August 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Sandlin makes relief debut for WooSox; Eaton and Thompson homer
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After David Sandlin started and threw five innings in his Triple-A debut last Friday, the Red Sox have moved the 24-year-old to the bullpen for the rest of the season in an effort to prepare him for a role in the major league bullpen during the stretch run. Sandlin pitched in relief for his first time in Worcester on Tuesday night and he allowed two runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings, striking out three batters. Jose De Leon started on the hill and pitched four innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks. Zack Kelly tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Nick Burdi allowed two runs in an inning and Hobie Harris closed out the win with a shutout inning.
The WooSox bats put up an impressive performance against Buffalo, scoring ten runs on 15 hits. Jhostynxon Garcia kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the first and he also contributed a two-run triple in the sixth as part of a 3-for-5 game. Nate Eaton went 2 for 5 and blasted a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Trayce Thompson was 2 for 3 with a solo home run and a walk. Kristian Campbell started at first base and went 2 for 4 with an RBI single.
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Portland's series opener in Harrisburg was a much quieter game from a scoring perspective. Hayden Mullins turned in a dominant outing on the mound, as he threw 5 1/3 shutout innings, striking out four batters while giving up four hits and two walks. Portland's bullpen was similarly excellent as Reidis Sena allowed only one walk in 1 2/3 innings and Jeremy Wu-Yelland struck out three batters in two scoreless frames. The Sea Dogs pushed across their only run of the night on an RBI double by Ronaldo Hernandez in the sixth inning. Hernandez was 2 for 4 on the night. Left fielder Max Ferguson, who was named the Eastern League Player of the Week last week, went 1 for 3 with two walks out of the leadoff spot.
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Austin Erlicher had his best stuff working in a four-inning start for the Drive, as he struck out six batters and did not allow a run, though he did walk three batters. However, Noah Dean gave away an early lead in relief as he allowed four runs on three walks in just 2/3 of an inning. Danny Kirwin followed him with 3 1/3 excellent innings, allowing no runs on two hits and a walk while fanning three batters. Darvin Garcia struck out two in a scoreless inning. The Drive scored all three of their runs in a fourth-inning rally. Franklin Arias started the inning with a walk and came around to score on an RBI double by Yophery Rodriguez. Antonio Anderson and Freili Encarnacion also collected RBI singles in the inning. Arias was 1 for 3 with a walk on the day.
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Starting pitcher Steven Brooks led Salem to the win on Tuesday night, opening the game with five scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and three walks while striking out four. Ben Hansen struck out five batters but allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief. P.J. Labriola picked up the save with 2/3 shutout innings, striking out two. The Red Sox scored their first run when Justin Gonzales reached on an error, scoring Kleyver Salazar, in the third inning. Tenth-round draft pick Maximus Martin drove in a run with a double in the fourth. Yoeilin Cespedes pushed across another run on a groundout in the sixth. He was 1 for 4 on the night with a double and a run scored.
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Juan Medina delivered a solid start for the Blue team, tossing 2 1/3 innings and allowing one run on four hits. However, the game unraveled after Medina departed and the bullpen took over. Yomar De La Rosa allowed six runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings and Yariel Valdez surrendered five runs in an inning of relief. Ranci Castillo threw a scoreless frame. The lineup struggled to get going on Tuesday, recording only three hits, and scored all three of their runs in a fourth-inning rally. Christopher Alvarado was 1 for 1 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. A pair of runs came in to score on a forceout off the bat of Eliezer Alfonzo. Enmanuel Figueroa was 1 for 2 with a walk.
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The Red team fell behind 7-2 early and were unable to recover despite chipping away at the deficit. Catcher Franklin Primera had a productive game, going 1 for 4 with a solo home run in the fourth inning and an RBI groundout in the first. Primera has been one of the Red Sox' standout hitters in the DSL this season, hitting .318/.462/.427 in 37 games. Krishan Ulacio drove in a pair of runs with a single in the fourth and was 1 for 2 overall. Yohandry Gonzalez had a rough start for the Red team, lasting only 1 1/3 innings and allowing four runs on two hits and three walks. Eddison Septimo followed him with 1 2/3 innings and gave up three more runs on three hits and three walks. Allan Griman struck out a pair of batters in three shutout innings of relief but it was too little too late as the team was unable to complete the comeback.
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Player of the Day: On a night of strong starting pitching performances throughout the system, Jhostynxon Garcia and Nate Eaton share Player of the Day honors for their huge offensive outbursts for the WooSox. Garcia, the fifth-ranked prospect in the system, went 3 for 5 with a triple, a run scored, and three RBI. He smoked a two-run triple in the sixth inning and he is now slashing .312/.380/.596 for the WooSox. Fresh off being named the International League Player of the Week, Garcia has reportedly been taking groundballs at first base as the Red Sox look to find a major league opportunity for the power-hitting right-hander. Eaton went 2 for 5 on the night and slammed a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Eaton, who signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox over the winter, is now hitting .279/.364/.456 with nine home runs in 83 games with Worcester this season.
Photo Credit: Nate Eaton by Kelly O'Connor