June 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Arias homers; Song debuts for Portland
6/9 Cup of Coffee: A come-from-behind win for Worcester and Noah Song's debut with the Sea Dogs were the highlights in the upper minors. Franklin Arias and Eduardo Rivera once again starred in Greenville for the Drive, while Kelvin Diaz went deep for Salem.
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Worcester's patient approach paid off as they came back to beat Rochester. The WooSox only had four hits but drew nine walks. Roman Anthony and Ryan Noda each had two walks, while Trayce Thompson's two-run double tied the game in the sixth. The go-ahead run scored on a bases-loaded walk by Nick Sogard. José De León was dominant over the first four frames, striking out eight without allowing a run. The Red Wings got to Brendan Cellucci for four runs in less than an inning of work, but Wyatt Mills and Bryan Mata combined to slam the door over the final 4 1/3.
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The rough start to June continued as Portland fell to 1-6 to start the month. A solo home run from Mark Kolozsvary gave the Sea Dogs a 2-0 lead in the second. The only other players to record a hit were Corey Rosier, who went 3 for 4 with a double, and Zach Ehrhard, who went 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Blake Wehunt struggled the second time through the order, ultimately allowing five runs on eight hits over five innings. He allowed only two baserunners over the first three innings, but gave up a three-run home run in the fourth and a two-run home run in the fifth. Noah Song made his first appearance for Portland, firing a scoreless ninth.
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Greenville took five games in the series with another impressive win on Sunday. Coming off a rare two-game hitless streak, Franklin Arias got back on track by going 2 for 5 with a two-run home run. Yophery Rodriguez went 2 for 5 with a double and a steal, and Freili Encarnacion went 2 for 4 with a double. Fresh off winning the May Pitcher of the Month award, Eduardo Rivera lowered his ERA to 1.99 with 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. He walked one and struck out eight. Erik Rivera was sharp too, striking out three in 1 1/3.
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Salem blew a two-run lead in the top of the ninth to drop its third straight. Every starter reached base as part of a 12-hit attack, but they could not string the hits together. Kelvin Diaz was one of three players to have a multi-hit game as he went 2 for 4 with a solo home run. Natanael Yuten went 3 for 4, and Andruw Musett went 2 for 3 with a walk. Starter Ben Hansen allowed three runs over 2 2/3, and the loss went to Manuel Medina, who gave up three runs in the ninth.
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Player of the Day: Franklin Arias launched his third home run as Greenville continued to roll. Arias was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Month in May, and the Red Sox also named him their Minor League Defensive Player of the Month. This was Arias's second-lowest OPS in a series as a member of the Drive, but he still hit a respectable .250/.304/.450. The 19-year-old is rapidly rising up national prospect rankings, and he moved up to third in the system in our most recent rankings update.
Photo Credit: Franklin Arias by Kelly O'Connor