Cup of Coffee: Phillips key for PawSox, Reyes dazzles for five frames
8/12 Cup of Coffee: A big night from Brandon Phillips (pictured, left) played a key role in a comeback victory for the PawSox. Portland, Salem, and Greenville all lost close, low-scoring contests, as Teddy Stankiewicz and Denyi Reyes both pitched well in the losses for the former two, respectively. Marino Campana hit a home run in the Drive's loss while rain suspended or postponed Lowell's and the GCL Red Sox' games.
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Trailing 2-0 with nine outs remaining, the PawSox scored once in the seventh and twice in the eighth to come from behind and beat the Indians. The victory marks the third straight series win for Pawtucket. Brandon Phillips sparked the comeback, hitting a leadoff double in the seventh before scoring on a Josh Ockimey RBI single. Phillips added a single in the eighth. Overall, the veteran infielder went 3 for 4 with two doubles. Phillips is 8 for 16 with six doubles over the course of his last six games with Pawtucket. Tzu-Wei Lin put together a second straight multi-hit performance, going 2 for 4 with a run and RBI on the heels of a 4-for-5 showing a day earlier.
The PawSox pitching staff strung together nine solid innings, with Fernando Rodriguez Jr. (3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K) getting the spot start before three separate two-inning stints from Travis Lakins, Robby Scott, and Trevor Kelley. Scott ended up with the win, his third of the season. Justin Haley was originally slated to start the contest.
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Three Portland batters recorded two hits apiece, but the Sea Dogs couldn't muster up anything better than a single in a loss to the RubberDucks. Jeremy Rivera, Chad De La Guerra, and Luke Tendler all had two hits in the losing effort.
Teddy Stankiewicz pitched well for Portland in a seven-inning performance. The tall right-hander did give up nine hits, but just the three runs while adding six strikeouts. His outing marked the third straight performance with six strikeouts and was his six straight start of lasting seven innings or more. The loss drops the former second-round pick's record to 7-10 and his ERA to 4.38.
Teddy Stankiewicz pitched well for Portland in a seven-inning performance. The tall right-hander did give up nine hits, but just the three runs while adding six strikeouts. His outing marked the third straight performance with six strikeouts and was his six straight start of lasting seven innings or more. The loss drops the former second-round pick's record to 7-10 and his ERA to 4.38.
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In his second start with Salem, Denyi Reyes dazzled through five innings, but couldn't get an out in the sixth as the Mudcats scored three times in the frame and added another run in the seventh to rally and come back for a win. Overall, the 21-year-old Reyes gave up six hits and three earned runs, walking one and striking out five.
Josh Tobias tallied two hits, a run, RBI, walk and a strikeout. With perhaps the best name on the team, Jagger Rusconi added a hit and an RBI for Salem.
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Enmanuel De Jesus took the loss, as the Drive offense couldn't get many runners on base while striking out an alarming 11 times. De Jesus surrendered five hits and three runs across six frames while striking out six.
Marino Campana went 2 for 4, hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning. The homer was the 20-year-old's 16th of the season.
Marino Campana went 2 for 4, hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning. The homer was the 20-year-old's 16th of the season.
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Lowell Spinners, Staten Island Yankees (NYY) PPD
Saturday's game was postponed due to poor weather conditions. It will be played as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, with Game 1 starting at 3:05 p.m.
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GCL Red Sox, GCL Twins PPD
Play was stopped in the bottom of the third inning of a scoreless affair, with rain suspending the contest. A rehabbing Esteban Quiroz struck out in one of his two at-bats.
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Play was stopped in the bottom of the third inning of a scoreless affair, with rain suspending the contest. A rehabbing Esteban Quiroz struck out in one of his two at-bats.
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In four starts now, Yoelvis Guedez is 3-1 with his latest victory coming on Saturday. The 17-year-old right-hander allowed four hits, one run, and one walk while striking out two in six innings. He now sports a 2.28 ERA on the season. The Red Sox recorded nine singles in the win, with Leonel Jimenez, Breiner Licona, and Jesus Maita all turning in two-hit performances.
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DSL Cubs1 5, DSL Red Sox2 2
Both Jose Ramirez (4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB) and Robinson Montero (3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB) combined for 10 total strikeouts, with each recording five apiece, but the Red Sox' offense mustered just three hits in a losing effort. The Red Sox went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, as Nelfy Abreu, Luis Hernandez, and Kleiber Rodriguez were the three lone batters to get a hit for the Red Sox.
Both Jose Ramirez (4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB) and Robinson Montero (3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB) combined for 10 total strikeouts, with each recording five apiece, but the Red Sox' offense mustered just three hits in a losing effort. The Red Sox went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, as Nelfy Abreu, Luis Hernandez, and Kleiber Rodriguez were the three lone batters to get a hit for the Red Sox.
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Player of the Day: It's not too often a 37-year-old gets the nod in this category, or is even still in a minor league system, but 1999 second-round draft pick Brandon Phillips was the top dog on Saturday, going 3 for 4 to spark Pawtucket's come-from-behind win. Phillips is now 8 of his last 16 and has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games with the PawSox.
Photo Credit: Brandon Phillips by Kelly O'Connor
Tommy Cassell is a Contributing Editor for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tommycassell44.
Photo Credit: Brandon Phillips by Kelly O'Connor
Tommy Cassell is a Contributing Editor for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tommycassell44.