Cup of Coffee: Rogers deals for Greenville; Meidroth goes deep
6/7 Cup of Coffee: It was a bit of a quiet night on the farm, as the Sea Dogs and Drive each picked up wins while the FCL and DSL teams continued their first week of play. Dalton Rogers (pictured) was great in his start in Greenville's win. Chase Meidroth and Ceddanne Rafaela also had a big night for Portland.
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Ryan Fitzgerald hit the ball well for the Sox, going 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Niko Goodrum and Narciso Crook both went deep as well. Bradley Zimmer added an RBI triple and Caleb Hamilton took three walks. Brandon Walter started and surrendered four earned runs on seven hits across 4 2/3 frames. He struck out four. Taylor Broadway tossed 1 1/3 clean innings without allowing a run.
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Brian Van Belle turned in a great outing, going six innings and allowing just two runs on five hits. The right-hander walked just two and punched out four. Joe Jones, Jacob Webb, and Luis Guerrero each threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, with Jones and Guerrero each striking out a pair. At the plate, Chase Meidroth continued his great season by going 2 for 2 with a home run, two walks, and two runs scored. Alex Binelas had a big game as well with two hits including a three-run homer. Ceddanne Rafaela had three singles and three stolen bases out of the leadoff spot.
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Dalton Rogers got back on track after a rough outing with five shoutout innings. The left-hander allowed only two hits and struck out four. Nathan Landry did not allow a run over 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts, and Joey Stock notched the save by striking out the only two hitters he faced in the ninth. The bottom of the Drive order got it done, as Nick Decker went 2 for 4 with a home run and three runs knocked in out of the number nine spot. In the eighth spot of the order was Ronald Rosario, who went 3 for 3 with a double and a walk. Miguel Ugueto added a two-run triple in the fourth inning.
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The Sox were held to just six hits and a 1-for-7 showing with runners in scoring position. Cutter Coffey went 2 for 4 with his eighth double of the year. Lyonell James also had two hits and drove in the lone Salem run. Allan Castro added his 12th double of the year as well. Noah Dean started and was roughed up, allowing five earned runs on three hits and three walks in just 1 2/3 frames. Luis De La Rosa was fantastic in relief, surrendering just one hit and no runs over 3 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks. Gabriel Jackson tossed 1 1/3 shutout innings as well.
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The bats were alive in this one, as five players had multiple hits. Marvin Alcantara and Brooks Brannon each singled and doubled, while Johanfran Garcia and Rivaldo Avila each tripled. Natanael Yuten and Bryant Zayas both had two hits and drove in a run as well. The bullpen struggled in this one, but Wandy Abreu was phenomenal to start this game. The right-hander did not allow a run over four innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
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The Sox had just five hits, as two of their runs scored on errors, while two others scored on wild pitches. Yoeilin Cespedes roped an RBI triple, while Starlyn Nunez, Chad Delancy, and Moises Semerite each had a double. On the mound, Obed Balderas was great over the first four innings, striking out three and walking just one without allowing a run. Juan Valera was also good out of the bullpen, tossing 2 1/3 scoreless frames.
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First Baseman Jose Liriano led the offense by going 2 for 4 with his first home run of the season. Gerardo Rodriguez, a 17-year-old making his professional debut, had a great day at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance that included a pair of doubles. Claudio Evangelista, another 17-year-old, went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Yosander Asencio had a good day as well with a single, a double, and a walk. Wuilliams Rodriguez started and allowed two runs (one earned) over four innings with four walks and three strikeouts. Luis Jerez came on with three innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts and no walks before Andres Jimenez picked up the two-inning save without allowing a run.
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Player of the Day: Dalton Rogers gets the nod with his five scoreless innings. It was the sixth time this year that he went at least four innings with one or fewer earned runs allowed. Between Salem and Greenville this year, Rogers has a 3.06 ERA in 35 1/3 innings with a very impressive 54 strikeouts. Batters are hitting just .151 off him.
Photo Credit: Dalton Rogers by Kelly O'Connor