SoxProspects News

Cup of Coffee: McDonough clubs 20th homer of season; White finishes triple shy of cycle

2026-09-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/11 Cup of Coffee: Boston's affiliates went 2-0 on Thursday. Tyler McDonough hit his 20th home run of the season, while Blake Wehunt struck out four over six quality innings in Worcester's win over Lehigh Valley. Elsewhere, Mason White (pictured) nearly hit for the cycle, while three others also homered in Portland's win over Binghamton.

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Worcester Red Sox 7, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 4

Franklin Arias and Tyler McDonough accounted for half of Worcester's eight hits. Arias went 2 for 4 with two RBI, one run scored, one stolen base, and one walk. McDonough went 2 for 4 with his 20th home run of the season overall, two RBI, and two runs scored. Nathan Hickey also drove in two runs, adding a run and a walk. Braiden Ward drew two walks, scored one run, and stole his 57th base of the year, tying him with David Hamilton for the Red Sox' Triple-A organizational record.

Blake Wehunt went six innings and picked up the win in his start for Worcester, allowing two earned runs on two hits (including one home run), three walks, and four strikeouts. He threw 85 pitches (50 strikes) and generated 12 whiffs. Tyler Samaniego struck out three across two scoreless frames of relief, while Osvaldo Berrios gave up two runs in the ninth before closing things out.

With the victory, Worcester remains two games back of Rochester for first place in the International League second-half standings.

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Portland Sea Dogs 14, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 6

A six-run eighth inning for Portland turned this one into a laugher. Mason White finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3 for 3 with one double, one home run, one RBI, four runs scored, one stolen base, and two walks. Ronald Rosario went 2 for 4 with his 15th home run of the season, three RBI, and two runs scored. Ahbram Liendo clubbed a grand slam, while Caden Rose added a three-run homer. Brooks Brannon and Johanfran Garcia both doubled and scored a run, with the latter driving in another. Isaiah Jackson scored one run, stole one base, and drew two walks.

Devin Futrell went 3 2/3 innings in his final start of the season for Portland, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits (including one home run), no walks, and five strikeouts. He threw 65 pitches (40 strikes) and generated 13 whiffs. Tyler Davis and Caleb Bolden combined for eight additional strikeouts over the next 4 1/3 innings in which only one unearned run was given up. Erik Rivera surrendered two runs in the ninth but held on to end it.

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Player of the Day: Mason White gets the nod for reaching base in all five of his plate appearances on Thursday night. The 22-year-old infielder is now batting .218/.336/.396 with four doubles, one triple, four home runs, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored, two stolen bases, 18 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 31 games (122 plate appearances) since being promoted to Portland in late July. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 27 prospect.

Photo Credit: Mason White by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Scorching Arias reaches base four times in WooSox win

2026-09-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/10 Cup of Coffee: It's been a sterling home stretch of the 2026 for shortstops Franklin Arias and Henry Godbout, who both again turned in multiple hit games on Wednesday night. Arias powered Worcester to the win to jump a pair of teams in the playoff hunt. Godbout supported another strong Hayden Mullins outing, but the Sea Dogs' loss officially knocked them from contention.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 3

The WooSox pounded out 14 hits as they make their push in the International League playoff race. Franklin Arias was once again the headline, reaching base four times as he went 2 for 3 with a double, two walks, and a run scored. In six September contests, Arias is 14 for 27. Vinny Capra was 3 for 5 with a pair of runs scored, including one on a solo homer in the ninth. Allan Castro also had a three-hit effort, swiping his 20th base of the year. Tyler McDonough and Mikey Romero had two hits apiece.

On the mound, Jedixson Paez returned to the WooSox with 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He scattered four hits, struck out four, and walked one. Noah Song fired 2 2/3 hitless frames to get credit for the win, walking one against three strikeouts. Angel Bastardo closed out the win with a hitless ninth.

Worcester's win moves them to fourth place in the second half standings, just two games back of first-place co-holders Rochester and Scranton.

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Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 2

Hayden Mullins turned in a strong start, but a late Binghamton rally ended Portland's playoff hopes. Mullins went six innings, allowing a run on five hits, striking out five, and walking two. It was the sixth consecutive start in which Mullins allowed one earned run or fewer. The Rumble Ponies reached Aaron Nixon for four runs in the seventh, handing him the loss. Griffin Kilander had a strong showing in his Sea Dogs debut, striking out four and allowing one hit in two scoreless innings. Henry Godbout had his fifth consecutive multi-hit effort, going 2 for 4. Isaiah Jackson doubled, drove in a run, and stole a base in his first Portland start.

The loss, combined with a win from the first-place Reading Fightin Phils, eliminated Portland from playoff contention.

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Player of the Day: Franklin Arias opened the 2026 season on a tear, and its finish is arguably even more impressive. Were it not for a an out while pinch hitting two weeks ago, the 20-year-old would be riding a 14-game hitting streak. During that stretch he is slashing .411/460/.536 with seven doubles, 11 runs scored, and only three strikeouts across 63 plate appearances. His on-base percentage for the season has ticked back above .400, sitting at .403 between his time at Worcester and Portland. The stretch puts an exclamation point on a season in which Arias has established himself as a consensus top-five prospect in the game.

Photo Credit: Franklin Arias by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Houck begins rehab assignment, Garcia doubles twice for Sea Dogs

2026-09-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/9 Cup of Coffee: The minor league season is beginning to wind down, as Greenville and Salem's seasons ended on Sunday and the Sea Dogs enter their last week of the season. With only two Red Sox affiliates still active, the WooSox were walked off in their series opener in Lehigh Valley while the Sea Dogs came away with a win on the night of Tanner Houck's return to the mound.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 5, Worcester Red Sox 4 (10 innings)

Top prospect Franklin Arias drove in the first two runs of the game for the WooSox, hitting a sacrifice fly in the first inning and floating an RBI single to right field in the fifth. Arias was 1 for 3 on the night and is now hitting .328 in 33 games since his promotion to Worcester. Mikey Romero also recorded an RBI single in the fifth inning as part of a 3-for-5 game. Allan Castro walked three times and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the tenth. Braiden Ward went 3 for 5 and scored two runs.

It was a bullpen game for the WooSox, as Devin Sweet pitched a scoreless inning to open the game. Seth Martinez followed him with two impressive innings, striking out four batters while allowing a hit and a walk. Patrick Halligan worked two scoreless frames before allowing the first run of the game to score for the IronPigs in the sixth, pitching three innings of one-run ball on the night. Hobie Harris walked three batters and allowed two runs (one earned) in an inning. Sam McWilliams struck out three batters in two shutout innings to send the game into extra innings, where Osvaldo Berrios took over and allowed two runs to score on a walkoff single for IronPigs designated hitter Carter Kieboom.

The loss drops the WooSox into fifth place in the International League standings, three games behind first-place Rochester.

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Portland Sea Dogs 8, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 6

Dalton Rogers started for the Sea Dogs, missing plenty of bats as he struck out six hitters but he allowed five runs (two earned) and walked three hitters in four innings. However, the story of the night was the return of Tanner Houck, who underwent Tommy John Surgery last August. Houck showed some rust in his first game back, as he walked two batters and threw only eight of his 20 pitches for strikes. The 2024 All Star is expected to make one more appearance in Portland before jumping up to Worcester next week. Joe Vogatsky was excellent out of the bullpen as he struck out five batters without allowing a baserunner in 2 2/3 innings. Jeremy Wu-Yelland and Steven Brooks each threw a scoreless inning to close out the game.

The Sea Dogs bats got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the first inning on an RBI double for Johanfran Garcia (pictured) and a two-run homer for Will Turner. Garcia went 2 for 4 on the night, adding another RBI double in the third inning. After losing the lead in the middle innings, in no small part due to three errors, Portland pulled ahead for good on a pinch-hit two-run homer for Ronald Rosario in the eighth. Fresh off being named the SoxProspects.com Player of the Week, Henry Godbout continued his recent tear as he went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Justin Gonzales was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, snapping an 0-for-23 skid.

Portland moves into a tie with Rumble Ponies for third place in the Northeast Division. First place Reading also fell, so the Sea Dogs move to 3 1/2 games out with five to play.

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Player of the Day: Johanfran Garcia had a great performance in an exciting win for the Sea Dogs, ripping a pair of RBI doubles. The 21-year-old Garcia is having a great season in Portland, as he is now hitting .289/.345/.502 with 12 doubles and 18 home runs. Garcia is ranked No. 37 in September's SoxProspects.com rankings update and he is Rule 5 eligible in the offseason.

Photo Credit: Johanfran Garcia by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Houck set to begin rehab assignment; Godbout's power surge continues

2026-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

The minor league season continues to wind down as the playoff chances dwindle for the affiliates. Portland fans will be treated to two appearances by Tanner Houck (pictured, right) next week, while Jedixson Paez had a start to forget in his first action with Boston.

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Season ends for Greenville and Salem

Despite being in the playoff race for much of the second half, both Greenville and Salem fell short of the postseason. Their last game was on September 6. Leighton Finley was rewarded with a start for Greenville after tossing 96 innings with the RidgeYaks. He struck out seven over 4 2/3 shutout innings in the finale for Greenville. The season-end rosters for both squads are posted to our 2026 Season-End Rosters page.

Playoff chances in the upper minors

With Portland entering its last week of play, they need to essentially win-out and get some help. They are in fourth place and 4.5 games behind Reading. Worcester has a better shot, as they are just two games back with two weeks to play.

Houck set to begin rehab assignment

For the first time in 14 months, Tanner Houck is going to be on the mound. Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported that the right-hander will throw about 20 pitches with Portland on Tuesday, then 40-45 with Portland on Friday. He will then move up to Worcester, as Portland's season will likely be over by Sunday.

Harris claimed by the Giants; Paez roughed up in first appearance

The Red Sox designated Brett Harris for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Jedixson Paez. Harris was later claimed by the San Francisco Giants and optioned to Triple-A. It was a short stint in the organization for Harris who was acquired from the Athletics in July.

Paez was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits in his start against Seattle. He was then optioned to Worcester with Raymond Burgos coming back up.

Injury updates

Two key members of the major league roster went down with injuries that are not feared to be long-term. Ceddanne Rafaela got placed on the 10-day injured list with a sore right quad, while Tyron Guerrero went on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The Red Sox recalled Nate Eaton from Worcester to help with the outfield depth, while Wyatt Olds got called up to fill out the bullpen.
Eduardo Rivera got placed on the 60-day injured list with a lumbar strain. He had last pitched on August 11.
The Sea Dogs placed Reidis Sena on the injured list with an undisclosed injury. He left the game after pitching to just one batter in his last appearance. With just one week left in Portland's schedule, there is a good chance his season is over.

Other transactions

There was some minor shuffling between Worcester and Portland, with Michael Sansone moving from the Sea Dogs to the WooSox and Max Carlson going the other way. Carlson made his presence felt right away, going 2-0 last week out of the bullpen for Portland.

Where are they now?

It was really tough news on Hunter Dobbins as the right-hander had to undergo elbow surgery. Though not quite a full Tommy John surgery, which would have been his second, it is still a major UCL injury for Dobbins. The surgery also repaired his flexor tendon.
This was inevitable when he got traded inside the division, but Anthony Eyanson made his first appearance against his old team (Portland) last week. Eyanson struck out eight over six innings of one-run ball. He has an ERA of 2.00 over 27 innings with Chesapeake.
Thomas Pannone, who spend much of 2022 with the Worcester Red Sox, threw the fifth perfect game in the history of the International League. The Nashville Sounds right-hander needed just 94 pitches as he struck out eight in Monday's gem. The last three pitchers to do so all spent time with the Red Sox: Tomo Ohka threw one with Pawtucket in 2000, Bronson Arroyo repeated the feat with the PawSox in 2003, and Justin Germano tossed one with Columbus in 2011, a year before he joined the Sox.

