Ben Lofy

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (September 19) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 3-2 Season Record: 76-67 The WooSox couldn’t replicate their offensive prowess from Friday, falling in an extra-innings battle 4-3. Gage Ziehl made the final start of his first season in the Red Sox organization, turning in a solid six-frame appearance. He allowed a pair of runs (one unearned) on four hits as he issued a walk. He struck out three before Tanner Houck took over. Houck was making his fourth rehab appearance of the season in search of a postseason call-up. He was solid through the first three innings of his outing, but let up the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth. He let up two runs (one unearned) on two hits and struck out a pair in the 3⅓ inning relief appearance as he earned the loss. Sam McWilliams entered for the final two outs of the tenth, letting up a hit but striking out two. After a Friday night onslaught that featured a little bit of offense from everyone, the WooSox were entirely reliant on Franklin Arias on Saturday evening. Arias didn’t disappoint with three RBIs on a pair of hits, but he had no run support from the rest of the lineup. He gave the WooSox a one-run lead in the third, drilling his sixth Triple-A homer of the season to left field as Braiden Ward crossed home. In the fifth, Arias would give the WooSox the lead again. He scored Nathan Hickey on a single as Ward advanced to third. With a chance to walk it off in the ninth, Arias pulled a ball that looked good off his bat, but it would eventually fly foul to the dismay of the Polar Park patrons. Arias couldn’t do it all himself, as evidenced by the close loss. View full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 3-1 Season Record: 76-66 Strong performances on both sides of the ball were the key as Worcester trounced Durham 16-1 amid a playoff push. Michael Sansone lasted just 3⅔ innings his last time out, surrendering six runs in a loss. On Friday, Sansone erased any bad memories, spinning an outstanding six-frame outing. He allowed one run on one hit, striking out five as he shut down the Bulls. Devin Sweet took over in the seventh, following in strong fashion. He walked one and struck out another in an inning of hitless relief. Angel Bastardo followed Sweet with a similar line, walking one as he too stumped Durham. Osvaldo Berrios was called up for the final frame on Friday, but he couldn’t keep up the bullpen’s hitless day. He allowed two hits and struck out a pair, sealing an easy win for Worcester. Allan Castro was responsible for nearly half of Worcester's offense on Friday. His seven RBIs tied the WooSox single-game record. Amid rumors of a late-season call-up, Braiden Ward made his case on Friday evening with a record-tying performance of his own. The speedster went 5-for-5 with three RBIs, tying the WooSox record with five runs in the win. The pair got started early as Castro tagged a double to left field, scoring Ward. With Castro and Mikey Romero aboard, Nathan Hickey launched his eighth homer of the season to right field. An inning later, Franklin Arias built on the early lead with a single to right, scoring Max Ferguson. Just like the inning prior, Castro drove in Ward, this time on a sac fly to center. Arias would then come around on a Romy Gonzalez double. With a seven-run lead in the third inning, the WooSox didn’t slow down. Ward scored Nate Baez with a single before Arias drove in Ferguson on a groundout. To cap off the inning, Castro drove in Ward for the third consecutive inning, this time on a homer to left. In the fifth, Ward decided it was his turn to go deep. He hit a solo homer to right, bringing the WooSox total to 13. With the bases loaded in the seventh, who else would step to the plate but Castro. He put a bow on the blowout with a bases-clearing double, scoring Ward, Tsung-Che Cheng and Juan Montero. If the WooSox want to make the playoffs, they will need to win both of their final games and need Syracuse, Rochester, and Indianapolis to lose their last games. Worcester will also need Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to lose one of their final two. View full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 3-3 Season Record: 73-65 The WooSox salvaged a series split behind a clutch ninth inning, winning 8-7. Gage Ziehl took the bump in Sunday’s series finale, but struggled towards the end of a 5⅔ inning appearance. He was scoreless through three, but then disaster struck. He let up four runs on five hits, but displayed excellent control. He didn’t issue a walk, a trend that would continue throughout Sunday’s outing from the WooSox staff. He struck out eight before Noah Song took the final out of the sixth frame. Song struggled, allowing two runs on two hits in the abbreviated outing. Tyler