Cup of Coffee: Fitts goes 6 strong; Romero knocks 3 RBI
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Worcester was up 3-2 with one out in the ninth, but a three-run home run put the Bisons up and gave them the victory. Richard Fitts had a strong outing, with just one run allowed over six innings of work. He allowed five hits but did not walk anyone and had seven punchouts. At the plate, Tyler McDonough and Chase Meidroth both knocked two singles, but none of Worcester's runs came in on hits, as Corey Rosier had a sacrifice fly, then Enmanuel Valdez and Mickey Gasper were hit by a pitch and walked, respectively, with the bases loaded in the fourth.
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It was a back-and-forth contest on Friday night and until the late innings, a close one. However, Portland rode a four-run eighth to victory, even as Erie threatened in the top of the ninth and got the tying run to the plate. A quartet of Portland hitters had a pair of hits in Roman Anthony, Drew Ehrhard, Tyler Miller and Luis Ravelo. Only Ravelo's night didn't include a double. Hunter Dobbins dealt with traffic on the bases, as he allowed four hits and two walks over his five-inning outing, but just two of those runners crossed the plate, one of which was unearned. Felix Cepeda also permitted two runs (one earned) to score, despite not allowing a hit.
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This high-scoring affair was fueled by defensive miscues, as there were nine errors on the evening. Greenville punched out nine hits and eight of the starters got in on the fun, with Mikey Romero going 2 for 5 with three RBI. Only six of the Drive's runs were credited with an RBI. Five of Wilmington's runs were unearned, though Jedixson Paez allowed a trio of tallies over his three-inning outing, all of which were earned. The most unfortunate evening went to Nathan Landry, as all three of the runs he surrendered in the fourth were unearned.
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The squads will resume on Saturday with two outs in the top of the fourth, with no runners on base. Natanael Yuten will have a 1-1 count. Michael Sansone, who is surely finished for the game, pitched three innings and surrendered four hits, with one walk against four strikeouts.
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After rain on Thursday, the two teams played a twin bill on Friday. In the opener, it was a low-scoring affair, with a 1-1 tie that held from the end of the first until the seventh. The Cubs snagged two in the seventh and another in the eighth to take the win in a sloppy affair that featured five total errors. At the top of the lineup, Ilan Fernandez had two of Blue's seven hits, while Justim Sojo had a pinch-hit triple in the eighth. Yohandry Gonzalez came into the game when it resumed and he pitched five innings of shutout ball, surrendering just a pair of hits and a walk against four strikeouts.
The Cubs got out to a hot start in the regularly-scheduled game, plating four in the first inning, on their way to another win. The Red Sox were only able to break the shutout with a pair of runs in their final at-bat. There were just six hits for Blue and no members of the multi-hit club, though Liosward Marin and Moises Semerite each had two-baggers. Juan Medina was able to record just two outs, as all four first-inning runs came on his tab. He was followed by Jeremy Pena, who didn't fare much better, with two more runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings. Denison Sanchez faced the minimum over the sixth and seventh to finish the afternoon.
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It was a tough day for the academy teams, as the Royals completed the sweep. The game went into the eighth tied, but the Royals got three in the final two frames for the win. Five hitters got on the board for the Red Sox, but they combined for only five hits. Only Edwin Brito's double went for extra bases. Madinson Frias struggled with control over his four-inning outing, with a quartet of free passes, but allowed only an unearned run. He was the only arm to not surrender an earned run.
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Player of the Day: Ranked No. 8 in the SoxProspects.com rankings, Richard Fitts had a strong outing to start August after a tough July in which he didn't allow fewer than three runs or get an out in the sixth inning. Home runs are a potential issue for Fitts as he tries to stay in the rotation and he gave one up on Friday, but he limited the damage otherwise and showed strikeout stuff, recording seven on the evening. Acquired in the Alex Verdugo trade, he could become a contributor in Boston sooner rather than later.
Photo Credit: Richard Fitts by Kelly O'Connor