August 19, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Campbell promoted to Worcester; Taylor finishes homer shy of cycle
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A five-run seventh inning propelled Worcester to a come-from-behind victory. Bobby Dalbec made his only hit of the day count by going 1 for 3 with a go-ahead three-run triple. Roman Anthony went 2 for 3 with one double, one RBI, one run scored, and two walks. Kyle Teel went 1 for 4 with an RBI single and one run scored. Eddy Alvarez drove in two runs with his 20th double of the season. Jamie Westbrook, Tyler Heineman, and Dalton Guthrie all went 2 for 4. Westbrook scored one run, Heineman drew two walks, scored two runs, and stole a base, and Guthrie doubled and scored two runs. Vaughn Grissom and Enmanuel Valdez collected one RBI apiece.
Jason Alexander went four innings in his start for the WooSox. The veteran righty allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. Liam Hendriks began his long-awaited rehab assignment by retiring the only three batters he faced in a perfect fifth inning before making way for Wyatt Olds, who was tagged for four runs on four walks in the sixth. Luis Guerrero picked up the win by scattering two hits and one walk with two strikeouts over 1 1/3 scoreless frames. Brian Van Belle then yielded one run over the final two innings to notch the first save of his professional career.
With the win, their third straight, the WooSox improved to 23-21 in the second half. They currently trail the Columbus Clippers (29-15) by six games for first place in the International League.
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The Sea Dogs saw their winning streak get snapped at eight on Sunday. David Sandlin took the loss, as he yielded five runs (two earned) on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Out of the Portland bullpen, Christopher Troye and Alex Hoppe each allowed one earned run across 2 1/3 and three innings, respectively. The two combined for six punchouts. At the plate, Phillip Sikes went deep for the second time in as many days by cranking a two-run homer run in the fourth inning. Tyler McDonough also clubbed a solo shot in the top of the fifth. Kristian Campbell, who has reportedly been promoted to Worcester, went 1 for 4 with a single.
With the loss, the Sea Dogs fell to 31-13 in the second half. They currently lead the Somerset Patriots (25-18) by 5 1/2 games for first place in the Eastern League Northeast.
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Dalton Rogers took the loss in his start for Greenville, surrendering four earned runs on four hits, one walk, and six strikeouts over four innings. Fellow lefty Jeremy Wu-Yelland allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Bryce Bonnin struck out three of the eight batters he faced across 2 1/3 scoreless frames of relief. Offensively, Bryan Gonzalez and Juan Chacon combined for four of their side's seven hits. Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with one double, an RBI, and a stolen base. Chacon went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Fraymi De Leon also doubled and drew two walks. Will Turner and Zach Ehrard each stole the first base of their professional careers.
With the loss, the Drive fell to 28-20 in the second half. They now trail the first-place Bowling Green Hot Rods (30-15) by 3 1/2 games for first place in the South Atlantic League South.
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For the first time in more than a month, Juan Valera gave up multiple runs on Sunday. The young righty allowed three earned runs on two hits, five walks, and two strikeouts over 1 1/3 innings. Denis Reguilo, Francis Hernandez, and Luis Talavera combined to surrender eight additional runs (seven earned) out of the bullpen. On the flip side, Nelly Taylor led the way at the plate for Salem as he finished a home run shy of the cycle. He went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Franklin Arias also went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a walk. Antonio Anderson doubled, drew a walk, and scored a run as part of a 2 for 4 performance. Albert Feliz crushed his 11th homer of the season to set a new career-high in that category.
With the loss, Salem (27-21 in the second half) now trails Fredericksburg (29-19) by two games for first place in the Carolina League North.
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Player of the Day: Nelly Taylor gets the nod for compiling his third three-hit game of the season. After a chilly July, the 21-year-old outfielder is now batting .326 (15-for-46) with three doubles, one triple, six RBIs, 14 runs scored, six stolen bases, eight walks, and seven strikeouts in 13 games for Salem this month. He is currently ranked as the No. 53 prospect in the organization.
Photo Credit: Nelly Taylor by Kelly O'Connor