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Players of the Week August 31-September 6

Henry Godbout, SS, Portland Sea Dogs

5 G, 22 AB, 10 H, 5 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, .455/.455/1.045

Godbout has been on a torrid pace over the last three weeks, and his four home runs against Chesapeake continued his recent power surge. Over his last 15 games he is batting .339/.394/.780 with eight home runs in 59 at-bats. His 25 percent strikeout rate over that time is a bit high for someone with his elite contact skills, but he is trading some swing-and-miss for an impressive amount of power. The bat speed he added has paid dividends in 2026, and he continues to be a candidate to climb the rankings for anyone who buys into this power output.

Hayden Mullins, LHP, Portland Sea Dogs

1 G, 0-0, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K

It was a dominant start for the 2025 Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year. After making a spot start in Worcester on July 8, Mullins (pictured, left) has been tremendous in Portland. He has made nine starts in Double-A since that one start for the WooSox, and he has posted an ERA of 2.08 over 39 innings with 54 strikeouts to 16 walks. The 25-year-old is the 23rd-ranked prospect in the system, and he is second to just Dylan Brown in strikeouts on the farm. Walks continue to be an issue for Mullins, but he has lowered his walk rate in this recent strong stretch.

Photo Credit: Tanner Houck and Hayden Mullins by Kelly O'Connor

Podcast Ep. #428: New month, new rankings

2026-09-07T21:22:25.536-04:00

Chris and Mike got together to discuss the newest #SP60, but not after first recapping the last few weeks in the organization, including the reintegration of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, the change in focus following the Yankees series, Jedixson Paez's MLB debut and the return of Yordanny Monegro. Plus, another crop of listener emails!

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to SoxProspects on Patreon for the details.

A special thank you to The Ludlow Thieves for our intro/outro song, All the Money. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us at podcast@soxprospects.com.

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Cup of Coffee: Godbout homers again; season comes to an end for Greenville and Salem

2026-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/7 Cup of Coffee: A heartbreaking loss for Worcester did not help the playoff picture despite strong games from Kristian Campbell and Franklin Arias. Henry Godbout hit his fourth home run of the week, and Leighton Finley had a strong showing in Greenville's season finale.

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Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 8, Worcester Red Sox 7

Seven runs in the seventh doomed the WooSox as they lost a pivotal game to Buffalo. Starter Gage Ziehl cruised through five innings, needing just 56 pitches as he left in line for the win. But the Bisons got to Angel Bastardo for five runs and then Tyler Samaniego for two runs to take the lead. The heart of Worcester's offense did its part, led by Kristian Campbell who went 3 for 4 with a double, walk, and two RBI. Both Franklin Arias and Romy Gonzalez went 3 for 5, with Arias notching an RBI double while Gonzalez had two run-scoring singles.

Worcester is now in fourth place and two games out of a playoff spot with two weeks to play.

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Portland Sea Dogs 9, Chesapeake Baysox (BAL) 7

The Sea Dogs launched four home runs as they kept their slim playoff hopes alive. One of the long balls came off the bat of Henry Godbout, who hit four in five games in the series. He finished 3 for 5 as he raised his OPS over 200 points in the trip to Chesapeake. Tyler McDonough also had a strong series, and he capped it with a 2-for-5 game that included a home run and a double. The other home runs were a two-run shot by Will Turner, and a solo blast by Max Ferguson. It was a bullpen game for Portland, with opener Caleb Bolden allowing two runs over the first two frames. The win went to Max Carlson as he struck out four over three innings of one-run ball, and Tyler Davis recorded a seven-out save.

Entering the final week, Portland is going to need to leapfrog three teams. They are playing one of the teams (Binghamton), but Rochester is currently 4.5 games up with only six to play.

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Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 4, Greenville Drive 3

Leighton Finley made a good first impression in the season finale for the Drive. Getting a cup of coffee in Greenville after posting strong strikeout numbers in Salem, Finley struck out seven and walked three over 4 2/3 shutout innings. The Hot Rods got to Trennor O'Donnell for four runs in the eighth to steal the win. 2026 draftees Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull led the way offensively. Schaffner went 2 for 5 with a double, while Hull went 1 for 2 with a walk and a two-run single. Former second-round pick Nazzan Zanetello ended the season on a high note, going 2 for 4 with a steal and a run scored.

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Hill City Howlers (CLE) 10, Salem RidgeYaks 7

Salem also ended its season on a tough note, giving up 14 hits in a loss to Hill City. Starter Berny Ortiz struggled through three innings as he allowed three runs on four hits and three walks. The most effective pitcher of the day was Yander Bonaci who shut the Howlers out over the final two frames. The struggles on the mound overshadowed some strong offensive performances. Andrews Opata made his one hit count, launching a solo home run to open the scoring for Salem. Kleyver Salazar ended his breakout season by going 3 for 5 with two doubles, while Colton Coates went 3 for 5 with a double and two RBI.

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Player of the Day: For the second time this week, Henry Godbout is the Player of the Day. The system's fifth-ranked prospect is making a strong case that he belongs in the discussion on top-100 prospect lists. The 22-year-old shortstop now has 15 home runs in only 58 games this season, and the power tool was one of his big question marks when he was drafted. He has made significant bat speed gains since being drafted in 2025, and that is helping him post a .924 OPS this year. He has been scorching hot of late, with eight of his home runs coming in the last 15 games.

Photo Credit: Henry Godbout by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Comebacks abound, Campbell homers

2026-09-06T14:06:48.842-04:00

9/6 Cup of Coffee: It was a big day for comebacks across the system, as Worcester and Salem each scored three in the eighth to take the lead, while Portland doubled up the two squads in the penultimate frame, adding six to take the lead. Greenville got it done a bit earlier, as its big inning came in the sixth, with a four-run inning. Kristian Campbell (pictured) had a huge day for Worcester, going 3 for 4 with a two-run homer in the eighth. He was joined in the three-hit club by Tyler McDonough and Ronny Hernandez, the latter of whom was perfect on the day. Barrett Morgan also threw four shutout innings.

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 2

Worcester had some theatrics on Saturday night, as the WooSox went from down 2-1 to up 4-2 in the top of the eighth with a three-run frame, including a two-run homer by Kristian Campbell, who was 3 for 4. He and Anthony Siegler accounted for five of their team’s eight hits. It was a strong start for Michael Sansone, who struggled with control, walking four over five innings, but got results, as he allowed just one run. Devin Sweet pitched a clean eighth, while Sam McWilliams recorded his first save for Worcester this season, working around a hit with two strikeouts in the ninth.

The win pulled Worcester into third place in the International League playoff hunt, keeping pace two games behind Rochester.

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Portland Sea Dogs 6, Cheseapeake BaySox (BAL) 4

The Sea Dogs left it to the end, putting up a six-spot in the top of the eighth, after Cheseapeake scored four between the first and second. Portland got a good performance out of leadoff man Tyler McDonough, who was 3 for 4 with two RBI. Will Turner added a pair of singles, as well, while Ronald Rosario knocked a two-run homer. Alex Bouchard ate innings for Portland, contributing five frames, but allowed four runs on four hits. He also walked a hitter, but did strike out three. Steven Brooks (2 1/3 innings) and Erik Rivera (1 2/3 innings finished the game with just one hit allowed.

Portland picked up a game on first-place Reading and now sits 4 1/2 games back. Somerset and Binghamton, tied for second place in the Northeast Division, both won to stay two games ahead of the Sea Dogs.

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Greenville Drive 5, Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 1

It was a four-run sixth that proved the difference for Greenville, as all six of the game’s runs were scored in an inning-and-a-half span. That big frame started the scoring as Ronny Hernandez led the way with a perfect 3 for 3, including a solo while run, while adding a walk. He wasn’t the only Drive hitter to go yard, as Isaiah Jackson and Givian Sirvania also knocked big flies. Barrett Morgan was on the mound and he contributed four shutout innings, scattering just a hit, with two free passes against a trio of strikeouts. Griffin Kilander finished the contest with 2 1/3 no-run frames of his own, allowing two hits, adding four strikeouts.

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Salem RidgeYaks 6, Hill City Howlers (CLE) 5

Salem got its work done early, scoring a pair in the bottom of the first, adding a trio more in the bottom of the eighth, to take a win on Saturday, holding off a comeback from the Howlers in the ninth, as they loaded the bases, but Yermain Ruiz came out of the bullpen and induced a fly out to end the contest. Franklin Primera and Louis Andujar each had a pair of hits, including Primera’s fifth home run of the year. Adonys Guzman also went yard. Sadbiel Delzine allowed just an unearned run across his four innings of work, striking out six. Jose Bello also contributed nine outs, but walked four and allowed four more hits, resulting in three runs.

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Player of the Day: It’s been a trying couple of seasons for Kristian Campbell, but he’s started to get back on track. While he’s cooled down from his red-hot July, he’s still been a solid presence in the Worcester lineup and has been looking more like the ballplayer that earned a $60 million contract just under 18 months ago, as his added bat speed helped him knock his eighth home run of the season.

Photo Credit: Kristian Campbell by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Capra, Arias power WooSox sweep; Salazar powers RidgeYaks

2026-09-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/5 Cup of Coffee: It was a full day of action down on the farm, with all four full-season teams in action and Worcester getting some extra baseball. The WooSox got a de facto sweep, as Vinny Capra homered in the 10th inning of the restart of Thursday's suspended contest before Franklin Arias and John Holobetz slaughtered the Bisons in the regularly scheduled game. Salem was also victorious on Friday, led by another big night from Kleyver Salazar (pictured). Greenville saw its postseason hopes dashed in an extra-inning walk-off loss, while Portland fell in Eastern League action.

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Worcester Red Sox 6, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 4 (Game 1)

On Thursday night, Buffalo had just staged a comeback to send the contest to extra innings when the skies fully opened. Shortly after the restart on Friday, Vinny Capra blasted a three-run bomb in the 10th to give Worcester the win. It was the third hit of the game for Capra, who was also hit by a pitch and stole a base. Romy Gonzalez was 4 for 5 with an RBI, while Mikey Romero doubled and drove in a run as part of a 3-for-5 effort. Franklin Arias finished with a pair of hits. Blake Wehunt had gone six innings, allowing one run on seven hits, earning a no decision. The Capra homer made a winner of Hobie Harris, who had surrendered the tying run in the ninth on Thursday. Seth Martinez allowed the automatic runner to score on a base hit in the 10th but struck out a pair to secure the save.

Worcester Red Sox 10, Buffalo Bisons 0 (Game 2)

Because the suspended game was already to the 10th inning when it resumed, the regularly scheduled contest was to go the full nine innings. Buffalo likely would've preferred to see the night end earlier, as its pitching staff was battered for 19 hits while John Holobetz spun a gem on the mound. Holobetz, staked to a lead before throwing a pitch, cruised through six shutout innings, scattering three hits, all singles. He struck out four and walked three. Tyler Samaniego, Patrick Halligan, and Osvaldo Berrios threw a scoreless inning apiece to complete the shutout.

Arias had a monster day at the plate, going 4 for 6 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI. It was the third consecutive multi-hit effort for Arias, who reached 50 extra-base hits on the year. Nathan Hickey blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning as part of his 3-for-4 evening that also included a walk. Braiden Ward also went deep in the fourth with a two-run shot. Capra added another two hits after his heroics in the opener, and Tsung-Che Cheng was 3 for 5 with two runs scored.

The sweep now has Worcester just two games out of the playoffs, as a Rochester and Syracuse split of their doubleheader allowed the WooSox to leapfrog the Mets and pick up a half game on the Red Wings. Seven teams are within 2 1/2 games in a jumbled playoff picture.