Samaniego got the call next, allowing one more run on two hits as he struck out one. Sam McWilliams took the final two frames of Sunday’s contest in perfect fashion, striking out a pair. The WooSox bats were on fire, with all but one batter recording a hit. Allan Castro’s two-homer performance paved the way for the win. Four players, Castro, Vinny Capra, Franklin Arias, and Tsung-Che Cheng, recorded multi-hit games. Cheng got the WooSox started with a two-run shot in the second inning, his eighth of the year, as Mikey Romero crossed home. An inning later, Capra launched a homer of his own, giving Worcester a three-run lead. But the WooSox weren’t done. One batter later, Arias crushed a ball to deep left center as the lead grew. Arias’s homer flew 439 feet as the top prospect quelled any doubts about a lack of power. In the fourth, Max Ferguson scored Cheng on a soft single to short. After letting up six unanswered runs, Castro responded with his first homer of the night, tying the ball game with a deep drive to right center. After Leigh retook the lead, Castro played hero once more. His second homer of the game, this time with Capra aboard, gave Worcester a one-run lead in the top of the ninth that proved to be the difference. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets): 4-1 Season Record: 71-65 Portland’s final game of the season was cancelled due to inclement weather. View full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-3 Season Record: 72-65 Despite outhitting Lehigh Valley 8-7, Worcester failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position as it lost 7-5. Michael Sansone struggled through a 3⅔ inning start, allowing six runs on five hits and issuing four walks. He struck out three, but was unable to quell an offensive uprising. Patrick Halligan took over with two outs in the fourth and was much better. He issued a walk but kept the IronPigs hitless over 1⅓ innings, striking out a pair. John Brebbia came in next, throwing a frame of one-run ball. He gave up a pair of hits and issued another pair of walks, but kept the game within reach. Then, Angel Bastardo threw ⅔ of an inning of hitless relief, walking one before being replaced by Hobie Harris. Harris closed the eight-inning matchup with ease, walking one and striking out another over an inning and ⅓. Braiden Ward led the WooSox offense with three hits and two runs while Allan Castro led the way with two RBIs. Castro’s first RBI came in the first inning when he took a ball deep to center field, giving Worcester an early one-run advantage. Down 4-1 in the fourth, Tsung-Che Cheng drove in Max Ferguson on a triple before scoring on a Tomas Nido groundout. Down by one, Ward would even the score with a solo shot to right center. Down three in the seventh, Castro scored Ward on a groundout, but the WooSox couldn’t catch the IronPigs as they fell 7-5. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets): 4-1 Season Record: 71-65 Portland finished the season with a win in what was supposed to be its penultimate game of the 2026 season, as its season finale was canceled due to rain. It was a low-scoring affair as the Sea Dogs beat out the Rumble Ponies 1-0 in a pitching battle. Morgan McSweeney made his final start of the year a good one, and maybe his best. He spun seven shutout frames, letting up just four hits and a walk. He struck out five as he ended the season on a high note. Steven Brooks finished the Sea Dogs season in perfect fashion. He hurled two perfect frames and struck out four. Portland’s offense wasn’t as outstanding as the pitching, but it got the job done. Ahbram Liendo was the only Sea Dog to record a multi-hit game as only seven batters reached. Will Turner, Brooks Brannon, and Caden Rose each recorded a hit. Turner hit out of the leadoff spot, and wasted no time putting Portland on the board. His leadoff homer in the first inning proved to be the difference as neither team could put a run across home in the ensuing eight frames. View full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies): 2-2 Season Record: 72-64 Worcester’s two-game win streak was snapped as Lehigh Valley prevailed 4-1 on Friday night. John Holobetz turned in a solid start on Friday, but didn’t get much run support. He let up one run on four hits over five and ⅓ innings, lowering his ERA to 4.00. He walked one and struck out seven before being replaced by Seth Martinez. Martinez struggled through an inning and ⅔, allowing three runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out a pair as the IronPigs pulled ahead. Devin Sweet took the final frame, striking out one and shutting down the opposition as he gave the offense a late chance. Worcester’s offense struggled mightily, combining for just five hits and six total baserunners. Worcester’s sole RBI came in the fifth inning on a Nate Baez double, scoring Max Ferguson. Baez, Ferguson, Allan Castro, Mikey Romero, and Tsung-Che Cheng were the only five to record a hit while Baez drew a walk as well. