as the WooSox flew past the Red Wings. Rochester only got two hits off Alexander, and he struck out four. Brian Van Belle surrendered two runs, while Jorge Benitez closed it with a scoreless ninth. Nick Yorke launched his first Triple-A home run as part of a 2-for-4 day with a walk. Nick Sogard also went deep as he finished 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Mark Contreras went 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, and Karson Simas and Corey Rosier added two hits.
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The outcome of the game is a secondary story, as all eyes will be on the health status of Luis Perales. The 21-year-old left the game in the third inning with what appeared to be arm discomfort. Perales is amid a breakout season that landed him at 57 in Baseball America's top 100 prospect list. Brendan Cellucci was forced into action after Perales left the game, and he struck out six over 2 1/3 innings of two-run ball. Wyatt Olds allowed one run but struck out three in his only frame.
The Sea Dogs had plenty of opportunities to score but left 11 men on base. Roman Anthony went 2 for 5 with two doubles as he pushed his OPS to .814. Kristian Campbell notched his first double with the Sea Dogs as he went 1 for 3 with two walks, and Phillip Sikes went 3 for 4 with a walk.
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This game was tied at one during the seventh-inning stretch, but Greenville's bullpen fell apart late. Jedixson Paez was brilliant, striking out eight over five innings. A solo home run was the only blemish, and he did not walk a batter. Yordanny Monegro followed with a scoreless sixth before running into trouble in the seventh. He allowed seven runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth, though only four were earned. Greenville's offense only managed four hits, with a solo home run from Enderso Lira accounting for the lone run. Miguel Ugueto went 2 for 4, and Jhostynxon Garcia went 1 for 3 with a walk.
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The Wood Ducks scored seven times in the top of the ninth to steal the victory. Jojo Ingrassia struck out seven and allowed two runs over three innings. The blown save went to Francis Hernandez who gave up all seven runs in the ninth. Freili Encarnacion had his best game of the year, going 3 for 4 with a double and a home run. Andy Lugo went 2 for 4 with a double and a steal, Marvin Alcantara had two hits and drove in three runs, and Miguel Bleis went 1 for 5 with a double.
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The Twins scored two runs and loaded the bases in the final inning, but Jesus Garcia squeaked out his first save. The win went to Stijn Van Der Schaaf, who struck out four over 2 2/3 shutout frames. Yoeilin Cespedes was once again the star offensively, going 2 for 3 with a double and two steals to raise his OPS to 1.009. Raimundo De Los Santos went 1 for 2 with a double, steal, and was hit by a pitch. Franklin Arias went 2 for 3 and also added a steal.
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Despite only tallying four strikeouts, it was a solid outing from the Red Sox pitching. Jose Martinez improved to 2-0 with two scoreless frames, and Jeison Payano got his first save with three shutout innings. Enddy Azocar and Avinson Pinto led the way on offense, each going 2 for 4 while driving in two runs.
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The Blue squad managed only two hits, both coming from the bottom of the order. Emanuel Reyna had a pinch-hit single, and Samuel Arroyo went 1 for 3. Starter Jesus Travieso went the first two innings, allowing an unearned run and striking out three.
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Player of the Day: It is rare for a pitcher to win this award when the opposing team scores 12 runs, but Jedixson Paez was excellent over the first five innings against the Crawdads. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter while allowing one run. Since his promotion to High-A, he has 12 strikeouts and no walks over nine innings. The 20-year-old was the 2021 Red Sox Latin Program Pitcher of the Year and a 2023 SoxProspects.com All-Star. The 43rd-ranked player in the system, Paez shows an intriguing three-pitch mix that includes a fastball, curveball, and changeup.
Photo Credit: Jedixson Paez by Kelly O'Connor