August 25, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Fajardo dominates again; Campbell and Romero homer for Worcester
8/25 Cup of Coffee: With Walker Buehler's rotation spot now open, Kyle Harrison was scratched from his scheduled start with the WooSox on Sunday as he is being considered for Monday's start with the Red Sox. Worcester took care of business without him, led by a home run from Kristian Campbell. A clutch grand slam from Brooks Brannon was not enough for Portland, while Yhoiker Fajardo (pictured) was dominant again for Salem.
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Kyle Harrison was originally scheduled to start, but he is under consideration for a major league start on Monday. Chris Murphy took the ball instead and fired three scoreless innings. Five relievers followed him, highlighted by Justin Slaten, who tossed a perfect frame, and Bryan Mata, who allowed one run over two innings. The top four hitters in the lineup did a lot of damage for Worcester. Kristian Campbell hit a 421-foot home run as part of a 2-for-4 game. Mikey Romero and Phillip Sikes also went deep, while Nick Sogard went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.
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Both offenses took advantage of the wind blowing out to center field as they combined for 13 extra-base hits. Binghamton got to Blake Wehunt for four runs in the first inning. Jacob Webb and Noah Song had the most success, with Webb allowing one run over 2 2/3 innings with four strikeouts, while Song struck out three over two innings of one-run ball. Tyler Miller was the star offensively as he finished a double shy of the cycle while adding a sacrifice fly. Brooks Brannon hit a grand slam in the seventh that gave Portland a brief lead, and Miguel Bleis went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI.
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Hub City moved into sole possession of the final playoff spot as they took down the Drive, while Bowling Green also fell to Greensboro. Austin Ehrlicher left the game with an injury after only two pitches, and Adam Smith came in and allowed two runs over three frames. Erik Rivera gave up six runs over the next three innings, and Danny Kirwin took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth. The offense kept it close, with Freili Encarnacion driving in three runs while Yophery Rodriguez drove in two while going 1 for 4 with a triple and a walk. Nelly Taylor went 2 for 4 with a walk, and Franklin Arias went 1 for 3 with two walks and three runs scored.
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Yhoiker Fajardo struck out eight batters for the third time this month in another dominant performance. The 18-year-old allowed only two hits over six frames and did not issue a walk. He was economical with 74 pitches, but a 38-minute rain delay ended his day. Jose Bello got both a blown save and a win as he allowed Carolina to tie the game with two runs in the seventh. Salem took the lead on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt in the eighth. Starlyn Nunez had the team's only extra-base hit as he went 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base, and Yoeilin Cespedes went 1 for 3 with a walk and a steal.
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Player of the Day: Yhoiker Fajardo has a chance to win the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week award for the second time in four weeks. Fajardo struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 0.92 in August after tossing six shutout innings. The 18-year-old has rocketed up the rankings after coming over from the White Sox in the Cam Booser trade. He opened the season ranked 40th but is now up to 18th and has made a strong case to move higher. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has a fastball that tops out at 97 with a changeup that is a potential bat-missing pitch.
Photo Credit: Yhoiker Fajardo by Kelly O'Connor