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Cheseapeake BaySox (BAL) 3, Portland Sea Dogs 1

Portland squandered several chances on Friday, going just 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Henry Godbout was the bright spot in the Sea Dogs lineup, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Ahbram Liendo scored the lone Portland run as part of his 1-for-3 evening. Starter Morgan McSweeney suffered the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in four innings, striking out four and walking one. Jeremy Wu-Yelland gave up one unearned run in two innings of relief, matching McSweeney's four punchouts and one walk. Joe Vogatsky closed things out with two shutout frames.

Despite a loss by first-place Reading, Portland's playoff hopes are dimming. The Sea Dogs remain in fourth place in the Eastern League's Northeast Division, 5 1/2 games back with eight to play.

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Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 3, Greenville Drive 2

Greenville entered Friday's contest needing a sweep of its final three games as well as three straight losses by Winston-Salem to make it to the South Atlantic League playoffs. Neither came to be, with a walk-off loss officially eliminating the Drive from postseason contention. Leadoff man and first-round pick Jake Schaffner did his part, going 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored. Schaffner extended his hitting streak to seven games. Fellow North Carolina product Owen Hull extended his career-opening on-base streak to 23 games with a third-inning single. Yordanny Monegro went two innings in his second appearance since returning from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander allowed two runs on two hits, striking out four and walking one. Shea Sprague was excellent in a bulk role, firing five shutout frames, scattering five hits, and striking out seven without walking a batter. Aaron Nixon went two scoreless innings during regulation, but the Hot Rods reached in in the 10th for a walk-off single that plated the automatic runner.

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Salem RidgeYaks 11, Hill City Howlers (CLE) 4

Kleyver Salazar led the way as Salem made its way into the final weekend of the season. Salazar kicked off the rout with an RBI single and then came in to score on a three-run homer by Josue Brito in Salem's five-run third inning. Salazar finished 4 for 4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Adonys Guzman also went deep for the RidgeYaks, his 11th of the season and eighth since joining Salem. Undrafted free agent Cam Padgett made his sixth appearance and first start for Salem, scattering four hits across 3 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five against one walk. Carson Revay went the next 1 2/3, allowing a run on two hits. Nicolas De La Cruz got credit for the victory, his seventh of the year, allowing one run in 2 1/3 hitless innings. He struck out four and walked one.

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Player of the Day: Salem scored five in the third, three in the fifth, and three more in the sixth in its blowout win, and Kleyver Salazar scored a run in each of those rallies. Salazar has put up an outstanding year in his second tour with Salem while flying somewhat under the radar. Friday's four-hit effort brings his season production up to .288/.400/.471. He's been particularly good since mid-June, posting a .347/.461/.563 slash with 33 walks against 34 strikeouts in 47 games. The younger brother of former Red Sox prospect and current Cardinals farmhand Johnfrank Salazar, Kleyver made his way into the top 50 of the newly released SoxProspects.com rankings.

Photo Credit: Kleyver Salazar by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Godbout homers twice as Portland bests Eyanson, Chesapeake

2026-09-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/4 Cup of Coffee: Excluding Worcester's suspended contest against Buffalo, Boston's affiliates went 1-2 in three tightly contested games on Thursday. Henry Godbout (pictured) homered twice in Portland's win over Chesapeake. Ronny Hernandez, Nazzan Zanetello, and Givian Sirvania all went deep as Greenville fell to Bowling Green. Cole Tolbert worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings as Salem was shut out by Hill City.

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Worcester Red Sox 3, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 3 (Suspended in 10th inning)

This game was suspended in the top of the 10th inning due to rain. It will resume at 5:05 p.m. ET Friday evening and be followed by Friday's regularly scheduled nine-inning contest.

Before the skies opened, Blake Wehunt put together a solid start for Worcester, allowing only one earned run on seven hits, one walk, and six strikeouts over six quality innings. He threw 84 pitches (62 strikes) and generated eight whiffs. In relief of Wehunt, Angel Bastardo tossed a scoreless bottom of the seventh, while John Brebbia and Hobie Harris each gave up a run in their respective innings of work.

On the flip side, Romy Gonzalez led the way offensively, going 4 for 5 with one RBI. Mikey Romero went 3 for 5 with one double, one RBI, and one run scored. Franklin Arias and Vinny Capra each had two hits, with the former driving in one run and the latter scoring once and stealing one base. Braiden Ward doubled, scored once, and drew one walk.

With no result on Thursday, Worcester still trails Rochester by three games for first place in the International League second-half standings.

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, Chesapeake Baysox (BAL) 4

Devin Futrell had an interesting start for Portland, allowing four earned runs on 13 hits (including one home run), no walks, and six strikeouts over six innings. He threw 79 pitches (60 strikes) and generated 10 whiffs. Max Carlson (who picked up the win) and Caleb Bolden (who picked up the save) combined for three scoreless frames of relief.

Henry Godbout was the star at the plate for Portland, going 3 for 4 with one double, two home runs, two RBI, and two runs scored. Brooks Brannon and Max Ferguson each went 2 for 4 with a solo home run. Brannon's 21st big fly of the season came off old friend Anthony Eyanson. Tyler McDonough doubled and scored one run as part of a 2-for-5 night.

With the win, Portland remains 5 1/2 games back of Reading for first place in the Eastern League Northeast second-half standings.

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Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 7, Greenville Drive 6

Dylan Brown went 5 1/3 innings in his start for Greenville, allowing three earned runs on eight hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches (57 strikes) and generated 17 whiffs. In relief of Brown, Luis Cohen and Matt McShane (who took the loss after giving up a walk-off home run) combined to surrender an additional four runs (three earned) across 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. At the plate, Ronny Hernandez stood out by going 2 for 4 with his 14th homer of the season, one RBI, and two runs scored. Nazzan Zanetello and Givian Sirvania each crushed a two-run shot as well. Stanley Tucker doubled, scored one run, and stole one base. Skylar King also doubled in one run, scoring Antonio Anderson.

Following Thursday's loss, Greenville now trails Winston-Salem by 2 1/2 games for first place in the South Atlantic League South second-half standings with only three games left to play.

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Hill City Howlers (CLE) 1, Salem RidgeYaks 0

Cole Tolbert tossed a career-high 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his start for Salem, scattering four hits, no walks, and one hit-by-pitch. He threw 63 pitches (48 strikes) and generated nine whiffs. Nicholas Judice followed out of the bullpen with 1 2/3 additional scoreless frames, while Wuilliams Rodriguez took the loss after giving up a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning. Offensively, Franklin Primera went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles. Martin Shelar doubled for his only hit. Starlyn Nunez stole his 21st base of the year.

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Player of the Day: Henry Godbout gets the nod for putting together the first multi-homer game of his professional career. The 22-year-old infielder has now homered seven times in 17 games (75 plate appearances) since being promoted to Portland on August 11, bringing his season total up to 14. He is currently ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the organization.

Photo Credit: Henry Godbout by Kelly O'Connor

August Players of the Month: Franklin Primera and Dylan Brown

2026-09-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

The fifth full month of the minor league season is complete. With that, it is time to present the SoxProspects.com Players of the Month awards for August to catcher Franklin Primera (pictured, left) and left-hander Dylan Brown (pictured, bottom right). Both prospects are currently ranked within the organization's top 25, having each climbed more than 30 spots since Opening Day.

Primera, the No. 3 prospect in the system behind only Franklin Arias and Justin Gonzales, is a SoxProspects.com Player of the Month honoree for the second time this season. The right-handed hitting 19-year-old batted a stout .382/.535/.592 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 15 RBI, 19 runs scored, two stolen bases, 16 walks, and eight strikeouts in 22 August games (101 plate appearances) for Salem. He was recognized as the Carolina League Player of the Week for August 10-16, then drove in a career-high seven runs on August 18.

For the season, his first in the United States, Primera is slashing .365/.500/.576 with 16 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 51 RBI, 64 runs scored, six stolen bases, 47 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 75 games (327 plate appearances) between the Florida Complex League and Salem. As part of his breakout campaign, the 2024 international signee out of Venezuela has made 47 starts behind the plate, throwing out 29 of 175 would-be base stealers. He has also made eight starts at first base and 19 starts at DH.

Brown, meanwhile, is a SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Month honoree for the first time in his first full professional season. Ranked as the organization's No. 25 prospect, the 22-year-old lefty posted a 2.66 ERA with 31 strikeouts to four walks in five August starts (23 2/3 innings) for Greenville, holding opponents to a .186 batting average. His workload was somewhat limited, as his starts on August 15 and 21 -- in which he tossed three scoreless innings each time -- were both shortened by rain.

Overall, Brown -- Boston's eighth-round pick in last year's draft out of Old Dominion -- has pitched to a 3.38 ERA with 135 strikeouts to 37 walks in 21 outings (20 starts) and 101 1/3 innings between Salem and Greenville this season. Opposing hitters are slashing .229/.305/.320 in 420 plate appearances against him. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound southpaw features a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 88-89 mph cutter, an 81-85 mph slider, and an 82-84 mph changeup.

Photo Credit: Franklin Primera and Dylan Brown by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Hull, Schaffner lead Greenville; Mullins dominates for Sea Dogs

2026-09-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

9/3 Cup of Coffee: Affiliates won two out of three games on Wednesday evening as both Class A affiliates look to close out the season strong. Greenville kept its playoff hopes alive on the continued hot bats of Owen Hull and Jake Schaffner. A late rally made winners of the RidgeYaks, who have won two in a row after suffering a sweep in last week's series. Hayden Mullins (pictured), fanned 10 in six shutout innings for Portland, but a late comeback in Bowie dropped the Sea Dogs in extra innings. Wild weather in Western New York postponed Worcester's contest.

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Worcester Red Sox @ Buffalo Bisons (TOR), postponed

With heavy rains and a tornado warning rolling through Buffalo, Wednesday's contest was postponed. They'll try for a doubleheader on Friday.

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Chesapeake Baysox (BAL) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 4

A late rally culminating in a 10th-inning walkoff spoiled an outstanding effort by Hayden Mullins. The left-hander dominated for six innings, allowing just one hit, walking one, and fanning 10 of the 20 batters he faced. Chesapeake shortstop and 2025 first-round pick Wehiwa Aloy blasted a pair of two-run homers in back-to-back innings off of Tyler Davis to knot the contest at 4-4. Erik Rivera suffered a tough-luck loss, as the only baserunner he allowed in 1 2/3 innings was a two-out ground ball single in the 10th that plated the automatic runner. Max Ferguson led the way at the plate with a 2-for-4 evening with three RBI that included a two-run homer in the sixth. Reigning Eastern League Player of the Week Johanfran Garcia also went deep for the Sea Dogs. Brooks Brannon and Ronald Rosario had two hits apiece, with Rosario ripping a double.

With a third consecutive loss, playoff hopes are fading quickly. All three teams in front of Portland in the Northeast Division were victorious on Wednesday, and the Sea Dogs now sit 5 1/2 games behind Reading with 10 to play.

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Greenville Drive 9, Bowling Green Hot Rogs (TB) 6

Boston's top two picks in July's draft led the way in Wednesday's wild contest in Bowling Green. Owen Hull continues to be an extra-base machine, as he went 2 for 5 with a double, homer, and three RBI. Hull has reached safely in all 21 games as a professional while tallying 10 doubles and three homers. Fellow Tar Heel product Jake Schaffner was 2 for 4 with a walk to extend his hitting streak to six games. He is 10 for 28 during that hitting streak. Isaiah Jackson doubled and scored a pair as part of his two-hit effort, while Luke Heyman blasted his 20th homer of the season.

Starter Jason Gilman went four innings, allowing four runs on three hits. He walked five and struck out three. Brandon Neely earned the win in relief, giving up two runs in three innings, striking out six without issuing a walk. Joey Gartrell went the final two innings to pick up the save.

