August 8, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Harrison, Uberstine impress on mound in WooSox win
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Kyle Harrison and Tyler Uberstine were sharp to lead the WooSox. Harrison allowed just two hits over five scoreless frames, striking out seven and walking three. SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall was in attendance, and he noted Harrison's 29 percent whiff rate on a fastball that reached 96. He also worked in a cutter and breaking ball effectively. Uberstine allowed just one hit over four innings, an eighth-inning solo home run. He walked two while striking out eight of the 15 batters he faced. He got credit for the win as Nate Eaton broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run, his 10th of the season. Tyler McDonough was 2 for 3 with a double, walk, and run scored to pace the offense. Kristian Campbell saw his hitting streak snapped at 15 games, but he did reach base on a hit batsman and swipe a bag.
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Portland came back from an early 4-0 deficit but fell on a walk-off. John Holobetz went six innings in his Double-A debut, getting knocked around for four runs in the third inning but settling back in nicely to get through six full frames. He allowed seven hits over those six frames, striking out four without walking a batter. Yovanny Cruz struck out a pair in a hitless seventh. Jorge Juan suffered the loss on an unearned run in the ninth. He went 1 2/3 frames, allowing one hit, striking out three, and walking two. The bottom of the order did the bulk of the damage, with Brooks Brannon, Tyler Miller, and Ahbram Liendo collecting two hits apiece out of the sixth, seventh, and ninth spots in the order. Miguel Bleis had his third double in five games since his promotion from Greenville.
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The Drive never trailed in the opener of their doubleheader at Fluor Field. Luis Cohen got the start, allowing just two hits across four shutout innings. He struck out four and walked one in his third appearance and first start since his promotion from Salem. Adam Smith got credit for the win in relief, allowing three runs on four hits in three frames. Johanfran Garcia delivered the biggest blow for the Greenville offense with a two-run homer in the sixth. He also walked and added another run scored. Fraymi De Leon was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored, while Yophery Rodriguez was 1 for 2 with a walk, run scored, and two RBI.
Designated the road team due to the makeup of a late-June rainout in Rome, the Drive were held to just four hits. Two of those hits were solo home runs off the bat of Albert Feliz, one in the fifth inning and another in the seventh. Devin Futrell made his Greenville debut on the mound, allowing three runs (one earned) in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out one without issuing a walk, throwing 40 of his 58 pitches for strikes. Erik Rivera allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.
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Wednesday's rainout led to the organization's second twinbill on Thursday evening. Gerardo Rodriguez starred in his Carolina League debut, blasting a fifth-inning solo homer as he went 1 for 2 with a walk, stolen base, and two runs scored. Fourth-round pick Mason White was 1 for 3 with a walk and a steal, and is off to a solid 5-for-16 pro debut. Alex Bouchard got the start, allowing a run on two hits in two innings to take the loss. Nicolas De La Cruz was Salem's most effective arm in the opener, firing 2 1/3 hitless innings of relief.
Kannapolis broke out the brooms in the nightcap despite some strong efforts from a trio of Salem hurlers. Brady Tygart made the start after missing more than four months with a shoulder injury. The right-hander, who received an overslot bonus as a 12th-round pick in the 2024 draft, allowed one unearned run on two hits in two innings. He struck out four, walked one, and hit a batter as he suffered his first losing decision as a pro. Adam Bates worked around six hits in his 4 2/3 innings of work, allowing just one run, and striking out six without walking a batter. Wuillims Rodriguez, freshly promoted from the FCL, got the final out in his Salem debut. Starlyn Nunez had a pair of hits after picking up a single in the opener. He has hit .330/.358/.637 over his last 25 games. Kleyver Salazar delivered a solo home run in the fourth to account for Salem's only score.
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Team Blue slid back into first place with a win coupled with a loss by the DSL Rays. Christopher Alvarado led the offense, going 2 for 4 with a triple, walk, RBI, and two runs scored on the afternoon. Hector Ramos made his return to the lineup after missing nearly three weeks due to an injury. He walked three times, scoring twice. Harold Rivas was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored out of the leadoff spot. Starter Oscar Vaamonde allowed a run on three hits in two innings. Angel Lopez got the win in relief for his two scoreless frames.
With nine games remaining, the Blue squad has a half-game lead over the Rays for first place in the DSL North. They would currently be percentage points behind the DSL Pirates Black for the final wild card spot.
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Williams Montero took the tough-luck loss as the DSL Red lineup was shut out. Montero surrendered one run in four innings, allowing just one hit, striking out three, and walking two. The Dodgers reached Leosmar Perez for a run in his three innings of relief. The bats managed just four hits, with Miguel Welch and Franklin Primera notching a double apiece.
It will be a tough climb back into the playoff picture for Team Red. With nine games remaining, they sit 8 1/2 games out of the division lead. While only four games behind in the wild card race, they would need to jump 13 teams in less than two weeks.
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Player of the Day: Acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, Kyle Harrison continues to make strides as he re-establishes himself on the mound. The 23-year-old lefty turned in his strongest appearance in his eighth WooSox start, firing five shutout innings and striking out seven. The effort brought his ERA since the trade down under 4.00, sitting at 3.96 in 36 1/3 innings. It was the fifth straight start in which Harrison has allowed two or fewer runs.
Photo Credit: Kyle Harrison by Kelly O'Connor