April 29, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Drive hit four home runs in pivotal eighth-inning rally
-----
Though they quickly grabbed the first run of the game on an RBI groundout off the bat of Anthony Seigler in the first inning, the WooSox were completely blanked for the rest of the game. Kristian Campbell was the only Worcester hitter to record multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a double. Mickey Gasper was 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. Starting pitcher Seth Martinez allowed four runs (three earned) in a three-inning start. Noah Song was hit hard in 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing six runs on six hits and two walks. With the game out of reach, Tayron Guerrero threw 1 2/3 scoreless frames and the WooSox turned to first baseman Nathan Hickey to pitch the final inning. Making his third appearance on the mound this season, Hickey allowed a hit and a walk but escaped with a scoreless inning.
-----
While the Portland bats were similarly unable to generate much offense on Tuesday night, the Sea Dogs benefited from a better pitching performance than their Triple-A counterparts. Gage Ziehl pitched seven impressive innings and allowed just two runs, both of which came on solo home runs by Patriots second baseman Marco Luciano. Ziehl struck out three batters and walked none, lowering his ERA to 5.59 through four starts. Cooper Adams threw one scoreless inning out of the bullpen. The Sea Dogs scored their only run on an RBI single by Franklin Arias (who else?), who went 2 for 5 on the night, lowering his batting average to .407 this season.
-----
A seven-run eighth inning for the Drive turned this game from a tight, back-and-forth contest into a blowout. Greenville started the inning with a bang (or three, rather), as Yophery Rodriguez, Justin Gonzales, and Henry Godbout blasted back-to-back-to-back home runs to begin the frame. Later in the inning, Freili Encarnacion gave the Drive some insurance as he crushed an opposite-field grand slam, his fourth home run of the season. Godbout was 3 for 5 and Gonzales was 2 for 5 with a walk on the night. Second baseman Yoeilin Cespedes (pictured) went 2 for 4 with a walk and a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
Starter Jojo Ingrassia tossed the first three innings of the game, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks. Luis Cohen was impressive in three shutout innings of relief, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out two. Calvin Bickerstaff allowed four runs in three innings but took the win, as he was the pitcher of record while the Drive put together their winning rally.
-----
A pair of 2025 draftees threw a combined shutout, as seventh-rounder Myles Patton started the game with five scoreless frames. Patton struck out six batters while allowing two walks and two hits, lowering his ERA to 4.41 in 16 1/3 innings this season. Ninth-round pick Jacob Mayers was electric in four innings of relief, striking out four and allowing just a hit and a walk. The RidgeYaks bats got off to a fast start as catcher Luke Heyman drove a two-run homer to center field to give Salem the lead in the first inning. Salem kept the long balls coming as the game moved along, as Enddy Azocar hit a solo shot in the fifth and Andrews Opata added a two-run homer in the eighth. Azocar was 2 for 5 with a pair of runs scored and he is now hitting .271/.315/.506 with four home runs to start the season.
-----
Player of the Day: While his three-run homer did not come as a part of Greenville's game-winning rally, Yoeilin Cespedes played a major part in the Drive's win on Tuesday night. Cespedes was 2 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored, and three RBI. After struggling with Salem in his first taste of full-season baseball last year, Cespedes is off to a great start in Greenville as he is now hitting .284/.372/.556 with four home runs and 10 doubles through his first 20 games of the year.
Photo Credit: Yoeilin Cespedes by Kelly O'Connor