Winston-Salem also won, so Greenville could only keep pace with the Dash, remaining 1 1/2 games out with four left to play.

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Salem RidgeYaks 4, Hill City Howlers (CLE) 3

A two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth gave the RidgeYaks the come-from-behind win. Kleyver Salazar took a bases loaded walk to push home D'Angelo Ortiz with what proved to be the winning run. It was the second free pass of the night for Salazar, who also singled. Franklin Primara was 1 for 4, plating a run with a sacrifice fly during that decisive eighth inning. Willis Maginnis scored a pair of runs as he walked once and twice was hit by a pitch. Christian Foutch turned in a strong start, allowing one run on three hits in five innings, striking out four against three walks. The winning decision went to Yander Bonaci, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless, walking one and striking out one.

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Player of the Day: It was a sterling effort on the mound for 25-year-old lefty Hayden Mullins. It was the fifth straight start in which Mullins has allowed one or fewer earned runs, a strong finish to a season in which he'd earlier battled some consistency and control issues. The former Auburn Tiger has allowed seven earned runs in 38 innings in eight second half starts, striking out 54 and walking 16. Most impressively, he has not allowed a home run during that stretch, holding Eastern League hitters to a .181 slugging percentage. Mullins is currently ranked 22nd in the system.

Photo Credit: Hayden Mullins by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Schaffner hits first professional homer, Romero records four hits

2026-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Cup of Coffee: On the night that Jedixson Paez made his major league debut at Fenway Park, there was plenty of action for prospect watchers down on the farm as well. Mikey Romero and Romy Gonzalez had big games in a blowout win for the WooSox, while Henry Godbout homered in a Sea Dogs loss. The Drive and RidgeYaks both had exciting wins, as Yophery Rodriguez (pictured) blasted a go-ahead home run in the ninth for Greenville and Adonys Guzman sent the Salem fans home happy with a walkoff single in the tenth.

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Worcester Red Sox 9, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 1

Mikey Romero led the charge in a huge night for the WooSox lineup, as he drove in a pair of runs with a double in the third inning as part of a 4-for-4 game. Romy Gonzalez homered in his second consecutive game, ripping a two-run homer to center field in the seventh inning. Franklin Arias went 2 for 4 with a walk and scored three runs. In his first game since being optioned to Worcester, Anthony Seigler drove in two runs with a double in the ninth and went 1 for 5 on the night.

Gage Ziehl was dialed in on the mound, throwing just 73 pitches (47 strikes) over 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed one run on four hits, walking nobody while striking out four, and Ziehl has now pitched to a 4.81 ERA through his first five starts in Worcester. Noah Song struck out two batters and walked one in 1 1/3 innings of relief and Sam McWilliams struck out two in a scoreless frame.

Worcester gained some ground in the playoff hunt with the win, moving to 3.5 games behind Rochester, though they still have five teams to jump.

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Chesapeake BaySox (BAL) 6, Portland Sea Dogs 4

Henry Godbout gave the Sea Dogs an early lead with a two-run shot in the third inning, going 1 for 4 overall in the game. However, Portland was unable to overcome a five-run sixth inning for the BaySox despite a pair of late rallies. Caden Rose drove in a run with a double in the seventh inning, going 1 for 3 with a walk on the night. Nelly Taylor was 1 for 3 with a double and he drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Center fielder Will Turner went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

Dalton Rogers was excellent over the first five innings of the game, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out six batters. However, his luck turned in the sixth inning as he allowed three runs to cross the plate before departing the game. Rogers now has a 5.80 ERA in 76 innings with Portland this season. Cooper Adams followed him out of the bullpen and was hit hard, allowing three runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings.

The Sea Dogs remain 4.5 games out of a playoff spot with 11 games left in the season.

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Greenville Drive 13, Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 11

The Drive rode a thrilling rally to the win in their series opener against Bowling Green. After opening the ninth inning behind by one run, Yophery Rodriguez flipped the script as he unloaded on a three-run homer to put the Drive ahead. Nazzan Zanetello added a solo homer of his own later in the inning. First-round draft pick Jake Schaffner collected the first home run of his professional career as part of a 2-for-6 game and he is now hitting .301/.356/.398 in his first 18 games with the Drive. Antonio Anderson went 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBI.

The Greenville pitchers had tough nights on Tuesday despite piling up a huge number of strikeouts. Jacob Mayers fanned six batters in four innings, though he also allowed four runs on six hits and two walks. Brady Tygart recorded a remarkable 10 strikeouts out of the bullpen but he was tagged for seven runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings. Aaron Nixon picked up the save as he recorded the final two outs of the game.

Winston-Salem was also victorious, so the Drive remain 1 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with five games to go.

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Salem RidgeYaks 8, Hill City Howlers (CLE) 7 (10 innings)

The RidgeYaks opened their final home series of the season with an exclamation point, as they rallied for a walkoff win in extra innings. Down by a run entering the bottom of the tenth, Andrews Opata tied the game with a double and then came around to score on a game-winning single for Adonys Guzman. Opata reached base three times in the game, going 1 for 2 with two walks, three runs scored, and he recorded his 54th stolen base of the season. Guzman was 2 for 4 and he also drove in a run with a double in the eighth. Martin Shelar went 2 for 5 with an RBI single in the fifth.

Ethan Walker started on the mound and allowed three runs (two earned) in four innings of work, walking three batters and striking out four. Carson Revay struck out two batters without allowing a hit or walk in two innings of relief. Yermain Ruiz struck out five batters but surrendered two runs in 2 2/3 innings and Harry Blum worked through 2 1/3 innings while allowing just an unearned run.

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Player of the Day: Yophery Rodriguez was the star of the show in Greenville's come-from-behind win, vaulting the Drive from a one-run deficit to a two-run lead with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth. That key home run was far from Rodriguez's only contribution in the game as he also collected two doubles and went 3 for 4 with four runs, four RBI, and a walk on the night. Rodriguez's massive game pushed his slash line to .249/.318/.460 and he now has 15 home runs on the season.

Photo Credit: Yophery Rodriguez by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Monegro returns from Tommy John; Anthony and Story rejoin Red Sox

2026-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

With less than a month remaining in the regular season, the Red Sox postseason roster is beginning to take shape. Three major league mainstays returned to the Red Sox after stints on the injured list, causing a ripple effect for Boston's depth in the upper minors. Down on the farm, the Red Sox affiliates remain on the outside looking in as they battle for postseason berths.

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Rehabbing major leaguers rejoin Red Sox

After missing more than three months of action, Roman Anthony and Trevor Story made their triumphant return to the Red Sox lineup in Sunday's loss to the Yankees. Both players had spent most of the last two weeks on rehab assignments following their lengthy absences, with Anthony hitting .280/.367/.600 with two home runs in eight games between Portland and Worcester while Story hit .171/.189/.200 with 11 strikeouts in 10 games with the WooSox. While he did not pitch on a rehab assignment, Garrett Whitlock also returned to the Red Sox bullpen on Saturday after missing a couple of weeks with elbow inflammation. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has also played eight games on a rehab assignment with Worcester, is likely to follow once rosters expand in September.

While the additions of Anthony and Story improve the upside and depth of the Red Sox lineup, Boston was forced to make some difficult choices to make room on the major league roster. On Sunday, the Red Sox optioned Mickey Gasper and Anthony Seigler to Worcester, though Gasper returned to the major league club on Monday with Willson Contreras heading to the IL. The 30-year-old Gasper has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball recently, hitting .400/.571/1.100 with six home runs in 11 games in August. Seigler, one of Boston's spark plugs during their season-changing winning streak, has slashed .250/.331/.405 in 48 MLB games this season.

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Monegro back on the mound after Tommy John

Yordanny Monegro pitched in a professional game for the first time since June 2025 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Monegro started for Greenville on Friday night, throwing 31 pitches over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out three batters and walked three. Monegro is ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the system after he posted a 2.67 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings with Portland before his injury last season.

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Updates on the postseason chase

With the minor league season winding down, each of Boston's affiliates finds themselves just out of the playoff picture. Worcester is currently 4.5 games out of a spot in the International League postseason, though they would need to leapfrog six teams to make it into the dance. The Sea Dogs also find themselves 4.5 games out of the playoffs. The Drive are the Red Sox affiliate with the best chance at a postseason berth as they are currently 1.5 games behind Winston-Salem. Salem has been eliminated from postseason contention.

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Additional transactions

To make room for Whitlock's return, the Red Sox optioned Wyatt Olds to Worcester. Olds made six appearances with the major league club, striking out eight hitters without allowing a run in six innings.
A pair of top-20 prospects were placed on the 7-day injured list in Portland's Jack Winnay and Greenville's Carlos Gutierrez.

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Players of the Week August 24-30

Johanfran Garcia, C, Portland Sea Dogs

4 G, 18 AB, 10 H, 6 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, .556/.619/1.056

Johanfran Garcia clubbed three home runs in a monster week for the Sea Dogs, bringing him to 17 longballs in his first season with the Sea Dogs. After his hot week, Garcia is now slashing .293/.342/.503 on the season as he continues to split time between catcher and designated hitter. While it is unclear if he will stick behind the plate in the long run, Garcia's power is his calling card and it has carried the 21-year-old to an impressive season.

Jedixson Paez, RHP, Worcester Red Sox

1 G, 0-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

Jedixson Paez delivered a dominant outing for the WooSox last Tuesday, pitching four perfect innings before surrendering a solo home run in his fifth inning of work. That home run was the only baserunner that Paez allowed as he struck out eight batters through five frames. Paez has made three starts since being promoted to Worcester and he holds a 2.92 ERA with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 12 1/3 innings.

Photo Credit: Yordanny Monegro and Johanfran Garcia by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Campbell homers twice; Heyman plays the hero for Greenville

2026-08-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/31 Cup of Coffee: Two home runs from Kristian Campbell helped the WooSox cling to their playoff chances. Luke Heyman (pictured) was the hero in a thriller for Greenville, while Martin Shelar was on base five times in a doubleheader for Salem.

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Worcester Red Sox 13, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 10

The WooSox were able to salvage a series split, but they still sit 4.5 games out of a playoff spot entering September. Kristian Campbell capped the month with one of his best games, going 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBI. Romy Gonzalez also added a home run as he went 3 for 4 with a double, stolen base, three RBI, and four runs scored. Appearing in his last rehab game, Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 1 for 3 with a two-run single. The offense bailed out the pitching staff as the seven Worcester pitchers struggled to set down the RailRiders. John Brebbia threw a scoreless frame as the opener; Max Carlson got the win despite allowing two runs over three innings, while he notched a save with a scoreless ninth.

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Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) 8, Portland Sea Dogs 7, 10 innings

The Sea Dogs tied the game in the ninth on a two-run home run by Tyler McDonough, and they took the lead on an RBI double by Yoeilin Cespedes. But the Flying Squirrels tied it back up in the bottom of the ninth, and then they walked it off in the 10th. Starter Alex Bouchard was tagged for five runs in three innings, but Caleb Bolden kept the game close with three innings of one-hit ball. After taking a one-run lead in the top of the 10th, the Sea Dogs brought in infielder Hudson White to close it out. He allowed two walks and a walk-off single. Johanfran Garcia had a great day at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a home run.

The loss dropped Portland to 4.5 games out of a playoff spot with two weeks to play.

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Greenville Drive 12, Rome Emperors (ATL) 11

The Drive stunned the Emperors with four runs in the eighth and then another four runs in the ninth to walk it off. Luke Heyman delivered the game-winner as he laced an RBI single to score Jake Schaffner. Heyman delivered a grand slam earlier in the game, and all five of his RBI came with two outs. Schaffner finished 2 for 6 with two runs and two RBI, while Owen Hull went 3 for 4 with a double and two walks.

Greenville remains 1.5 games out of a playoff spot heading into its final week.