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets): 3-1 Season Record: 70-65 Portland put up seven runs in the second inning en route to a 8-4 win over Binghamton. Yordanny Monegro took the first three frames of Friday’s contest, spinning a solid start. He let up one run on three hits and issued two walks. He struck out another before Tanner Houck took over. Houck made his second rehab appearance with Portland, finishing after three excellent innings. He let up one run on one hit and issued a walk. He struck out four over the outing as he earned the win. Max Carlson took the next two frames, allowing one run on a pair of hits. He matched Houck’s strikeout total of four. Cooper Adams took the final frame, but not without a bit of struggle. He allowed another run on a pair of hits. He issued a walk and struck out a pair in the win. After a 14-run outpouring on Thursday, the Sea Dogs picked up right where they left off. They compiled eight runs on nine hits and drew eight walks. Willson Contraras, on a rehab assignment, and Henry Godbout led the way with two hits apiece. Contrearas, Will Turner, and Brooks Brannon all pitched in two RBIs as well. Turner got Portland on the board, homering to right field as Ronald Rosario scored in the second inning. Godbout continued the inning, driving in Liendo on a double to left. The Sea Dogs weren’t done. With two outs, Contreras scored Godbout and Justin Gonzales on a single to center. Brannon capped off the inning with a two-run blast, scoring Contreras as he sent a ball deep to right center. In the fifth, Rosario gave Portland its eighth and final run on a solo blast to center. View full article

Let's see how the Red Sox's farm system did as some seasons came to a close. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 4-1 Season Record: 70-62 Worcester’s hot streak was snapped during the series finale on Sunday. The WooSox gave up seven runs in the seventh inning en route to a one-run loss. Before the seventh-inning disaster, Gage Ziehl turned in a quality start. Ziehl went five one-run innings, allowing three hits and issuing one walk. He struck out a pair as Worcester’s offense took a commanding lead. John Brebbia entered next and kept the Buffalo offense in check in his one-inning appearance. He struck out a pair and allowed one hit. The game got out of hand when Angel Bastardo jogged in from the bullpen. In just ⅓ of an inning, Bastardo let up five runs on four hits, issued a walk, and didn’t record a strikeout as Buffalo got back into the game. Tyler Samaniego entered next and he wasn’t much better than Bastardo. In just ⅔ of an inning, he let up two more runs on three hits and issued a walk as well. He earned the loss for his disastrous outing. Osvaldo Berrios came in next, but his efforts were in vain. He let up one hit and walked another, keeping the Bisons scoreless in the eighth but it was too little, too late as Worcester fell. The WooSox offense was hot through the first four frames of Sunday’s finale but cooled off quickly, failing to respond to Buffalo’s onslaught. Three players, Franklin Arias, Kristian Campbell, and Romy Gonzalez, all recorded three hits as Campbell and Gonzalez contributed two RBIs apiece. Gonzalez gave Worcester the lead early, scoring Arias on a line drive single in the first. Campbell tacked on another before the inning ended, driving in Anthony Seigler on a single. An inning later, Braiden Ward drove in Nathan Hickey as Worcester grabbed a two-run lead. A few batters later, Arias doubled on a hard line drive to the center field wall, advancing to third on a throwing error. Ward scored before Arias was driven home on a sac fly from Seigler. Worcester entered the fourth owning a four-run lead, and didn’t settle. Gonzalez drove home Ward on a single to third, advancing to third on a throwing error. Campbell drove in Gonzalez on a double to left, giving Worcester a large lead. However, it would be quickly relinquished and the offense failed to respond despite getting chances late. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Chesapeake Baysox (Baltimore Orioles): 3-3 Season Record: 67-64 The Sea Dogs fought back from an early 0-2 series deficit, winning the finale to secure the series split. Tyler McDonough was the standout with his second great performance in two days. Caleb Bolden took the first two frames of a bullpen game from Portland. He allowed two runs on two hits and issued a walk. He struck out three before Max Carlson took over. Carlson was excellent over three frames, earning his sixth win of the season. He let up a solo homer, but kept the Baysox hitless otherwise. He struck out four before he exited following the fifth inning. Cooper Adams got the call next, but he couldn’t match Carlson’s performance. He allowed three runs on five hits over 1⅔ innings. Adams issued a pair of walks and struck out three before Tyler Davis was called upon to close the seventh inning. Davis went the distance, closing the game in dominant fashion. He let up one unearned run on one hit, striking out three and earning the save. After a three-hit, two-RBI game on Saturday, McDonough one-upped himself on Sunday. He drove in three on two hits as he helped Portland win the game. Other standouts from Sunday included Henry Godbout, who went 3-for-5, and Will Turner, who drove in two runs. Godbout drove in one run, smashing a homer to left center in the second inning and handing Portland an early lead. After the Baysox took a two-run lead, McDonough closed the gap in the fourth inning. His 12th homer of the year sailed over the wall in right field, driving in Turner and Caden Rose. An inning later, Johanfran Garcia crossed home on a balk. Later in the fifth, Turner crushed a two-run homer to right center, scoring Rosario. Max Ferguson stepped to the plate next and hit a homer of his own, going back-to-back with Turner and giving Portland a five-run lead. Holding a one-run lead in the ninth, Portland sealed the deal on a wild pitch as Godbout scored. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays): 3-3 Season Record: 59-70 After winning by four runs on Saturday, Greenville came up just short on Sunday. A one-run loss closed the season for the Drive, who finished 11 games under .500. Leighton Finley started in the season finale, turning in a solid 4⅔ inning start. Finley kept the Hot Rods scoreless, limiting them to one hit and issuing three walks. He struck out seven in his final appearance of the year. Trennor O’Donnell took the final 3⅓ innings of the game. He dealt through the first two frames of his appearance, but struggled in the eighth. He let up four runs on four hits, striking out a pair as Bowling Green pulled ahead. The Drive had plenty of offensive opportunities, but failed to come through when it mattered the most. Owen Hull had two RBIs as he ended the season with a .337 batting average and a .967 OPS since joining the team in early August. Jake Schaffner, another early August addition, had two hits, ending the season with a .315 average and .797 OPS. Hull’s offensive contributions came in the third, when he hit a single to left field. Nazzan Zanetello and Skylar King scored as Greenville jumped out to a lead. In the eighth, Isaiah Jackson built on the lead, scoring Schaffner on a soft line drive single as Greenville took a 3-0 lead. However, it was short-lived as O’Donnell would relinquish it just a half inning later. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Hull City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians): 4-2 Season Record: 56-75 Despite accruing 12 hits and scoring seven times, Salem fell by three runs in its final contest of the season. Winners of two straight entering the game, Salem’s season ended on a negative note. Berny Ortiz took the final start of the season in rough fashion. He earned the loss for his three-inning appearance. He allowed three runs on four hits and issued four walks. His three strikeouts were solid, but not good enough to undo the other discrepancies. Williams Montero entered next, but struggled even more. He let up four runs on seven hits in just one inning. He failed to record a strikeout before Nicholas Judice took over, and he walked five but was solid otherwise. He allowed one run but kept the Howlers hitless, striking out two in 1⅓ frames. Alex Kranzler entered to finish the sixth and took the seventh as well. He struggled, but not as badly as Montero or Ortiz. He let up two runs on two hits, striking out three before Yander Bonaci took the final two innings of the season. Bonaci was outstanding, finishing one strikeout amid two perfect innings of relief. D’Angelo Ortiz, Colton Coates, and Andrews Opata all recorded two RBIs in the finale. Both Coates and Kleyver Salazar went 3-for-5, ending the season on a high. The Yaks wouldn’t strike until the third inning, down 3-0. Opata changed that with his 11th homer of the season, crushing a pitch to left field. Down 7-1 in the fourth, D. Ortiz brought the Yaks a little closer with a bases-loaded double. He drove in Salazar and Coates as Brito advanced to third. Brito would cross home on an Opata sac fly later in the inning. The Howlers’ runs just kept pouring on as Salem found itself down by six in the seventh inning. Salazar scored Wills Maginnis on a line drive single to cut into the lead before Coates did some more damage. Franklin Primera scored on Coates’ double, bringing the Yaks within four. In the ninth, Coates drove in Maginnis, attempting to kick-start a last-ditch effort for a comeback win. However, it couldn’t be done as Salem fell 10-7 in their season finale. View full article

