April 19, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Grissom doubles four times, homers in WooSox rout
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Every starter reached base at least twice as the WooSox unleashed a 26-hit thrashing in Rochester. Vaughn Grissom piled up 12 total bases as he went 5 for 6 with four doubles, a solo homer, and a hit by pitch, scoring five runs. Marcelo Mayer blasted a massive second-inning grand slam as part of a seven-RBI afternoon. Tyler McDonough was 5 for 6 with a double and a homer, while Abraham Toro was 3 for 4 with a homer, two walks, and four RBI. Perhaps most incredibly, none of Worcester's 12 extra-base hits belonged to the scorching-hot Roman Anthony, who settled for a 2-for-5 day, scoring a pair.
The offensive outburst provided more than enough support for Robert Stock. The veteran went five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit as he struck out three, walked two, and induced eight groundouts. Stock has allowed just one earned run in 16 1/3 innings with Worcester. Wyatt Mills surrendered a pair of runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief. After locking down the final out in the eighth, Luis Guerrero struggled to finish the game, surrendering five runs, including a pair of home runs, in the final frame. With Guerrero unable to close things out, center fielder Phillip Sikes took to the mound to record the final out.
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A nine-run seventh-inning rally doomed the Sea Dogs to their first back-to-back losses of the season. Tyler Uberstine turned in a solid start, allowing two runs on four hits across five innings, striking out five and walking one. It was the first time Uberstine completed five innings since August 6, 2022. Wyatt Olds was let down by a pair of errors behind him as he allowed six runs, all unearned, in that disastrous seventh frame. Zach Bryant was unable to stop the bleeding, surrendering a grand slam to the first batter he faced. Ahbram Liendo led the way at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a solo home run and two runs scored. Drew Ehrhard also went deep for Portland.
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The Drive needed just three hits on Friday to climb back into the win column, as two of those knocks left the yard. Miguel Bleis hit a two-run blast in the first inning, his second of the season. Albert Feliz snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-out solo shot in the seventh that proved decisive. Marvin Alcantara had the other hit as he went 1 for 3 with a walk. Alcantara has hit safely in six straight and 10 out of 11 contests, bringing his slash line up to .421/.476/.474 on the young season. Hayden Mullins got the start, allowing two runs in five innings, striking out eight against a pair of walks. The left-hander now has 21 strikeouts in 13 innings across his three starts. Isaac Stebens picked up the win in relief with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Jeremy Wu-Yelland struck out five of the six batters he faced to get credit for the save.
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Salem failed to take advantage of its opportunities, going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. Natanael Yuten led the offense with three hits, snapping an 0-for-15 drought. Kleyver Salazar doubled and drove in a run as part of his 2-for-4 evening. Starter Blake Aita surrendered two runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking three. Eybersson Polanco gave up three runs (one earned) in 1 2/3, getting saddled with the loss. Michael Sansone was dominant in relief, striking out six across 3 2/3 hitless frames.
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Player of the Day: After a 2024 season plagued by injury and ineffectiveness, Vaughn Grissom has shown signs of tapping into the potential that Boston saw when it acquired him in the Chris Sale deal. After his monster afternoon, Grissom now sports a robust .359/.414/.609 line with seven doubles and three home runs in 16 games. The 24-year-old has seen the bulk of his playing time at second base early in 2025, but was tapped to start at third on Friday for the second time this year.
Photo Credit: Vaughn Grissom by Kelly O'Connor