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) 6, Salem RidgeYaks 4 (Game One)

Salem continued to run into the buzzsaw that is Fayetteville, dropping game one. Three different pitchers allowed exactly two runs, with starter Williams Montero going 1 2/3 innings while Wuilliams Rodriguez finished off the final 2 2/3 frames. Anderson Fermin went 2 for 3, while Starlyn Nunez, Avinson Pinto, and Martin Shelar all added a double.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers 2, Salem RidgeYaks 1 (Game Two)

The Woodpeckers finished off the sweep as they won their 13th straight game. Starter Berny Ortiz struck out five and allowed two runs over three innings, while Nicolas De La Cruz struck out three over 2 1/3 shutout frames. Fermin went 2 for 3 again, while Shelar went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. After a slow start, Shelar now has a hit in four straight games.

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Player of the Day: A grand slam and a walk-off single for Luke Heyman helped Greenville mount a huge comeback. Heyman, the system's 26th-ranked prospect, pushed his OPS to .811 while launching his 19th home run. The 23-year-old right-handed hitter is particularly strong against lefties, posting an OPS of 1.085 with more walks (18) than strikeouts (14). Heyman has split his time pretty evenly between catcher and DH, and his ability to stick behind the plate will go a long way in determining his ultimate value.

Photo Credit: Luke Heyman by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Gonzales goes for 4 hits

2026-08-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/30 Cup of Coffee: The big club split a doubleheader on Saturday, but the minor league affiliates weren't as fortunate, as just one of the four grabbed a win, and they began to fall further from playoff contention. This wasn't without some solid performances, however, as No. 2 prospect Justin Gonzales (pictured) exploded with a four-hit performance in a big Portland victory, contributing two RBI along the way. Barrett Morgan also had a nice start for Greenville, pitching 3 1/3 no-hit innings, while Andruw Mussett was a bright spot in an otherwise tough close loss for Salem, hitting a two-run homer as part of a three-hit evening.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (NYY) 9, Worcester Red Sox 1

A four-run fifth was the separator for Worcester, as the WooSox just got five hits. However, there was some encouraging news for the big-league club, as Isiah Kiner-Falefa knocked two hits, while Trevor Story knocked a double and Roman Anthony worked a walk, meaning all three rehabbers reached base. Michael Sansone handled the bulk of the work, pitching the first five innings. He allowed six runs, five of which were earned, on two home runs. He walked one and struck out five. Patrick Halligan also contributed three innings, while Nathan Hickey had another pitching appearance in the ninth.

Worcester is now four-and-a-half games out of a playoff spot and needs to jump seven teams to reach the top of the pile.

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Portland Sea Dogs 14, Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) 3

Portland entered the sixth inning down 1-0, but the Sea Dogs put up seven runs in the frame and then added three in the eighth and four more in the ninth to run away with a blowout victory. Justin Gonzalez led the way offensively, scoring three runs and bringing in two more with a 4-for-6 performance, including a double. Johanfran Garcia added three hits, two of which left the yard. He had six RBI. Henry Godbout and Nelly Taylor also joined the two in the multi-hit club. The start went to Morgan McSweeney, who struck out eight over five innings. He scattered three hits and one walk, with one run across the plate.

Like its Triple-A counterpart, Portland is also four-and-a-half back, but sits in third place in the Eastern League Northeast Division.

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Rome Emperors (ATL) 12, Greenville Drive 2

Nazzan Zanetello had two of his team's six hits as Rome took a big victory fueled by a six-run fifth inning. Three members of the Drive had doubles, as Zanetello, Luke Heyman and Skylar King all went for two bases. Barrett Morgan threw 3 1/3 no-hit innings to start the game, walking one and striking out four, but Adam Bates struggled in relief, coughing up six runs on four hits and two walks. He gave up two home runs, as well. Matt McShane (2 innings) and Luis Cohen (2 2/3 innings) each surrendered a trio of tallies over their relief appearances.

Greenville is two-and-a-half games back of Winston-Salem for the South Atlantic League's South Division lead.

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) 5, Salem RidgeYaks 4

Andruw Mussett had three hits, including a two-run home run, but Salem allowed three runs in the seventh to surrender the lead and were unable to mount a comeback bid and were the third affiliate to fall on the day. He was the only RidgeYak with an extra-base hit. It was a bullpen day as Sadbiel Delzine had the first three innings, striking out three. However, he allowed two runs on three hits. Alex Kranzler was the only pitcher to now allow a run, with one hit and one walk. He also struck out two.

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Player of the Day: Four hits, three runs and two RBI is tough to beat. Justin Gonzales has been scorching hot since being promoted to Double-A Portland, as he's hitting .441/.525/.735 across 40 plate appearances since the call-up on August 18.

Photo Credit: Justin Gonzales by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Monegro returns to Greenville mound as Hull stays hot

2026-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/29 Cup of Coffee: The Red Sox got some strong pitching performances as its affiliates drew a Friday-night split. Yordanny Monegro had his first in-game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, getting the start for the Drive. He was supported by a solid piggyback effort by Shea Sprague and the continued excellent play of Owen Hull (pictured). Devin Futrell got more than enough support for his quality start in Portland's win as the Sea Dogs ripped 14 hits, seven for extra bases. Leighton Finley was excellent for Salem, but the RidgeYaks suffered a come-from-behind loss, while John Holobetz was on the wrong side of a Polar Park pitchers' duel.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (NYY) 2, Worcester Red Sox 0

It was a strange evening at Polar Park, with most of the attention paid to who wasn't in the lineup. A trio of rehabbing major leaguers, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, were not activated on Friday for the Yankees series but were also not in the Worcester starting lineup. Afield was a pitchers' duel, with John Holobetz and a trio of relievers falling to a pair of Railriders who threw a three-hit shutout. Holobetz went the first five innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out two and walking one. John Brebbia followed with a scoreless sixth inning, striking out one and surrendering one hit. Angel Bastardo fanned two and walked one in two hitless frames, and Hobie Harris struck out three batters, sandwiching one walk in the ninth. For Harris, it was his sixth straight game and 10th in his last 11 that he was not scored upon. At the plate, Franklin Arias had the only extra-base hit, a ninth-inning double. The knock extended his hitting streak to seven games. Nate Eaton and Romy Gonzalez had a hit apiece.

Worcester remains in sixth place in the crowded International League playoff race, 4 1/2 games behind Indianapolis.

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Portland Sea Dogs 9, Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) 3

Every member of the Sea Dogs lineup got a hit on Friday as Portland routed the Flying Squirrels. Tyler McDonough was the catalyst out of the leadoff spot, going 2 for 4 with a homer, double, and three runs scored. Brooks Brannon had a two-run shot, number 20 on the season, as part of his two-hit evening, and Ronald Rosario also homered for Portland. Justin Gonzales started off the scoring with an RBI double in the first, later adding a double and a walk. It was his fifth multi-hit game in seven contests since his promotion to Double-A. Will Turner added a pair of doubles, driving in a pair.

The offensive explosion made for an easy night for Portland starter Devin Futrell. The left-hander had a 3-0 lead before even throwing a pitch and cruised through six innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He fanned seven against one walk and threw 62 of 87 pitches for strikes. Cooper Adams allowed a run on three hits in two innings of relief, striking out four without issuing a walk. Erik Rivera struck out a pair in a perfect ninth.

First-place Reading lost on Friday, so the Northeast Division race tightened a bit. Somerset and Binghamton both won along with the Sea Dogs, who remain in fourth place and now sit just four games back.

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Greenville Drive 6, Rome Emperors (ATL) 2

Yordanny Monegro made his long-awaited return to the mound, where he was supported by a scorching-hot Owen Hull in Greenville's win. Monegro, sidelined since June 2025 with an elbow injury that required Tommy John Surgery that August, got the de facto rehab start. He went 1 2/3 hitless innings, striking out three and walking three. Shea Sprague piggybacked Monegro, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings to get the win. Sprague fanned six and walked two. Aaron Nixon struck out three and allowed three hits in two scoreless innings as he earned the save.

Hull led the way at the plate with a double and a two-run homer. The 67th overall pick in June's draft, Hull now has eight doubles and a pair of round-trippers in just 17 games as a pro. Fellow top pick and Tar Heel Jake Schaffner had a single and a walk out of the leadoff spot. Luke Heyman started the scoring with a two-run homer in the first, his 18th of the season and 12th since his promotion to the Drive.

Greenville moves to 1 1/2 games behind Winston-Salem in the South Atlantic League playoff race with eight games remaining.

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) 6, Salem RidgeYaks 2

A six-run rally in the eighth spoiled a sterling start for Leighton Finley and ended Salem's playoff hopes. Finley spun six scoreless innings, scattering four hits as he struck out nine and walked two. It is the first time as a pro that Finley has worked six full frames. Carson Revay followed with a scoreless seventh but was reached for four runs (one earned) when he returned for the eighth. The final two runs of the inning were charged to Harry Blum as Fayetteville completed the rally to win their 10th straight. At the plate, Kleyver Salazar broke a scoreless tie with a sixth-inning two-run homer, his 12th of the year.

Salem dropped its fifth straight game and was officially eliminated from playoff contention, falling 9 1/2 games behind Fayetteville with nine games remaining.

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Player of the Day: It has been an outstanding professional debut for outfielder Owen Hull, who led Greenville in Friday's victory. With a double and a homer, Hull now has 10 extra-base hits, 14 runs scored, 15 RBI, and 13 walks in his first 17 professional contests, giving him a very symmetric .329/.429/.529 batting line. Boston snagged Hull in the competitive balance-B portion of the draft, a pick they acquired in the deal that brought Caleb Durbin to Boston and sent Kyle Harrison to Milwaukee. The 22-year-old is currently ranked eighth in the system.

Photo Credit: Owen Hull by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Brown, Jackson lead Greenville past Rome; Anthony picks up two more hits

2026-08-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/28 Cup of Coffee: Aside from Salem's game in Fayetteville getting rained out, Boston's affiliates went 3-0 on Thursday. Blake Wehunt went five innings while the rehabbing trio of Roman Anthony, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Trevor Story combined for five hits in Worcester's win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Ahbram Liendo and Henry Godbout homered in Portland's blowout win over Richmond. And in Greenville, Isaiah Jackson (pictured) and Dylan Brown stood out as the Drive toppled Rome.

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Worcester Red Sox 7, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 1

Blake Wehunt picked up the win in his start for Worcester after allowing only one earned run on four hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over five solid innings. He threw 75 pitches (47 strikes) and generated five whiffs. Osvaldo Berrios and Seth Martinez combined for nine additional strikeouts over four scoreless, one-hit frames of relief.

Offensively, the three rehabbers accounted for five of their side's 11 hits. Roman Anthony and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each went 2 for 4. Anthony doubled, drove in one run, and scored another. Kiner-Falefa scored one run and stole one base. Trevor Story singled and plated one run on a sacrifice fly. Like Anthony and Kiner-Falefa, Vinny Capra went 2 for 4 with one run scored. Nate Eaton, Kristian Campbell, and Tsung-Che Cheng all doubled for their only hit. Eaton had one RBI and one run, Campbell had one RBI, and Cheng had two RBI and one run.

With the win, sixth-place Worcester (29-24) remains 4 1/2 games back of Indianapolis (34-20) for first place in the International League second-half standings.

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Portland Sea Dogs 8, Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) 2

Ahbram Liendo, Brooks Brannon, and Justin Gonzales had strong nights at the plate for Portland. Liendo went 2 for 4 with his seventh home run of the season, three RBI, two runs scored, and one walk. Brannon went 2 for 4 with one double, two RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Gonzales went 2 for 4 with three RBI, one run scored, and two walks. Henry Godbout homered, drove in two runs, scored three times, and stole two bases as part of a 1-for-4 night. Nelly Taylor scored twice and drew one walk. Max Ferguson scored once, stole one base, and drew one walk.

