Cup of Coffee: Gonzales shines for Salem; Ehrhard, Tibbs III traded

8/1 Cup of Coffee: With trade deadline buzz dominating headlines, Boston's affiliates went 2-3 on Thursday. Worcester's game against Lehigh Valley was postponed due to rain. Caleb Bolden put together an effective start, while James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard played their final games as Red Sox minor leaguers in Portland's win over Altoona. Franklin Arias and Yophery Rodriguez combined for four hits in Greenville's loss to Winston-Salem. Justin Gonzales (pictured) reached base three times in Salem's win over Lynchburg. Down in the Dominican Summer League, there were plenty of homers to go around.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) @ Worcester Red Sox (PPD)

This game was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday evening.

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Portland Sea Dogs 2, Altoona Curve (PIT) 1

Caleb Bolden picked up the win in his start for Portland, allowing only one earned run on four hits, one walk, one hit by pitch, and five strikeouts over a season-high five innings of work. The 26-year-old righty threw 68 pitches (44 strikes) and generated eight whiffs. In relief of Bolden, Jorge Juan and Yovanny Cruz combined for four scoreless frames out of the bullpen. Offensively, Mikey Romero led the way by going 2 for 4 with one double and one RBI. Marvin Alcantara went 2 for 2 with one run scored and one walk. Before being traded to the Dodgers for Dustin May, James Tibbs III went 1 for 3 with an RBI single, and Zach Ehrhard went 0 for 4 in their final games as members of the Red Sox organization.

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Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) 8. Greenville Drive 2

Michael Sansone took the loss in his start for Greenville, allowing three earned runs on six hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over three innings. Darvin Garcia and Danny Kirwin combined to surrender five additional runs out of the bullpen. At the plate, Fraymi De Leon doubled, scored one run, stole one base, and drew one walk as part of a 2-for-3 night. Franklin Arias and Yophery Rodriguez each went 2 for 5, with the latter driving in one run. Antonio Anderson drove in one run and drew one walk, while Nelly Taylor scored one run and drew two walks. Hudson White recorded two singles.

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Salem Red Sox 4, Lynchburg Hillcats (CLE) 2

Alex Bouchard went 1 2/3 innings in his first start for Salem, allowing two earned runs on two hits, two walks, and no strikeouts. Joey Gartrell (who was credited with the win), PJ Labriola, and Calvin Bickerstaff (who notched his first professional save) combined to strike out five over 7 1/3 scoreless frames of relief. On the flip side, Justin Gonzales enjoyed a strong night at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two doubles, one RBI, and two runs scored. Yoelin Cespedes went 1 for 3 with a go-ahead two-run single and one walk. Starlyn Nunez and Yohander Linarez both doubled and scored one run. Frederik Jimenez drove in one run as well. 

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DSL Rays 13, DSL Red Sox Blue 8

Rony Calderon took the loss in his first professional start, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits, two walks, and no strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning. Four different relievers combined to surrender 10 additional runs out of the bullpen. Offensively, Diomar Hidalgo stood out by going 3 for 4 with his first professional home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, and one walk. Jostin Ogando also homered for the first time as a pro (and drew two walks) after replacing starting first baseman Josue Brito. Enmanuel Figuereo went 3 for 5 with one RBI and one stolen base. Maikol Tovar recorded two singles, scored one run, and drew one walk.

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DSL Braves 9, DSL Red Sox Red 8

Williams Montero went four innings in his start for the Red squad, yielding one earned run on one hit, three walks, three hit by pitches, and four strikeouts. Leosmar Perez surrendered six runs (five earned) in his 2 2/3 innings of relief, while Jose Golindano was charged with the loss after allowing the tying run to score in the eighth and the winning run to score in the ninth on a walk-off wild pitch. At the plate, Jhonny Osta hit the first two home runs of his professional career and collected five RBIs as part of a 2-for-4 day. Dorian Soto and Franklin Primera each went 2 for 5, with the former driving in one run and scoring twice, and the latter scoring once. Jhorman Bravo went 1 for 3 with two runs scored, one stolen base, and one walk.

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Player of the Day: Justin Gonzales gets the nod for ending his month on an encouraging note. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old batted .333/.389/.483 with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBIs, 14 runs scored, three stolen bases, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts over 21 games (95 plate appearances) for Salem in July. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 14 prospect. 

Photo Credit: Justin Gonzales by Kelly O'Connor

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