Cup of Coffee: Dobbins sharp on mound, Anthony reaches base four times

9/13 Cup of Coffee: The two remaining affiliates split their Thursday contests as both remain in second place in their respective divisions. A solid effort by Hunter Dobbins (pictured) and continued excellence at the plate by Roman Anthony led streaking Worcester to another victory. Little went right in Portland, however, as the Sea Dogs managed only two hits, squandering an opportunity to move back into first place.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 1

The WooSox won their sixth straight and 10th out of 11 as they continued their playoff push with a rout of the Mets. Hunter Dobbins was excellent in picking up his first Triple-A win, allowing one run on six hits across six innings. He struck out five against one walk, and the lone score came on a rare fifth-inning solo homer. Jose Adames made his return to the Red Sox organization with a scoreless seventh inning. Adames pitched in 35 games with Portland and Worcester in 2021, then spent 2022 with the Dodgers organization and most of the last two seasons in the Mexican League. Wyatt Olds and Chase Shugart went an inning apiece to close out the win.

Chase Meidroth led the way at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. The effort tipped his batting average back over the .300 mark to .301. Roman Anthony reached base four times out of the leadoff spot with a double and three walks, scoring a pair of runs,. The top prospect in the game per Baseball America is now hitting .340/.433/.528 since his promotion to the WooSox. Vaughn Grissom also had a pair of hits, adding a stolen base and an RBI. 

Despite the win, Worcester did not pick up any ground in its playoff race, as each of the top four teams in the International League were victorious. The WooSox remain in second place, 2 1/2 games behind Columbus with nine remaining.

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Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 9, Portland Sea Dogs 0

Portland dropped its third straight as the Eastern League playoff hunt goes down to its final weekend. The offense was stymied on Thursday as 2023 third-round pick Nolan McLain and a pair of relievers combined on a two-hit shutout. Ahbram Liendo and Alex Binelas were the only players in the Portland with a knock, both registering singles, and no Sea Dogs player advanced as far as third base. Connelly Early was the victim of a pair of defensive miscues, as all six runs he allowed in his 4 2/3 innings were charged as unearned. He struck out six and walked a pair. Robert Kwiatkowski was a bright spot out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless frames and striking out six out of the nine batters he faced.

A loss by first-place Somerset (NYY) kept the Sea Dogs playoff hopes alive. With just three regular-season contests left, Portland remains a 1/2-game out.

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Player of the Day: Hunter Dobbins had another strong start in what has been a solid 2024 season. The 2021 eighth-round pick out of Texas Tech has made 24 starts across two levels, posting a 3.21 ERA across 120 2/3 innings. Dobbins has turned in nine quality starts to lead the organization, with much of his success coming from his ability to keep the ball in the park -- the home run he surrendered was just the second of the season and first since May 25. The 25-year-old righty has continued his steady climb up the rankings, currently sitting at 18th. 

Photo Credit: Hunter Dobbins by Kelly O'Connor

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