Steven Brooks went two innings in his start for Portland, allowing one earned run on two hits, two walks, and one strikeout. He threw 45 pitches (23 strikes) and generated five whiffs. Caleb Bolden also gave up one run in two innings and was credited with the win, while Joe Vogatsky (who struck out three) and Hudson White (making his first appearance of any kind at the Double-A level) combined for five scoreless frames of relief.

With the win, fourth-place Portland (27-27) moves to within five games of Reading (still 31-21 after being rained out on Thursday) for first place in the Eastern League Northeast second-half standings.

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Greenville Drive 7, Rome Emperors (ATL) 1

Dylan Brown picked up the win in his start for Greenville after allowing only one earned run on two hits (including one home run), one walk, and five strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. He threw 75 pitches (49 strikes) and generated 10 whiffs. Brandon Neely and Joey Gartrell combined for three additional strikeouts across 2 2/3 scoreless, one-hit frames of relief.

At the plate, Isaiah Jackson led the way by going 2 for 2 with one double, one home run (his 20th of the season), three RBI, three runs scored, one stolen base, and one walk. He was also hit by a pitch. First-rounder Jake Schaffner recorded his second career three-hit game, going 3 for 4 with one triple and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Nazzan Zanetello homered for the fifth time this year as part of a 1-for-4 night. Ronny Hernandez doubled and drove in one run.

With the win, Greenville (28-29) remains 2 1/2 games back of Winston-Salem (30-26) for a spot in the South Atlantic League playoffs.

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Salem RidgeYaks @ Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) (PPD)

This game was postponed due to inclement weather and will be made up as part of a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.

With Thursday's postponement, fourth-place Salem (27-29) remains 8 1/2 games back of Fayetteville (35-20) for first place in the Carolina League North second-half standings.

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Player of the Day: Isaiah Jackson gets the nod for reaching the 20-homer mark in his first full professional season. The 22-year-old outfielder has spent all of 2026 with Greenville after being acquired from the Angels in December for Vaughn Grissom. Following Thursday's performance, he is now batting .237/.343/.469 with 17 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 65 RBI, 61 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 49 walks, and 97 strikeouts in 94 games (411 plate appearances) for the Drive. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 36 prospect.

Photo Credit: Isaiah Jackson by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Andujar reaches six times in twinbill; Shelar blasts first homer

2026-08-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/27 Cup of Coffee: A Portland victory in extra innings saved the system from being swept on Wednesday. The Sea Dogs were locked in a scoreless tie into the 10th and the two exchanged rallies until Yoeilin Cespedes hit a decisive two-run homer in the 13th. Salem was swept in a doubleheader despite a huge day from Louis Andujar (pictured), who reached base six times in seven plate appearances. Greenville fell despite a strong Jason Gilman start while Worcester could not dig out of an early deficit.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 7, Worcester Red Sox 1

It was a tough evening at Polar Park for the WooSox, who were outhit 13 to five and failed to register an extra-base hit. Rehabbers Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Roman Anthony, and Trevor Story occupied the top three spots in the lineup and went a combined 0 for 10, though Kiner-Falefa did draw a pair of walks and stole a base. Allan Castro had the only multi-hit effort, going 2 for 4. Franklin Arias singled to bring his hitting streak to six games. Starter Gage Ziehl took the loss, allowing six runs on nine hits in three innings. He struck out one, walked one, and allowed two homers. Noah Song had a strong effort out of the bullpen, fanning four as he allowed two hits in three shutout innings. Tyler Samaniego and Devin Sweet went a scoreless inning apiece before Scranton picked up an insurance run in the ninth against Sam McWilliams.

The loss drops sixth-place Worcester to 4 1/2 games behind Indianapolis in the International League standings.

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF) 4

The Sea Dogs snapped a five-game losing streak with a wild extra-inning victory. The game remained scoreless through nine innings, followed by both teams scoring single runs in the 10th and 12th frames. Portland plated three in the 13th, highlighted by a two-run Yoeilin Cespedes homer, and held on as Richmond rallied in the bottom of the inning. It was the 20th round tripper of the year for Cespedes and the second since he was promoted to Double-A at the start of the month. Henry Godbout singled, walked, and delivered a sacrfice fly in the 12th that gave the Sea Dogs a 2-1 advantage.

Portland got outstanding pitching throughout the evening. Starter Hayden Mullins scattered four hits across 5 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five and walking one. After an inconsistent first half of the season, Mullins now has a 1.97 ERA across seven outings since the break, striking out 44 in 32 innings. Max Carlson followed with 2 1/3 shutout frames, allowing one hit, walking one, and fanning four. Reidis Sena went two innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out three. Jeremy Wu-Yelland earned the win, matching Sena with one unearned run in two frames. Wu-Yelland pitched around a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the 11th with the winning run on third base. With the roster of pitchers exhausted, veteran infielder Ahbram Liendo came on to pitch in the 13th. He allowed two unearned runs and got credit for the save.

First-place Reading also won on Wednesday, so Portland remains in fourth, 5 1/2 back.

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Rome Emperors (ATL) 5, Greenville Drive 1

The Drive were limited to four hits by a quartet of Emperor hurlers. Owen Hull doubled to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He has reached base in all 16 contests of his pro career. He also scored Greenville's lone run on Wednesday, coming on to score on a Maximus Martin double. Jason Gilman turned in a strong start, cruising through five scoreless innings before allowing a pair of unearned runs when he came on for the sixth. He allowed only two hits in 5 1/3 while walking one and striking out 10. Matt McShane was a highlight out of the bullpen, firing a scoreless ninth as he sandwiched his one walk with three strikeouts.

With 10 games left to play, the Drive remain 2 1/2 games out of a South Atlantic League playoff spot.

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) 11, Salem RidgeYaks 4 (Game 1)

A big day from Louis Andujar could not prevent Salem's sweep at the hands of red-hot Fayetteville. The third baseman gave the RidgeYaks a short-lived 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the second inning on his way to a 3-for-3 effort in the opener. Martin Shelar blasted his first professional home run, a two-run blast in the third. It was a tough day on the mound for Christian Foutch, who allowed all 11 runs (nine earned) on eight hits in 2 2/3, striking out five and walking three. Cade Vire and Wuilliams Rodriguez combined for 3 1/3 innings of hitless relief, striking out three apiece in two and 1 1/3 innings, respectively.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers 2, Salem RidgeYaks 1

After the slugfest in the opener, the two teams combined for just six hits in the nightcap as Fayetteville completed the sweep. Two of Salem's three hits came off the bat of Franklin Primera, who also scored the only Salem run. Primera, who walked in the opener, has reached base safely in 30 consecutive starts, during which he is hitting .393/.536/.617. Andujar reached base three more times, drawing a walk and twice being hit by pitches. Ethan Walker got the start, allowing two unearned runs on three hits in four innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. The bullpen once again followed with three hitless frames: this time it was Nicholas Judice going 2 2/3 before Nicolas De La Cruz recorded the final out.

The sweep leaves Salem's playoff chances on life support, as they sit 8 1/2 games behind Fayetteville with 10 left to play. Fayetteville, winners of nine straight, have opened up a 6 1/2 game lead over second-place Wilson.

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Player of the Day: The sweep in Wednesday's doubleheader was not the fault of Louis Andujar, who reached base six times in the twinbill. The 18-year-old Andujar had a tough transition to the Carolina League after a hot start in the FCL, going 7 for 74 (.095) with just one extra-base hit in his first 20 games with the RidgeYaks. A two-hit effort on June 27th marked the start of his turnaround, and he has hit .331/.430/.604 in 37 games since. Andujar is now hitting .279/.377/.491 across two levels, and is the 38th-ranked prospect in the system.

.Photo Credit: Louis Andujar by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Paez strikes out eight, Anthony homers in WooSox win

2026-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/26 Cup of Coffee: With the help of three rehabbing major leaguers and a great start from Jedixson Paez (pictured), the WooSox rode a late rally to the win on Tuesday night. The Sea Dogs clawed their way back after falling behind early but were unable to emerge victorious despite strong games from Justin Gonzales and Henry Godbout. Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull led the Drive to a walkoff win while the Salem bats were held quiet in a pitching duel.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 5

After spending a week in Portland, Roman Anthony took the next step in his rehab assignment as he jumped up Worcester on Tuesday night. Anthony was right in the middle of the action, crushing a two-run homer to give the WooSox the lead in a pivotal seventh-inning rally, and going 2 for 4 with a walk on the night. Franklin Arias also ripped an RBI double and Kristian Campbell delivered an RBI single in that five-run rally. Arias was 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored in the game. Also in the WooSox lineup on rehab assignments, Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 1 for 3 with a double and two walks and Trevor Story went 0 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts.

Making his third start at the Triple-A level, Jedixson Paez was excellent as he struck out eight batters while allowing just one baserunner in five innings of work. Unfortunately, that sole baserunner came in the form of a solo home run off the bat of Marco Luciano. Patrick Halligan struggled as the first man out of the bullpen, surrendering three runs in 2/3 of an inning. John Brebbia worked a scoreless 1 1/3 innings before turning the ball over to Angel Bastardo, who allowed a run in an inning while striking out a batter. Hobie Harris pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up the save. Despite the win, the WooSox were unable to gain any ground in the International League postseason hunt as they remain 3.5 games out.

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Richmond Flying Squirrels (SFG) 8, Portland Sea Dogs 7

Justin Gonzales continued his hot streak since being promoted to Double-A, as he smashed a two-run homer in the fifth inning and went 2 for 4 with a walk overall. Gonzales also drove in a run on a single as part of a four-run sixth inning, which was highlighted by a two-run single to tie the game off the bat of Henry Godbout. Godbout was 1 for 3 with two walks, as he is now hitting .179/.238/.410 through his first 10 games in Portland. Johanfran Garcia went 3 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.

Starting pitcher Dalton Rogers was hit hard by the Richmond bats as he allowed six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings, walking five batters and giving up six hits. Tyler Davis surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief while Erik Rivera was dominant through two frames, striking out four batters without allowing a baserunner. With their fifth consecutive loss, the Sea Dogs are now 5.5 games out of a playoff spot.

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Greenville Drive 6, Rome Emperors (ATL) 5

Boston's first two picks in the 2026 draft led Greenville to a thrilling win on Tuesday night. Jake Schaffner brought the Drive within a run with an RBI single in the seventh and then did it again in the ninth before Owen Hull drilled a two-run walkoff double. Both Schaffner and Hull were 2 for 5 in the game. Yophery Rodriguez went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Jacob Mayers pitched the first three innings of the game and struggled with his control, walking four batters and allowing three runs. Brady Tygart was fantastic in a bulk relief role, working six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) while fanning nine batters. In 17 1/3 innings with Greenville, Tygart now has a 3.12 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Greenville is 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers (HOU) 3, Salem RidgeYaks 2

Salem got off to a quick start, as Josue Brito blasted a two-run homer in the first inning, but those were the only runs they would score on the night. Adonys Guzman was the only other RidgeYak to reach base multiple times, going 1 for 2 with a double and a walk. Cole Tolbert was great through 3 2/3 shutout innings, striking out four batters while allowing two hits and two walks. Cam Padgett followed him out of the bullpen and gave up two runs in two innings, though he did strike out four batters. Yermain Ruiz tossed 2 1/3 frames of relief and allowed a run on two hits. Salem fell to 6.5 games behind Fayetteville in their playoff hunt.

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Player of the Day: Jedixson Paez had his best stuff working on Tuesday night, as he struck out eight batters and induced 14 swings and misses. He was perfect outside of allowing a home run in his fifth inning of work. Paez has been impressive in 12 1/3 innings since being promoted to Worcester, striking out 18 batters against two walks while surrendering four runs. The No. 17 prospect in the system, Paez recorded a 4.41 ERA in 49 innings with Portland prior to his promotion.

