September 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Garcia leads Greenville rally in playoff push
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A big night at the plate by Nathan Hickey helped support a quality Tyler Uberstine start. Hickey opened the scoring with a two-run double in the bottom of the first. He would add another double and a walk, finishing 2 for 3 with three RBI. Mikey Romero ripped his fifth double in his last 10 games, giving him a system-leading 27 on the season. Trayce Thompson doubled, walked, and scored a pair as part of a 1-for-3 effort, while Tyler McDonough added an RBI triple. Staked to an early 4-0 lead, Tyler Uberstine went to work. He allowed two runs on six his in his six frames, striking out eight while walking one. He threw 66 of 98 pitches for strikes and induced 18 whiffs. Scranton reached Jovani Moran for a pair of runs in 1 1/3, but Isaiah Campbell came on for a perfect 1 2/3 innings to earn the save.
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Brooks Brannon extended his hitting streak to 12 games in an otherwise rough evening at Hadlock. With singles in the second and seventh innings, Brannon was 2 for 3, bringing him to 19 for 50 (.380) during the streak. A third-inning double by Allan Castro was Portland's only extra-base hit, and it drove in the lone Sea Dogs run. On the mound, it was a tough evening for Blake Wehunt, who surrendered seven runs without escaping the first. Jack Anderson did solid work in long relief, allowing a run on four hits in 4 1/3. Utilityman Drew Ehrhard came on to pitch the ninth, allowing one hit in a scoreless frame.
The loss drops Portland to 3 1/2 games behind Somerset and two behind Hartford in the playoff chase, with eight games remaining.
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Trailing 4-1 into the ninth inning and with their playoff hopes hanging precariously, the Drive staged a stunning comeback with three runs in the ninth and another three in the 10th. A Johanfran Garcia double plated Justin Riemer and Henry Godbout to bring Greenville within one in the ninth, and Garcia came on to score the tying run on a Mason White single. Winston-Salem wildness in the 10th gave Greenville the edge as Freili Encarnacion was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game, followed by a Riemer walk to load the bases. Godbout was plunked to score the go-ahead run. Two more runs came in on a Justin Gonzales sacrifice fly and an Andruw Musett single. Garcia led the offense, going 2 for 3 with the aforementioned two-run double as well as a walk.
On the mound, Juan Valera allowed two runs on four hits in 2 2/3, but he struck out six of the 12 batters he faced without issuing a walk, throwing 31 of 47 pitches for strikes. Blake Aita worked in a piggyback role. He allowed just two hits in 5 1/3 innings, but both were solo homers. He struck out four and walked one. Noah Dean was excellent out of the bullpen, firing a scoreless ninth to preserve the tie game and allowing just one hit in the 10. He struck out three without issuing a walk.
The win and the loss by Hub City against Rome brings Greenville to within a half-game of a playoff spot going into the final weekend. Hub City has just two games remaining, while Greenville's Saturday doubleheader gives the Drive three left to play. Because Hub City holds the tiebreaker, the magic number remains at two.
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Salem fell by a pair of field goals as it heads into the final weekend of its season. Enddy Azocar led the way at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a walk, RBI, and run scored. Yoeilin Cespedes and Skylar King both had two-run homers for the Sox. It was the first as a pro for King, Boston's 15th-round pick in the July draft, who has already drawn attention for his highlight-reel defensive plays. Anderson Fermin walked three times and stole a base. Despite not yet having a base hit in six games since joining Salem, Fermin has walked seven times, good for a .320 on-base percentage. Ben Hansen took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
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Player of the Day: It wasn't so long ago that Johanfran Garcia was the more highly-touted of the Garcia brothers. While brother Jhostynxon has continued his breakout in 2025, Johanfran has turned in a solid campaign with several clutch moments as he makes his way back after missing much of 2024 with a knee injury. After he had previously singled and walked, Garcia's two-run double with the bases loaded keyed another Drive comeback, and gives him a .510 slugging percentage in the second half. He is currently the 36th-ranked prospect in the system.
Photo Credit: Johanfran Garcia by Kelly O'Connor