Twins defeat Red Sox, cling to first place

GCL Twins 9 at GCL Red Sox 3

W: A. Lobanov (3-1, 3.54); L: A. Zerpa (2-1, 2.57)
HR: TWI: J. Sanchez 2 (2), J. Pinto (1).

Jakub Hajtmar went 5-for-6 at the plate with a pair of runs while Danny Ortiz had a pair of runs and a pair of runs batted in to lead the GCL Twins to a 9-3 blow out over the Boston Red Sox at City of Palms Complex on Wednesday.

The Twins take Thursday off and return home Friday to face the GCL Pirates.

Aaron Hicks lead off in the top of the first with a walk, then he stole 2nd. Hajtmar's single, combined with a fielding error by Bryan Peterson drove in Hicks to give the Twins first blood. Hajtmar would move to 2nd on a wild pitch by Red Sox starter Pedro Perez, but fly outs by Ortiz and Michael Gonzalez and a line out by Andres Diaz stranded the Twins Czech fielder.

Wilfred Pichardo singled then stole 2nd. A fielding error by Tyler Ladendorf send Pichardo to 3rd and allowed Derrik Gibson to reach. Casey Kelly sacrificed in Pichardo. Gibson would steal 2nd, then score on Peterson's single to left, putting the Red Sox on top.

Peter Ruiz would replace Perez for the top of the fifth, and Hajtmar singled off the reliever. Ortiz's ground ball to right put Hajtmar on 3rd. Gonzales would ground into a double play that drove in Hajtmar, tying up the game. Diaz would double, but Ladendorf flew out to end the contest.

Gibson tripled off starter Angelo Sanchez and Kelly singled him in to put the Red Sox up by one again.

However, the Twins found Armando Zerpa to their liking with Hajtmar singling off the new reliever. Ortiz would hit into a force out, and Gonzales would be hit by a pitch, putting two men on. Diaz then ground into a force out that would have been a double play, but Tyler Yockey at first missed the catch, allowing Diaz to reach. Ortiz would score on the play, to even up the game again. Diaz stole 2nd, and Ladendorf walked, but Josmil Pinto hit into a force out to end the send the Sox up to the plate.

Andrei Lovanov replaced Sanchez in the bottom of the 7th. Sanchez would be charged for 3 runs, only 2 earned, on 6 hits while fanning three over 6 innings. Lovanov would work the next two, allowing only 1 hit.

Juan Sanchez went yard in the top of the 8th, and following a fly out to Jon Goncalves, Hicks took a walk. Hajtmar singled and Ortiz then tripled the two runners in. Dustin Mercadante replaced Zerpa at that point for the Red Sox, but a wild pitch by the new reliever allowed Ortiz to score before Gonzales and Diaz hit into ground outs to retire the side.

Michael Lennox came out to the mound for the top of the ninth for the Red Sox and after getting Ladendorf to ground out, watched Pinto put his first home run of the season over the left field fence. Sanchez then followed suit, putting his second of the game over the same left field fence to top the Twins out at 9 runs.

Kelvin Mota would go three up, three down in the bottom of the 9th to end the contest and take away any hope of a Red Sox rally.

Sanchez finished up 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of runs and a pair of runs batted in courtesy of the home runs. Pinto was 3-for-4 with a walk a run and a RBI. Goncalves would go 1-for-4 with a walk, while Diaz was 1-for-5 with a double.

The Twins remain in first place in the South Division, half a game ahead of the GCL Pirates. They are tied with the GCL Phillies for the overall spot in the GCL. The top team in the league gets a buy in the first round of the playoffs with the other two divisional winners playing a one-game elimination contest to determine who will go do the Championship round.

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Log

Former GCL starter Alex Curry suffered his 2nd loss in the Appalachian League as the Elizabethton Twins fell 13-5 to the Bristol White Sox. Angel Morales hit a single shot home run in the second inning, his 10th of the season for the E-Twins, who committed 4 errors in the game, leading to 3 unearned runs (Box/Log).

Pedro Guerra limited the DSL Reds to only 2 runs, both unearned, on 4 hits while fanning 7 over seven innings in route to his 7th win for the DSL Twins. Manuel Soliman was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double a run and a RBI, while 1st baseman Jairo Perez had a pair of runs. Edison Alverez picked up his 12 save of the season for the DSL Twins who are in 3rd place in the 10-team North Division, 3.5 games behind the division leading DSL White Sox1 (Box/Log).