May 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Zanetello walks it off in Greenville; FCL Red Sox throw no-hitter
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Jose De Leon struggled in his start for Worcester, surrendering five earned runs on five hits (including a three-run homer), four walks, and no strikeouts over just two innings. Alex Hoppe (making his Triple-A debut), Luis Guerrero, and Austin Adams combined to yield seven additional runs out of the bullpen. At the plate, the WooSox' lone run came by way of a 422-foot solo shot off the bat of Nathan Hickey in the fifth inning. Hickey has now homered in three straight games to bring his season total up to seven. Roman Anthony tripled and Vaughn Grissom doubled for their only hits of the night.
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Blake Wehunt notched his first win of the season for Portland in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader. The righty allowed two earned runs on five hits (including a pair of solo homers), two walks, one hit by pitch, and five strikeouts over five innings. He threw 70 pitches (43 strikes) and generated 11 swings and misses. Reidis Sena took over for Wehunt in the sixth and fanned five of the seven batters he faced across two scoreless frames of relief to earn his first save of the year.
Offensively, the Sea Dogs scored all four of their runs in the fourth inning. Tyler Miller went 1 for 3 with an RBI single that scored Allan Castro. Ahbram Liendo went 1 for 3 with a go-ahead two-run single that scored Blaze Jordan and Miller. Max Ferguson went 1 for 2 with an RBI single that scored Mark Kolozsvary. Ferguson drew a walk and stole his 10th base of the season as well.
Despite taking the loss in Game 2, Yordanny Monegro was solid in his start for Portland. The righty allowed two earned runs on three hits, one walk, one hit by pitch, and seven strikeouts over five innings. He threw 78 pitches (52 strikes) and generated 13 swings and misses. Yovanny Cruz took over for Monegro in the sixth and gave up a solo home run in his lone inning of work. On the flip side, the Sea Dogs were held to three hits as a team, with Jordan and Ronald Rosario combining for three singles. Liendo drew a walk and stole his 15th base of the season.
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John Holobetz went a season-high six innings in his second start for Greenville. The righty allowed two earned runs on two hits (including a two-run homer in the top of the second), three walks, and three strikeouts. He threw 80 pitches (51 strikes) and generated nine swings and misses. Matt McShane followed Holobetz out of the bullpen and surrendered seven runs (five earned) in the top of the ninth inning. Zach Fogell gave up two runs (one earned) in extras and was ultimately credited with the win.
Zach Ehrhard enjoyed another productive night at the plate, going 2 for 5 with two doubles, three RBIs, one run scored, and one stolen base. Yophery Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with one run scored and four walks out of the leadoff spot. Justin Riemer went 2 for 3 with one double, one run scored, and three walks in his first game since April 15. Andy Lugo crushed a two-run shot for his lone hit and his third home run of the season. Nazzan Zanetello went 1 for 4 with one double, one RBI, three runs scored, and three walks, including one with the bases loaded in the 11th inning to walk it off.
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Ben Hansen went 4 2/3 innings in his start for Salem. The righty allowed one earned run on six hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. He threw 65 pitches (41 strikes) and generated seven swings and misses. Nathanael Cruz took the loss out of the bullpen, as he gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. Manuel Medina retired all six batters he faced across two scoreless frames of relief.
Despite tallying nine hits as a team, the Red Sox were held to just one run. Yoeilin Cespedes, who went 1 for 4, drove in that one run with his RBI single in the fifth inning. Karim Ayubi, who came into score on Cespedes' base knock, went 2 for 4 with a double. Fraymi De Leon recorded three hits (all singles), while Freili Encarnacion, Kleyver Salazar, and Kelvin Diaz had one hit apiece.
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Three pitchers combined to toss a seven-inning no-hitter as the FCL Red Sox picked up their first win of the season. Denison Sanchez got the start, striking out a career-high of seven and walking two over 2 2/3 hitless frames. Fellow righty Wuilliams Rodriguez followed with four strikeouts and two walks across 2 1/3 hitless innings. Nicolas De La Cruz closed things out with two shutout, no-hit frames to seal the deal.
Avinson Pinto led the way offensively by going 2 for 3 with one RBI, one run scored, one walk, and one stolen base out of the leadoff spot. Edwin Brito doubled in a run for his only hit of the afternoon. Anderson Fermin singled, scored two runs, drew three walks, and stole one base. D'Angelo Ortiz went 1 for 2 with one RBI, one run scored, and two walks. Yohander Linarez also drew two walks while Ilan Fernandez pushed across a pair of runs. Enddy Azocar drove in one run, scored another, drew a walk, and stole two bases.
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Player of the Day: Nazzan Zanetello gets the nod for sending Greenville home happy on Thursday night. The soon-to-be 20-year-old infielder drew three walks in a single game for the second time this season and for the third time in his professional career. His 24 walks on the 2025 campaign as a whole are the seventh-most in the South Atlantic League. He is currently ranked as the No. 36 prospect in the organization.
Photo Credit: Nazzan Zanetello by Kelly O'Connor