July 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Early gets back on track; Primera wins All-Star Game MVP
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The RailRiders slugged three home runs to finish off the three-game sweep. Robert Stock allowed the first five runs, giving up seven hits while striking out six over 4 1/3 innings. The next two runs came via two solo home runs off Hobie Harris. For the WooSox, Vaughn Grissom stayed hot as he went 1 for 4 with a home run and two RBI. After posting an .854 OPS in June, he is up to a 1.097 OPS in July. Nate Eaton went 1 for 4 with a double, and Blaze Jordan went 1 for 3 with a walk.
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An excellent pitching performance helped Portland stay ahead of Reading. After a rare poor outing last time out, Connelly Early got things back on track quickly. He struck out six over 5 2/3 innings, with the only run coming on a solo home run. He did not walk a batter, and his 18 whiffs led Double-A on the day. The former Army pitcher handed the ball over to Naval Flight Officer Noah Song. Song was dominant, striking out four in 1 1/3, and Jacob Webb followed with two scoreless innings. The win went to Jeremy Wu-Yelland, who recorded the final five outs.
A sacrifice fly from James Tibbs III in the 12th proved to be the winning run, and Ronald Rosario hit a two-run home run in the 11th. There was an eight-inning scoreless streak, as before that the last run scored on a Zach Ehrhard home run in the second. Drew Ehrhard finished 2 for 5 with two steals, and Ahbram Liendo went 2 for 5 with one stolen base.
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The Drive’s only offense came on home runs from Johanfran Garcia and Will Turner. Singles from Yophery Rodriguez and Justin Riemer accounted for the only other two hits, and Greenville did not have a runner in scoring position all game. Shea Sprague took the loss after allowing three runs over 5 2/3. Erik Rivera kept Bowling Green off the board in his two frames.
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Natanael Yuten laced a walk-off single in the completion of Saturday's suspended game. The game only made it into the second inning on Saturday before it was called for the day. Luis Cohen allowed four runs over 1 2/3 innings, and Griffin Kilander picked things back up on Sunday. He fired four innings of one-run ball, and Joe Vogatsky and Eybersson Polanco combined to allow just an unearned run over the final 4 1/3. The Red Sox had scored five times in the first inning on Saturday, but their bats were quiet until the 10th inning on Sunday. Yosander Asencio, who had homered in the first inning, drew a two-out walk to put the tying run on base. Karim Ayubi hit an RBI single to tie the game, and then Yuten drove in Asencio to win it.
Salem kept the good times rolling with another win in the second game. Yoeilin Cespedes, who had two singles and a walk in the first game, went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run in game two. Yuten had another good game, going 2 for 3 with a steal, and Frederik Jimenez went 1 for 2 with a walk, a double, and a steal. Yhoiker Fajardo turned in a second straight solid start, allowing one run over four innings. He walked one, struck out three, and allowed four hits. Jay Allmer picked up the save with a spotless final frame.
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Franklin Primera was named the MVP of the All-Star game, fueling a comeback for the AL squad. The AL was down two runs entering the eighth inning, but Primera homered to lead off the inning. He finished 1 for 2 after being named a replacement for teammate Dorian Soto. Hector Ramos went 0 for 2 with a strikeout, while Williams Montero did not get into the game for the pitching staff.
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Player of the Day: Over two games for Salem, Yoeilin Cespedes went 4 for 6 with a home run and a walk. It was the sixth home run of the year for the 19-year-old as he raised his line to .223/.276/.366. It has been a disappointing season for Cespedes, who dropped from ninth to 16th in the rankings. It is his first taste of full-season ball after a broken hamate bone spoiled his promotion to Salem last season. Hamate bone fractures are notorious for sapping a player's power for potentially several months. Now a year removed from surgery, Cespedes will look to finish the season strong to stop his fall in the rankings.
Photo Credit: Yoeilin Cespedes by Kelly O'Connor