Let's see how the Boston Red Sox affiliates did on Saturday evening. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 4-0 Season Record: 70-61 Worcester rolled to its fifth straight win, prevailing 4-2 behind great games from Kristian Campbell and Michael Sansone. Sansone got the start on Saturday evening, spinning a five-frame appearance while keeping Buffalo’s offense in check. He let up one run on a pair of hits but struggled with command, issuing four walks. He struck out two more before Noah Song took over. Song earned the win for his two-inning outing. He too allowed one run on two hits, but struck out three. Devin Sweet hurled a perfect eighth inning before Sam McWilliams struck out two in the ninth, sealing the win. Campbell was responsible for half of Worcester’s offense, knocking in two RBIs and going 3-for-4. Romy Gonzalez was responsible for the other two runs, going 1-for-3. Gonzalez got the WooSox on the board first, turning on a double to center as Nate Eaton scored. Down 2-1 in the eighth, Gonzalez struck again. With Anthony Seigler on third, Gonzalez hit a sac fly to right field to tie the game. Later in the inning, Kristian Campbell took it upon himself to give the WooSox the lead. He clobbered an opposite-field home run just over the fence, giving Worcester just enough to get the job done. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Chesapeake Baysox (Baltimore Orioles): 2-3 Season Record: 66-64 After going down early, a six-run eighth inning propelled the Sea Dogs to victory as they won 6-4. Alex Bouchard struggled in the first two frames of his start, but settled in after. He was pulled after five innings, giving up four runs on four hits and issuing a walk. He struck out three before Seven Brooks took over. Brooks was nearly perfect through 2⅓ innings, allowing one baserunner via walk. He struck out four before being pulled in the eighth. Erik Rivera took it from there, closing the game in scoreless fashion. Across 1⅔ frames, Rivera walked a pair and allowed one hit, striking out four as he earned a save. Tyler McDonough was outstanding on Saturday, tallying three hits and driving in two runs. Behind him was Ronald Rosario, who was responsible for two more RBIs in the win. The Sea Dogs went down early, falling into a four-run hole by the second inning. However, in the eighth, the tables turned. Rosario slashed the lead in half with a two-run homer to right field, driving in Johanfran Garcia. With two runners on later in the inning, Nelly Taylor scored Will Turner on a double to right. Down by one, McDonough scored Taylor and Mason White on a ground ball single, giving Portland a one-run advantage. Brooks Brannon didn’t want to stop there; he tacked on one more with an RBI single to left, scoring McDonough as Portland stormed back to win the game. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays): 3-2 Season Record: 59-69 The Drive won 5-1 in their penultimate game of the season behind a great start and combined offense. Barrett Morgan made his final start of the year a good one, turning in four shutout frames. He allowed one hit and walked two, but struck out three. He maintained a perfect 0.00 ERA in three starts with Greenville. Adam Bates got the ball next, earning the win. He pitched 2⅔ innings of one-run ball, allowing a pair of hits. He struck out two and walked two more, but held the Hot Rods offense largely at bay. Griffin Kilander came in for the final 2⅓ innings, shutting down the Hot Rods. He allowed two hits and walked one, but struck out four en route to a scoreless appearance. Four players recorded an RBI on Saturday, with Isaiah Jackson leading the way with two. Ronny Hernandez went 3-for-3 with an RBI as well. Jackson broke a 0-0 deadlock in the sixth inning, giving the Drive a two-run lead with a homer to right field, scoring Luke Heyman. One batter later, Hernandez would make the lead three as he teed off, going back-to-back with Jackson. Yophery Rodriguez stepped to the plate, looking to do the impossible. The impossible became possible as Rodriguez sent a fly ball deep to right field, going back-to-back-to-back as Greenville jumped way ahead. In the seventh, Givian Sirvania would put the game out of reach with a solo homer of his own to left field as Greenville looks to end the season on a high note on Sunday. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Hull City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians): 4-1 Season Record: 56-74 With two games remaining in the season and eliminated from playoff contention, Salem won 6-5 behind great games from two top prospects. Sadbiel Delzine has excelled since being called up to Low-A. The trend continued on Saturday as he turned in a four-inning start. He let up one unearned run on four hits, but struck out six of the 16 batters he faced. Jose Bello would come in next and his recent struggles continued. Over three frames Bello allowed three runs on four hits, issuing four walks and striking out only one batter. Caden Vire looked to get the game under control as he entered in the eighth, and he succeeded. He allowed one run on one hit, issuing three walks and striking out three more in 1⅔ innings. While it wasn’t the cleanest outing, Vire earned the win. Yermain Ruiz would enter for the final batter, earning a save as he closed out the win. Three RBIs from Adonys Guzman helped pave the way to a win, with Franklin Primera chipping in two more. Primera struck early, giving the Yaks a two-run lead in the first inning as he took a ball deep, scoring Colton Coates. After Hull City took a one-run lead, Guzman tied the game with a bases-loaded double play, scoring Louis Andujar but wasting an opportunity for more runs. Down by one once again, Guzman played hero for a second time. He blasted a ball to right center, scoring Andujar and Starlyn Nunez and giving Salem just enough to claim victory. View full article

Let's take a look at how the Boston Red Sox's farm system did on Friday. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series @ Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 3-0 Season Record: 69-61 The WooSox played a game and a half on Friday, completing the remainder of Thursday’s game. They swept the pair, improving to a four-game win streak. In the completion of Thursday’s game, which was suspended in the 10th inning, Worcester won behind a clutch three-run performance in extras. After the late resumption, veteran reliever Seth Martinez was called upon to preserve the three-run lead. Martinez got off to a hot start, striking out the first two batters he faced. But then, Martinez faltered. With the extra-innings runner at second base, Carlos Mendoza smoked a line drive to shallow right field, scoring Jay Harry as the Bisons inched closer. However, Martinez would shut down any sort of comeback, forcing a groundout to seal the win. The Worcester offense was the story to watch as the game resumed. Kristian Campbell led off the inning by drawing a walk, giving the WooSox two baserunners with Anthony Siegler automatically on second. Seigler advanced to third on an Allan Castro flyout before Vinny Capra did some damage. Capra swung on and hammered a three-run line drive home run to left field, giving Worcester a 6-3 lead that carried them to a win. With vibes high coming off the clutch performance, Worcester cruised to a 10-0 win in the day’s second game. John Holobetz got the start for Worcester, spinning a six-inning gem that kept Buffalo scoreless. Holobetz allowed three hits and issued three walks, striking out four as he stymied the Bisons offense. The strong performance would carry over as Tyler Samaniego entered in the seventh frame. Samaniego walked one and struck out another before Patrick Halligan took over. Halligan was perfect in the eighth, striking out a pair and keeping the shutout alive. Looking to close out a terrific bullpen performance, Osvaldo Berrios took the ninth inning of the shutout. Berrios was perfect as well, keeping Buffalo at three total hits and just seven baserunners all game. Worcester’s offense was even more unstoppable than the bullpen. The bats registered a staggering 19 hits and converted for 10 runs. Nathan Hickey went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Worcester’s clear MVP. Franklin Arias went 4-for-6 with an RBI as his average increased to .317 with a .860 OPS. With two runners in scoring position in the first, Arias scored on a Nate Eaton sac fly. The early lead grew in the third inning when Seigler drove in Tsung-Che Cheng on a groundout. Hickey broke the game wide open an inning later, driving in Castro and Capra on a deep three-run blast. Ward decided he wanted in on the fun later in the inning, slapping his fourth homer of the season to right center as Cheng scored again. With a 7-0 lead in the seventh, Tomás Nido stepped to the dish with the bases-loaded. Nido hit a sharp base-hit past the shortstop as Eaton scored. Later in the inning, Castro would score as Ward reached on a fielding error. Holding a formidable lead late, Arias put a bow on the blowout. His ninth Triple-A double and fourth hit of the game scored Hickey as Worcester reached 10 runs. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Chesapeake Baysox (Baltimore Orioles): 1-3 Season Record: 65-64 Portland went 51-42 with Arias on the roster. Since the top prospect’s promotion to Triple-A, Portland has gone a middling 14-20. The Sea Dogs’ struggles continued to pile up on Friday as they fell in a low-scoring contest. Morgan McSweeney got the start on Friday. McSweeney let up six hits in four frames, but was able to limit the Baysox to just two runs. He walked one and struck out four before Jeremy Wu-Yelland took over. Wu-Yelland entered in the fifth, throwing two one-run frames. He let up two hits and an unearned run as Chesapeake built on their lead ever so slightly. His four strikeouts matched McSweeney as he walked one as well. Joe Vogatsky was called upon to finish the contest, and he turned in the most successful outing of the day from any Portland pitcher. He let up one run and struck out a pair as he kept the Baysox scoreless, giving Portland a late chance. Unfortunately for Vogatsky and the rest of the team, Portland’s offense struggled through Friday’s contest. The Sea Dogs had 10 opportunities with RISP, but failed to do any damage. Henry Godbout was the biggest standout for Portland, tallying three hits and claiming responsibility for its only RBI. The run was too little and it came too late. With runners on the corners in the eighth inning, Godbout laced a single through the infield. Ahbram Liendo crossed home, but the efforts were in vain as Portland fell 3-1. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays): 2-2 Season Record: 58-69 Greenville lost on a walk-off despite an excellent combined effort from the pitching staff. It was the Drive’s second one-run loss in two days and the offense let multiple opportunities pass it by. Yordanny Monegro started for the second time this season, part of a rehab assignment from Double-A. He turned in two so-so frames but struck out four. He allowed two runs on a pair of hits and issued one walk. Shea Sprague entered in the third inning, taking on a bulk relief role. Sprague let up five hits but was otherwise excellent, shutting down the Hot Rods and punching out seven batters. Aaron Nixon took the final 2⅓ innings of Friday’s game, but he wasn’t as dominant as Sprague. With the game tied going into the tenth inning, Nixon recorded one out before giving up a walk-off single as Greenville lost the game. The Drive did a decent job getting on base, totaling nine baserunners, but struggled to make them count. Greenville went 2-for-12 with RISP, stranding seven as they passed up countless opportunities to change the outcome of Friday’s game. Gerardo Rodriguez and Stanley Tucker were each responsible for an RBI as Jake Schaffner led the team with two hits. Each of the Drive’s runs came in the third inning as they tied the ballgame. Tucker got the Drive on the board with his third homer of the year, a solo shot, to right center. Later in the frame, Rodriguez drove Schaffner home on a line drive single to center. It was all that Greenville could muster, falling by one in a game that could have gone its way plenty of times. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Hull City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians): 3-1 Season Record: 55-74 With just three games left to play in the 2026 season, Salem entered Friday’s game eager to set itself up to win its final series of the season. Salem did just that, racking up 11 runs en route to a seven-run win. Cam Padgett made what will likely be the last start of his season, spinning 3⅔ shutout innings. He walked one and gave up four hits, striking out five as he got Salem off to a good start. Carson Revay came in next, succeeding Padgett in solid fashion as Hull City got on the board. Over 1⅔ innings, Revay allowed one run on a pair of hits, walking one as well. He struck out two before Nicolas De La Cruz entered. De La Cruz won his seventh game of the season, allowing one run and issuing a walk across 2⅓ innings. He struck out four as he won Friday’s honors. Harry Blum took the final 1⅓ frames, allowing a pair of runs to score before he stopped the bleeding. He walked one and gave up two hits, but had plenty of insurance runs to back him up. Josue Brito and Kleyver Salazar were responsible for most of Salem’s offense, combining for five of the Yaks’ nine RBIs. Salazar went 4-for-4 with two RBIs as Brito went 1-for-4 with three RBIs. Salazar got the Yaks on the board in the third inning, grabbing a one-run lead. With two runners on, Salazar blooped a single to right as Wills Maginnis scored. Brito, the very next batter, would bring in Salazar and Colton Coates with a three-run homer. Adonys Guzman stepped to the plate following Brito, launching a home run of his own. The back-to-back blasts gave Salem an early five-run advantage. In the fifth, Salem would strike again. Starlyn Nunez drove in Salazar on an RBI double to right before Anderson Fermin hit a double of his own, scoring Nunez and Guzman. Owning a seven-run lead in the sixth, Salazar would add one more. He hit a single to left field that scored Maginnis for a second time. Salazar and Coates would score on a fielding error later in the inning as Avinson Pinto reached, giving the Yaks an insurmountable nine-run lead that they held until the end. View full article