Photo Credit: Jedixson Paez by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Anthony takes rehab to Worcester; Phillips heads to IL

2026-08-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

In the thick of the American League Wild Card race, the Red Sox are looking to end August on a strong note. At the same time, their four full-season affiliates are fighting for playoff spots down the stretch. Salem and Greenville have two weeks of games remaining, while Portland has three and Worcester has four. This week's notes will cover those playoff chases, as well as injury and rehab assignment updates.

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Anthony's rehab shifts to Worcester

Working his way back from a partially torn tendon in his right hand/wrist sustained in early May, Roman Anthony (pictured, left) is joining Worcester from Portland this week to continue his rehab assignment. The 22-year-old outfielder appeared in four games for the Sea Dogs last week, going 3 for 11 (.273) with one double, one home run, three RBI, one run scored, two walks, and four strikeouts. He made two starts in left field and two starts at DH.

Anthony will not be the only big-league rehabber in Worcester this week. He will be joined by veteran infielders Trevor Story (sports hernia surgery) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (left forearm inflammation). All three will be in the starting lineup when the WooSox open a six-game series against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Polar Park on Tuesday night.

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Phillips sidelined

Marcus Phillips, the organization's No. 11 prospect, was placed on Greenville's 7-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on August 20. This comes after the 22-year-old right-hander left his August 18 start in the third inning with a trainer after throwing a pitch. Beyond the initial diagnosis, the severity of the injury is not yet known.

Phillips, the 33rd overall pick in last summer's draft out of Tennessee, is likely ending a difficult first full season in pro ball on an even more sour note. The 6-foot-4, 246-pound righty struggled in 19 outings (18 starts) for the Drive, posting a 6.71 ERA with 73 strikeouts to 51 walks over 61 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .260 against him.

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Other transactions

Jason Delay was placed on Worcester's 7-day injured list with low back inflammation on August 22. Eduardo Rivera was activated from the restricted list on August 21, but remains on Worcester's 7-day injured list with low back inflammation.

In addition to right-hander Austin Ehrlicher, the Red Sox released 11 Dominican Summer League players on August 19: Angel Lopez, Krishan Ulacio, Jainer Almanza, Sebastian Rondon, Hicter Ruiz, Isael Fis, Andruw Zambrano, Eliezer Alfonzo, Stiven De La Cruz, Adrian Valdez, and Dani Richar.

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Playoffs?

Heading into play this week, all four full-season affiliates remain in the mix for playoff spots in their respective leagues. With a second-half record of 27-23, Worcester trails Indianapolis (31-20) by 3 1/2 games for first place in the International League standings. Portland is 25-26 in the second half and trails Reading (29-21) by 4 1/2 games for first place in the Eastern League Northeast standings. Greenville is 26-28 in the second half and trails Winston-Salem (28-25) by 2 1/2 games for a spot in the South Atlantic League playoffs. Salem is 27-26 and trails Fayetteville (32-20) by 5 1/2 games for first place in the Carolina League North standings.

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Players of the Week for August 17-23

Kleyver Salazar, C, Salem RidgeYaks

4 G, 15 AB, 7 H, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, .467/.550/.800

Salazar continues to slip under the radar despite putting together an impressive season for Salem. The 20-year-old catcher is batting .283/.395/.472 with 23 doubles, one triple, a career-high 11 home runs, a career-high 62 RBI, 53 runs scored, five stolen bases, 56 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 86 games (375 plate appearances) for the RidgeYaks. From behind the plate, he has thrown out 28 of 131 would-be base stealers.

Ethan Walker, LHP, Salem RidgeYaks

1 G, 1 SV, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, .000 OBA

Walker (pictured, right) picked up his second save in as many opportunities for Salem with four scoreless, no-hit frames last Wednesday. Since returning from the injured list in early July, the 22-year-old lefty has posted a 2.61 ERA with 24 strikeouts to 12 walks over his last seven outings (two starts) and 20 2/3 innings for the RidgeYaks. He was Boston's 12th-round pick in last summer's draft out of Kentucky.

Photo Credit: Roman Anthony and Ethan Walker by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Godbout and Bleis go back-to-back; Burgos stifles the Mets

2026-08-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/24 Cup of Coffee: The big league squad's magic did not carry down to the affiliates as they went 0 for 4 on Sunday. Raymond Burgos was solid for Worcester, and Henry Godbout (pictured) and Miguel Bleis had back-to-back home runs for Portland. It was a hitless rehab appearance for all of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Trevor Story, and Roman Anthony, while Kleyver Salazar kept his hitting streak alive.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 2, Worcester Red Sox 0

The WooSox were shut out for the third time this series as they dropped five of six to the Mets. The rehabbing Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Trevor Story combined to go 0 for 8 at the top of the order, while Franklin Arias and Mikey Romero both went 1 for 3 with a walk. Making his first start since being optioned, Raymond Burgos kept the game scoreless as he fired five shutout frames with three walks and four strikeouts. The loss went to Seth Martinez who gave up two runs (one earned) in his two innings. The WooSox are now 3.5 games out of playoff spot after dropping their fourth straight.

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Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 10, Portland Sea Dogs 3 (7 innings)

The rain moved in during the seventh inning, and the game was called after a short delay. Things started off promising for the Sea Dogs as Henry Godbout and Miguel Bleis went back-to-back in the second inning to open the scoring. Max Ferguson went 1 for 1 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt, and Roman Anthony went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. The Fightin Phils took the lead with three runs in the fourth inning off of Morgan McSweeney, and they plated two more runs after Steven Brooks issued five walks in the fifth. The game was put out of reach in the seventh when they got to Caleb Bolden for five more runs. The fourth straight loss has Portland sitting in fourth place and 4.5 games out of a playoff spot.

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Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) 12, Greenville Drive 5

The Dash put up 10 runs in the seventh to win the series. A solo home run was the only blemish for starter Alex Bouchard who struck out six over 3 2/3. Most of the damage came off of Aaron Nixon who allowed seven runs while recording one out. A three-run home run from Nazzan Zanetello staked Greenville to a three-run lead in the fifth. Carlos Gutierrez went 2 for 4 with a stolen base, and Antonio Anderson went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI single. Winston-Salem moved to 2.5 games ahead of the Drive in the standings with two weeks left to play.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 17, Salem RidgeYaks 8

Between the 18 hits and 13 walks it was a day to forget for Salem's pitching staff. Jose Bello surrendered five runs on nine hits over the first 4 1/3 frames, while Caden Vire and Nicholas Judice combined to allow nine runs in the sixth. Shortstop Anderson Fermin was tasked with mop-up duty in the ninth, and the Warbirds got to him for three runs on four hits. Kleyver Salazar extended his hitting streak to eight games as he went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk. Josue Brito drew three walks, and Colton Coates went 2 for 5 and scored two runs. Salem's playoff chances are getting slimmer by the day, as first-place Fayetteville has won nine of 10.

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Player of the Day: While it was not a dominant outing, Raymond Burgos did toss five shutout innings in Worcester's loss to Syracuse. The 27-year-old allowed four hits and walked three while striking out four. This was his first appearance since twirling four innings of one-run ball on August 16 for the big league club. The tall left-hander has saved Boston's bullpen a couple of times in August, and Sunday was another strong outing for one of the unsung heroes of the last few weeks.

Photo Credit: Henry Godbout by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Sansone goes 6 strong; White, Rodriguez have 3 hits

2026-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/23 Cup of Coffee: It was another tough day on the farm, as there were tough results up and down the minor league ladder, as many games went down to the wire and Salem was the only affiliate able to pull out a victory. In Greenville's completion of a suspended game, the Drive lost by one, while Portland gave up three runs in the ninth and got the tying run aboard, but was unable to complete the comeback, wasting six effective innings by Michael Sansone (pictured). Mason White did his part, knocking three hits, including a double. Worcester was also shut out. All nine batters got in on the action for Salem and seven of them had at least one RBI, including three for Colton Coates.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 3, Worcester Red Sox 0

Syracuse scored three runs in the bottom of the second and that was able to hold up, as neither team was able to push an additional run across the plate. The WooSox were shutout and unable to take advantage of two Syracuse errors. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout in his rehab appearance, while Trevor Story was 1 for 4. Brett Harris was the only member of the multi-hit club, adding a double. John Holobetz was on the mound and gave four innings, with all three runs on his tab, as he gave up seven hits and walked another Met. He struck out four. John Brebbia was the only reliever to not allow a baserunner, doing so with a clean ninth, but Osvaldo Berrios (two innings) and Tyler Samaniego (one inning) scattered a hit each.

Worcester is now three games back of Durham for the International League lead, but there are four teams between the Red Sox and the Bulls.

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Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 2

Reading and the Maine Bean Suppahs went into the ninth tied at 2-2 and the visitors got a trio of runs in to take the lead. The home side was poised to come back, loading the bases with one out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat and the game with it. Michael Sansone was great on the mound, scattering one run over six innings of work. He surrendered two hits and three walks, striking out six. Joe Vogatsky allowed another run in his two-inning stint, but the three-run eighth went on Reidis Sena's tab. He gave up three hits and two walks, getting just two outs. Mason White had three hits, including a double, while Brooks Brannon added a pair of singles. Defensively, Will Turner made this insane play to help his team.

Portland has fallen to three-and-a-half games back of the Eastern League Northeast-leading Reading Fightin Phils, with Binghamton and Somerset between them.

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Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) 8, Greenville Drive 7 (10 Innings, Game 1)

Greenville held a 7-1 lead after seven innings in the completion of Friday's suspended game, but the Dash put up a six-spot in the top of the eighth, as the first seven hitters reached base safely, with a grand slam centered around a trio of singles, followed by three consecutive free passes before winning in the 10th. All but the first single were on Brandon Neely's tab, as he replaced Shea Sprague one hitter into the frame. Sprague was the pitcher for the resumption of the contest and pitched four innings. He had control issues of his own, walking four, but limited the damage to two runs. Geraldo Rodriguez led the way offensively, as he was 3 for 5, including a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Maximus Martin, one of three Drive hitters to record two hits, also knocked a two-run blast.

Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) 8, Greenville Drive 4 (8 Innings, Game 2)

Greenville got a run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings, but surrendered four runs in the top of the eighth and were unable to get any runs across in the bottom of the frame. Stanley Tucker, Isaiah Jackson and Luke Heyman each had two hits, including a solo home run in the first for Jackson. Barrett Morgan had the standout performance as the first man out of the bullpen in a staff day. He pitched 2 2/3 innings, striking out six with just a walk on his ledger. Hudson White was the ill-fated pitcher who handled the eighth, as he allowed four hits, though just three of the four runs were earned.

Greenville is one-and-a-half games back of Winston-Salem for the final playoff spot in the South Atlantic League South Division, as current leader Bowling Green also won the first half.

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Salem RidgeYaks 15, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 9

The one victory in the system belonged to Salem and it was quite the eventful contest, as 17 of the 18 batters recorded at least one hit, including all nine RidgeYaks, and 11 of them had an RBI. There was also a one-hour, 48-minute rain delay in the minute of the third inning. Salem pounded out 15 hits and six batters had multiple hits. Andruw Mussett had a double and triple with two RBI, while Colton Coates had three RBI and contributed a three-bagger of his own, as their team used a four-run fourth and a six-run fifth to pull away and withstand a six-run frame of Wilson's own. Sadbiel Delzine was knocked from the game after the rain delay, ending a one-hit bid, as he faced one over the minimum and struck out five. Wuilliams Rodriguez also threw three shutout innings, but in much different fashion, as he allowed six hits and walked two more, while striking out a pair.

Salem is tied with Wilson for second place in the Carolina League North Division, four games back of Fayetteville.

