July 15, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Monegro headlines impressive day of pitching that included two shutouts
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Brad Keller was solid in his start for Worcester, as he walked only two and struck out four over four scoreless, no-hit innings. Bryan Mata, Luis Guerrero, Trey Wingenter, and Ryan Zeferjahn preserved the shutout by combining for five more scoreless frames out of the bullpen. Mata, whose rehab window is set to expire on Monday, hit one batter and struck out another in the fifth. Wingenter fanned two of the three batters he faced in his first appearance since being optioned on Friday.
Bobby Dalbec and Eddy Alvarez accounted for Worcester's only extra-base hits. The former went 2 for 4 with one double and one run scored while the latter went 1 for 3 with a 406-foot solo shot for his 12th home run of the season. Matthew Lugo opened the scoring by lacing a two-run double in the second inning for his lone hit of the day. Mickey Gasper also singled in one run while Mark Contreras stole his 19th base of the year.
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Pitching for the second time in this series, Hunter Dobbins went just two innings in his start for Portland on Sunday. The righty scattered one hit and one walk while striking out two over two scoreless frames. After giving up a two-run home run with no outs in the fifth, Christopher Troye fanned four of the final six batters he faced. Felix Cepeda took the loss as a result of allowing the tying run to score in the seventh and the eventual winning run to score on a wild pitch in the eighth.
At the plate, Kristian Campbell and Tyler Miller each had two hits. The former went 2 for 4 with one double and one run scored while the latter went 2 for 4 with an RBI double and one run scored. Karson Simas doubled in a pair of runs for his only hit of the afternoon. Alex Binelas, meanwhile, went 1 for 2 with one RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and one stolen base out of the cleanup spot. He is now riding a seven-game hitting streak.
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Yordanny Monegro picked up the win in his start for Greenville to improve to 1-2 on the year. The righty scattered three hits and one walk while striking out eight over a season-high five scoreless innings of work. He finished with 81 pitches (51 strikes) and induced 20 swings-and-misses. In relief of Monegro, Nathan Landry, Bryce Bonnin, and Isaac Stebens spun four more scoreless frames out of the bullpen to preserve the shutout.
Ronald Rosario paced the Drive lineup by going 3 for 4 with one run scored. Jhostynxon Garcia went 1 for 4 with a double and one run scored as well. Allan Castro accounted for the only scoring when he ripped a two-run single through the right side of the infield to bring in both Rosario and Garcia in the second inning. Castro, who has recorded at least one hit in each of his last six games, is now batting .359 (14-for-39) in July.
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Both of Salem's runs came by way of the long ball. Andy Lugo, who opened the scoring, went 2 for 4 with his second home run and 19th stolen base of the season. Nelly Taylor made his only hit of the day count by going 1 for 4 with a solo shot for his fourth big fly of the year. On the mound, Jojo Ingrassia yielded just one unearned run on three hits, zero walks, and seven strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in his start for the Red Sox. Conor Steinbaugh, Max Carlson, and Royman Blanco combined for 5 1/3 scoreless frames of relief.
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Player of the Day: Yordanny Monegro gets the nod after notching his first win of the season for Greenville on Sunday. The 21-year-old right-hander retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced to put the finishing touches on his best outing since rejoining the Drive in late May. He is currently ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the organization.
Photo Credit: Yordanny Monegro by Kelly O'Connor