May 1, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Clarke shines in Greenville debut; Romero goes deep
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The Sox dropped this one despite a solid effort from Josh Winckowski in his first start of the season at any level. The right-hander tossed five innings and allowed just two runs, both on solo home runs. He only struck out one, but also only walked one. Zack Kelly bounced back from the worst outing of his season, firing a pair of shutout innings without allowing a hit. He punched out three and walked two. Austin Adams and Nick Burdi each threw a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. The Worcester offense scattered eight hits, but only pushed one run across on an RBI groundout from Nick Sogard, who also singled and drew two walks. Corey Rosier and Nathan Hickey each went 2 for 4, while Marcelo Mayer went 1 for 3 with a single and a walk.
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Mikey Romero provided the offense for Portland in game one, going 2 for 3 with a double and his fourth home run of the season. He scored both runs and raised his OPS to an impressive .944. Tyler Miller drove in a run as well with a sacrifice fly. Jhostynxon Garcia added a single and a walk. Yordanny Monegro continued his fine season on the mound, allowing just a solo home run over 3 2/3 innings of work. The 22-year old righty struck out seven and did not issue a free pass. He now has 27 strikeouts to just four walks in only 13 1/3 innings. Reidis Sena struck out four hitters in two innings, but took the loss after giving up two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
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Portland got on the board early in game two thanks to a first-inning RBI single from Blaze Jordan. Tyler Miller followed him with an RBI double. Jordan added another single in the third. Jhostynxon Garcia ripped a three-bagger and came around to score as well. Caleb Bolden started for the Sea Dogs and surrendered one run in two innings. He struggled with control, walking four, but also punched out four. Jonathan Brand tossed two scoreless frames with three strikeouts before Alex Hoppe came on and earned a three-inning save.
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Brandon Clarke made a terrific first impression with Greenville, allowing just one unearned run on one hit in 4 2/3 innings in his first High-A start. The 22-year old left-hander punched out seven and did not issue a free pass, throwing 37 of his 57 pitches for strikes. Adam Smith couldn't find the strike zone with five walks and five runs allowed over the next 2 1/3 frames. Isaac Stebens fired a pair of shutout innings with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts. Nazzan Zanetello had a nice game at the plate, going 2 for 4 with his second long ball of the season. He played second base for just the third time this year. Nelly Taylor smoked his second home run of the year as well, while Marvin Alcantara raised his batting average to .358 with a 2-for-4 evening.
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Fraymi De Leon picked a great time for his first home run of the season, as it broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning. The second baseman added a single to his ledger too. Andruw Musett and Antonio Anderson both went 2 for 3 with two singles and a walk. Yosander Asencio knocked in a run as well with an RBI single. Ben Hansen started and surrendered two runs (one earned) over the first 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one. Luis Cohen was fantastic in 5 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, as he did not allow a run on one hit. He also struck out three and walked one. Michael Sansone had one of the more interesting saves you'll see. He came on with two down in the ninth and faced one batter, striking him out on... two pitches. The third strike to end the game was called on an automatic strike.
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Player of the Day: After completely dominating with Salem over three appearances, Brandon Clarke was moved up to Greenville and kept it going. In 14 1/3 innings between those two levels, Clarke now has a 0.63 ERA to go along with 24 strikeouts to just two walks. He has only given up three hits, leading to a ridiculous 0.35 WHIP. He was drafted by Boston in the fifth round last year and is currently the 19th ranked prospect.
Photo Credit: Brandon Clarke by Kelly O'Connor