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Player of the Day: It was a banner day on the mound for Portland's Michael Sansone, who pitched six strong innings and kept his team in an important game with regard to the playoff race. It was just the second time in 23 appearances, including 13 starts, that Sansone had completed six innings this season and the former start was back in April for Worcester. This outing was a rebound for the Connecticut native, as he had allowed 11 runs over just nine innings in his last two starts.

Photo Credit: Michael Sansone by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Guzman, Primera roll, but RidgeYaks fall short

2026-08-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/22 Cup of Coffee: It was a tough day down on the farm, with all three affiliates who completed their games coming up short. Salem could not come all the way back from an early deficit despite the efforts of Adonys Guzman and Franklin Primera. Franklin Arias spoiled the no-hit and shutout bids against Worcester, but the WooSox suffered a walk-off defeat. Devin Futrell turned in a quality start, but Portland never led against the Fightin Phils. Greenville was holding a 2-0 lead in the third inning when its contest was suspended by weather.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 4, Worcester Red Sox 3

Worcester was held hitless into the eighth inning, but came back to knot the score at 3-3 before Syracuse walked it off in the ninth. The WooSox' first hit scored their first two runs, as Franklin Arias ripped a one-out double that scored Nate Baez and Nate Eaton, who both had walked. In the ninth, Romy Gonzalez doubled and then came on to score on an Allan Castro base hit. Trevor Story continued his rehab assignment, going 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts. Starter Blake Wehunt went 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits. He walked four, struck out four, and hit a batter. Hobie Harris continued his run of solid relief work, striking out a pair and allowing one hit in 1 1/3 innings. It was the fourth straight scoreless outing for the veteran righty, and he has allowed just one run in his last nine appearances. Sam McWilliams allowed a run in the ninth to take the loss.

The loss drops the WooSox into sixth place, 2 1/2 games behind first-place Indianapolis, in the jumbled International League playoff race.

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Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 2

The Sea Dogs fell at Hadlock despite a strong effort from starter Devin Futrell. The left-hander surrendered a home run to start the game but quickly settled in. He went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking one. Tyler Davis took the loss in relief as Reading reached him for three runs in two frames. Erik Rivera struck out a pair of batters in a perfect ninth. Roman Anthony continued his rehab assignment, getting the start at designated hitter and going 1 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. It was Anthony's first time playing in back-to-back contests during his stint. Justin Gonzales continued his hot start at Double-A, going 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored.

Reading opened up a 2 1/2 game lead over Portland in the Northeast Division race with the win. Somerset and Binghamton also won on Friday, pulling into a three-way tie with the Sea Dogs for second place.

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Greenville Drive 2, Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) 0 (Suspended in 3rd)

The Drive jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Maximus Martin home run before the rains came and paused Friday's contest. Dylan Brown had cruised through three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four without issuing a walk. The game will be completed before Saturday's regularly scheduled contest.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 7, Salem RidgeYaks 5

Salem fell short as it tried to crawl out of an early seven-run hole. Adonys Guzman led the way at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a home run, double, and two RBI. Franklin Primera continues to be an on-base machine. As the designated hitter on Friday, he was 2 for 4 with a walk, RBI, and run scored. He is hitting .429/.579/.714 in August. Anderson Fermin also doubled as part of a two-hit evening. Leighton Finley took the loss, allowing seven runs in 4 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Undrafted free agent Carson Revay walked the tightrope in his professional debut, allowing three hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings, but he managed to escape without allowing a run. Cam Padgett struck out three and walked one as he fired three innings of hitless relief.

With the loss, Salem falls to 4 1/2 games behind red-hot Fayetteville in the North Division race, with Wilson moving into sole possession of second place.

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Player of the Day: Adonys Guzman entered the Wilson series on a 3-for-25 skid, but has gotten back on track against the Warbirds. In two starts, he is 5 for 7 with three walks, four RBI, and four runs scored. Guzman, part of the five-player deal that sent Jhostynxson Garcia to Pittsburgh in exchange for Johan Oviedo, is hitting .257/.370/.447 in his first professional season between Salem and Greenville.

Photo Credit: Adonys Guzman by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Heyman, Martin power Greenville; Song has career night

2026-08-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

8/21 Cup of Coffee: Boston's affiliates went 1-3 on Thursday. Noah Song tallied a career-high seven strikeouts out of the bullpen in Worcester's shutout loss to Syracuse. Will Turner doubled and homered, while Roman Anthony continued his rehab assignment in Portland's blowout loss to Reading. Luke Heyman (pictured) and Maximus Martin both went deep in Greenville's come-from-behind win over Winston-Salem. Louis Andujar also left the yard in Salem's high-scoring loss to Wilson.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 5, Worcester Red Sox 0

Gage Ziehl went four innings and took the loss in his start for Worcester, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits (including one home run), three walks, and two strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches (49 strikes) and generated 10 whiffs. In relief of Ziehl, Noah Song struck out a career-high seven over three frames of one-run ball, while Devin Sweet worked a scoreless eighth inning. Offensively, the WooSox were held to just four hits (all singles) as a team. Brett Harris accounted for two of those knocks. Franklin Arias and Nate Eaton, who each drew a walk, were responsible for the others.

With the loss, Worcester remains 1 1/2 games back of Indianapolis for first place in the International League second-half standings.

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Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 11, Portland Sea Dogs 1

Hayden Mullins went five innings and took the loss in his start for Portland, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches (60 strikes) and generated 17 whiffs. Caleb Bolden, Jeremy Wu-Yelland, and Griffin Kilander (making his Double-A debut) combined to surrender nine additional runs out of the bullpen. At the plate, Will Turner led the way by going 2 for 4 with a double and a solo shot, his ninth home run of the season. The Sea Dogs' only other hit was a Yoeilin Cespedes double. Roman Anthony played six innings in left field and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in the second game of his rehab assignment.

With the loss, Portland now trails Reading by 1 1/2 games for first place in the Eastern League Northeast second-half standings. The two teams have three games remaining in this series.

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Greenville Drive 8, Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) 7

Luke Heyman paced Greenville's lineup, going 3 for 4 with one home run, one RBI, three runs scored, and one walk. Maximus Martin also went deep as part of a 2-for-5 night in which he doubled and drove in three runs. Isaiah Jackson went 2 for 4 with one double, two RBI, and one run scored. Skylar King and Stanley Tucker doubled as well. King scored one run, while Tucker drove in one run, scored another, stole one base, and drew one walk. Owen Hull drew one walk and scored once.

Jason Gilman went 3 1/3 innings in his start for Greenville, allowing three earned runs on four hits, four walks, one hit by pitch, and six strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches (41 strikes) and generated 11 whiffs. Luis Cohen took over in the fourth and gave up three additional runs before making way for Trennor O'Donnell in the seventh. From there, O'Donnell spun three innings of one-run ball to notch his first win of the season at any level.

With the win, Greenville now leads Winston-Salem by a half-game for a spot in the South Atlantic League playoffs.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 11, Salem RidgeYaks 10

Despite scoring nine times over the final three innings, Salem fell just short on Thursday. Franklin Primera went 2 for 4 with one RBI. Starlyn Nunez went 1 for 2 with one RBI, one run scored, and two walks. Andrews Opata and Anderson Fermin each went 1 for 3, with the former scoring three times, stealing one base, and drawing two walks, and the latter recording one RBI and one walk. Colton Coates and D'Angelo Ortiz both doubled for their only hits. Coates added an RBI, two runs, and one walk, while Ortiz drove in two runs and scored another. Louis Andujar clubbed a two-run home run, his 10th of the season. Martin Shelar drew one walk and scored one run.

On the mound, Williams Montero took the loss in his start after allowing three earned runs on three hits, three walks, and two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. He threw 48 pitches (26 strikes) and generated six whiffs. While Berny Ortiz gave up one unearned run across 3 1/3 innings of relief, Caden Vire and Nicholas Judice combined to surrender seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Harry Blum, on the other hand, tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames.

With the loss, Salem now trails Fayetteville by 3 1/2 games for first place in the Carolina League North second-half standings.

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Player of the Day: Luke Heyman ended an 18-game homerless drought on Thursday, going deep for the first time since July 19. The 23-year-old catcher has now hit 17 home runs in 91 games (394 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville this season. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 26 prospect.

Photo Credit: Luke Heyman by Kelly O'Connor

Showing off new arsenal, Gage Ziehl is one call away from majors

2026-08-20T14:00:00.000-04:00

Being traded twice in an eight-month span would be tough on anybody. For Gage Ziehl, the timing was all the more difficult. Headed into his second professional season, Ziehl was acquired by the Red Sox in a deal with Chicago on February 1st, a time when most minor leaguers have already reported to training camps around the league. It made for a quite an experience in his welcome to the Boston organization.

"I have been with three organizations now in just over two years of pro ball," Ziehl said. "It has been tough to pack up your whole life and go find another spot and just have to fit in and keep it moving. The whole trade experience here was a bit crazy. I trained in Florida over the offseason and had already shipped my car to Arizona for White Sox camp. I was about to board my connecting flight to Arizona when I got a call asking if I had already booked a flight out. I had already boarded and on the runway when I got a call from the Assistant General Manager from Chicago saying I had been traded. I couldn’t get off the plane by this point. So, I made my flight and shipped my car to Fort Myers and was there the next day. It has been great here with the Red Sox since I got here. The communication has been great since early on. They have been awesome with collaborating on what I have wanted to get better with. I think it has showed so far this year."

After a crazy start to his spring that involved meeting new teammates, coaches, development staff, and a new place to live, Ziehl was assigned to Double-A Portland. There, he got off to a slow start amid some frigid weather before turning it around once things warmed up.

"The first little bit of the year was a little rough for me," Ziehl said. "I was able to hit a smooth spot and had a couple of good outings in a row. Unfortunately, the game before the All-Star break didn’t go my way, but we moved past that and I am excited for the second half. It was nice to have the break to reset a little. It is important to just have a couple of days where you just don’t do much. It was more of a mental and physical reset that I needed."

Ziehl really showed out in the month of June, when he was named the SoxProspect.com Pitcher of the Month after carrying a 1.66 ERA over 2.2 innings pitched. Over that span, the right-hander struck out 23 batters and only walked 3. He held batters to a .192/.241/.308 line over the month as well.

"Gage has done a really good job learning & adapting in his 2nd season," Portland Assistant Pitching Coach Isaiah Page said. "Although he’s moved around teams early in his career, I think that’s helped him learn what works for him & what doesn’t. But also having an open mind about any suggestions we may have as a coaching staff. He’s also incredibly intelligent & an excellent critical thinker. Throughout the first two months of the season, we were able to present Gage with information & suggestions, and he has made the most of it with them. Whether it be some usage changes we’ve done with his arsenal, some mechanical tweaks, or routines throughout his week leading up to his start. He has done a great job being his own coach in the best way."

The good stretch continued into July and August and it ultimately led Ziehl to getting a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. What happened to click for the Miami product that has him one call away from the big leagues?

"I think my strike throwing ability and the ability to throw my six pitches in the zone is something they really liked," Ziehl said. "My newest pitch is my sinker and that is something that I have really wanted to throw. The Yankees did not want me to throw it last year. My arm slot got too high and it was not easy for me to anyway. A lot of my pitches were just a cutting action for me last year. When I went to the White Sox, they told me that my arm slot was getting a little too high. They helped me lower it and I saw some success with that and carried that into the offseason as one of my goals to make my arm a little lower. It would make my fastball play a little better with some VAA. Last year, we canned my fastball eight games into the season. I brought it back this year and it plays well with my sinker to righties, which is something I struggled with last year. I was getting beaten to death by righties. I was able to own lefties last year with my cutter, but now I am able to throw the sinker and fastball to protect my sweeper."

Photo Credit: Gage Ziehl by Kelly O'Connor