September 9, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Anthony hits first Double-A home run; Teel continues to shine
9/9 Cup of Coffee: As the end of the regular season draws near, Worcester and Portland have seen their playoff chances dwindle. Worcester got reinforcements, with Pablo Reyes starting a rehab assignment, and Roman Anthony and Chase Meidroth helped Portland with home runs. Yordanny Monegro had an up-and-down start for Greenville, while Albertson Asigen had another good game for Salem.
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The WooSox dropped their second game in a row and are now four out of a playoff spot with eight games left. The Worcester pitching staff racked up 12 strikeouts but also surrendered 11 hits. Brian Van Belle went the first four innings and allowed three runs, and Chase Shugart allowed two runs over two innings. Pablo Reyes started a rehab assignment and went 1 for 3 with a throwing error. Nick Sogard went 1 for 3 with a walk, and Ronaldo Hernández went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice fly.
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In completing a suspended game from Thursday, the Fightin Phils won. Isaac Coffey allowed two runs over two innings before the game got called for the day. Brendan Cellucci took the ball on Friday when play resumed, striking out four and allowing one run in two innings. Sterling Sharp had a similar line, striking out three while allowing one run in two innings. The dynamic duo of Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel were bright spots offensively. Anthony hit his first Double-A home run and drew a walk, while Teel went 2 for 4 with a stolen base. Nick Yorke added a double, and Chase Meidroth went 1 for 3 with a walk.
The Portland bullpen was dominant in game two, led by Ryan Miller, who opened the game by striking out all six batters he faced. Alex Hoppe and Christopher Troye were impressive too, as they both struck out four over two scoreless innings. Meidroth led the way offensively by going 2 for 4 with a home run, and Teel went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks.
The Sea Dogs now trail the Somerset Patriots by seven games for first place in the Eastern League Northeast second-half standings with eight games left.
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The rain moved in and ended this one early, with the Drive managing just two hits. Tyler Miller and Bryan Gonzalez laced a double, with Gonzalez also adding a steal and an outfield assist at second base. Yordanny Monegro struggled with his control, walking four over five innings. He allowed two runs and struck out five. Juan Daniel Encarnacion struck out two and allowed a run in the sixth.
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Eight of Salem's nine position players had at least one hit, but the team managed just one run in a loss to Carolina. Albertson Asigen is hitting .444 in September after going 2 for 4 with his second home run. Claudio Simon reached base three times at the bottom of the order as he went 1 for 2 with two walks. Johnfrank Salazar and Alexis Hernandez both had a single and a walk. Two pitchers working back from injuries opened the game, with Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz tossing a scoreless first inning and Zack Kelly allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in the second. Cristian Nunez allowed one run over three innings, while the defense let Luis De La Rosa down as he gave up four unearned runs.
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Player of the Day: It was the second day in a row with a lack of dazzling performances, but Chase Meidroth did have three hits and a home run over two games on Friday. A fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, Meidroth was on fire to start the year. He hit .338/.495/.460 through 20 games with Greenville before getting promoted to Portland. He started off hot in Portland, with a similar line of .321/.449/.487 through 22 games. He has cooled off since then, with a batting average of .221 and an OPS of .664 over his last 62 games. The 22-year-old will try to use Friday's performance as a starting point to finish the season strong.
Photo Credit: Chase Meidroth by Kelly O'Connor