April 10, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Giolito rehabs, Brooks shines in professional debut
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Shane Drohan continued his nice start to 2025 with eight more strikeouts in 3 2/3 frames. The southpaw only allowed one run on a solo home run, although he did walk four. He threw 81 pitches, touched 96 mph with his fastball, and induced an impressive 16 whiffs on 34 swings (47%). Wyatt Mills allowed a run in 1 1/3 frames despite not allowing a hit. Jose Adames struggled, surrendering three earned runs over 1 2/3 innings, although he did strikeout four. Luis Guerrero took the loss, allowing a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh. Vaughn Grissom and Nathan Hickey led the way on offense, as Grissom went 1 for 3 with a two-run homer, and Hickey went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI. Abraham Toro went 2 for 3 with a double, and Marcelo Mayer went 1 for 3. Roman Anthony went 0 for 3 with a walk, but smoked a ball at 109.7 mph for a lineout to center.
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Lucas Giolito made another rehab start and was solid, allowing one earned run in 3 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts. He threw 64 pitches and touched 93 mph with his fastball. Bryan Mata gave up two earned runs over 2 2/3 frames, but he was missing bats with seven strikeouts and just one walk. Isaiah Campbell allowed a run in his lone inning of work with two strikeouts and no walks. Tyler McDonough was the hero at the end of this one, ripping a walk-off single in the seventh as part of his 2-for-4 night. Abraham Toro kept on hitting in the second game, going 3 for 3 with a double, a triple, and a walk. Vaughn Grissom picked up another couple of hits as well and scored two runs. Roman Anthony went 1 for 3 with a 112.1 mph single and a walk.
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It was a tough night for the bats as the Sea Dogs collected just four hits. Mark Kolozsvary and Tyler Miller each went 1 for 3 with a walk, while Ahbram Liendo roped a two-bagger. Blake Wehunt made his 2025 debut and lasted 3 1/3 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. The 2023 draft pick punched out six and walked only one. The Portland bullpen was very good, starting with Reidis Sena's two hitless innings and four strikeouts. Alex Hoppe was missing bats as well with five strikeouts and no walks over 2 2/3 innings while giving up just one run. Jonathan Brand tossed a scoreless frame of his own with three strikeouts.
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Danny Kirwin pitched for the first time in 2025 and gave up just one run over the first four innings of this one. He walked two and struck out one. Cooper Adams registered five strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings, but also allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks. Jeremy Wu-Yelland picked up his first win of the year with 1 2/3 shutout innings to go along with three strikeouts. Isaac Stebens got the save with a clean ninth inning that included one strikeout. The offense used a three-run eighth inning to take the lead for good, but did so in an unconventional way. Newly acquired Yophery Rodriguez scored the first run of the frame on a balk. The outfielder reached base two more times on the night with a couple of walks. Miguel Bleis had an RBI groundout, and then Zach Ehrhard scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Ehrhard and Albert Feliz each had doubles as well.
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Steven Brooks made his professional debut and made it a memorable one. The 2024 11th round pick fired five shutout innings with only one hit allowed. He punched out four and walked two. Another 2024 selection Matt McShane pitched extremely well in relief as well. The right-hander did not allow a run or a hit with six strikeouts. At the plate, Franklin Arias stayed hot with two more hits, a single and a double. The fifth-ranked prospect has now hit safely in all five of his games to begin the year, with at least two knocks in four of the five games. Antonio Anderson followed up a three-hit game with another two hits, including a double. Starlyn Nunez belted his first Single-A home run, while Yosander Asencio went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.
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Player of the Day: Abraham Toro gets the nod here by going a combined 5 for 6 with two doubles, a triple, and a walk. Toro was drafted in the fifth round back in 2016 by the Astros and was acquired by Boston as a minor league free agent. He has logged 365 MLB games with a career .638 OPS.
Photo Credit: Abraham Toro by Kelly O'Connor