8/11 Cup of Coffee: It was a busy night on the farm with four out of six affiliates playing a twin bill. Worcester, Greenville, and Salem split their games, while the DSL Red Sox Red won both games to extend their first-place lead in the DSL West.
-----
Quinn Priester looked better in his second appearance in the system, but a three-run home run from Brett Baty hurt his final line. Priester allowed three runs over four innings while striking out four. Zach Penrod allowed one run in an inning of relief, and Bailey Horn earned a two-inning save. A three-run home run from Nathan Hickey and a solo shot from Mickey Gasper (pictured) led the way for the WooSox.
Brian Van Belle started in game two and allowed one run over the first three innings. The loss went to Naoyuki Uwasawa, who allowed four runs in two innings, including another home run by Baty. Gasper had two more hits and stole home for his first steal with Worcester.
-----
The Sea Dogs clubbed three home runs in an impressive win over Altoona. Kristian Campbell homered for the second straight day, going 1 for 2 with two walks. Alex Binelas launched a three-run shot in the sixth as he and Phillip Sikes went back-to-back. Marcelo Mayer was activated off the injured list but did not see game action. Caleb Bolden shut the Curve out over the first four innings, and Robert Kwiatkowski earned his 10th win with three innings of one-run ball. Portland leads their division by 2.5 games after Saturday's action.
-----
Blake Wehunt took the loss as he allowed three runs over five innings while striking out three. Jhostynxon Garcia and Zach Ehrhard combined to notch six of the Drive's seven hits. Garcia went 3 for 3 with a double and two RBI, and Ehrhard went 3 for 3 with a double while being picked off.
Eight strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings from Hayden Mullins helped the Drive get back in the win column. Mullins surrendered a three-run home run in the first inning but settled down after. Gabriel Jackson cleaned up the final 2 1/3 innings to improve to 8-1. After his three-hit performance in Game 1, Garcia was 1 for 4 with an RBI double in the second game. Eduardo Lopez went 2 for 3 with an RBI, and Bryan Gonzalez went 1 for 3 with a triple. The Drive are in second place in the South Atlantic League South following Saturday's games.
-----
The Red Sox managed only four hits as they were shut out. Trennor O'Donnell went the first 3 2/3 and allowed four runs on seven hits. Conor Steinbaugh followed with 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, with the only hit being a solo home run. Marvin Alcantara was the only player to reach base multiple times, going 1 for 2 with a walk.
Salem held off a late rally to take game two. The game was tied at one in the sixth and Albert Feliz gave them the lead with an RBI single. Stanley Tucker followed with a three-run triple, and they would ultimately need all those runs. The Shorebirds scored three times off Max Carlson in the seventh but he was able to hold on to finish the game off. Luis Cohen did not record a strikeout but managed to keep Delmarva off the board for the first five innings. Salem sits 3 games back of the division lead after the Saturday split.
-----
A quartet of Red Sox pitchers impressed on Saturday. Jesus Travieso and Denison Sanchez combined to strike out six over the first five innings while keeping the Braves scoreless. The win went to William Reynoso, who did not allow a run while recording the final five outs. A double from Justin Gonzales broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth, and Liosward Marin added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
A sacrifice fly from Anderson Fermin put the Red squad on top in the final inning. Carlos Carrasquel went 3 for 4, and Efren Teran went 2 for 2 with a double and two walks. The Red Sox drew 10 walks in seven innings. Jose Martinez posted a solid start, allowing two runs over four innings.
In completing a suspended game from July 9, the Red Sox came out on top again. Jorge Rodriguez, Alexander Mambel, and Enddy Azocar all went 2 for 4, with Azocar adding a double. Merlin Bido did not allow a run while giving up four hits in three innings.
Player of the Day: Stealing home for your first stolen base of the season is an exciting way to get into the box score. But
Mickey Gasper was all over the box score in the doubleheader, going 4 for 7 with three runs scored including a home run, lifting his average to a gaudy .401 in 137 at-bats since his promotion to Worcester. Gasper is the No. 57 prospect in the SoxProspects rankings.
Photo Credit: Mickey Gasper by Kelly O'Connor
