April 8, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: White powers late rally for Greenville; Finley throws four innings in debut
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The WooSox lost in a rollercoaster of a game in the home opener at Polar Park. Worcester fell behind early but put together a seventh-inning rally which saw them cut their deficit to one run on an RBI double by Mikey Romero and then take a 10-8 lead on a three-run blast by Matt Thaiss (pictured). However, the bullpen was unable to hold the late lead despite a strong performance from the WooSox lineup. Romero was 2 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI, raising his average to .342 as he continued a hot start to the season. Kristian Campbell was 3 for 5 with a double.
The WooSox pitching staff was hit hard early and often by the Columbus bats. Starter TJ Sikkema allowed four runs in the first inning and was pulled after two frames. Jacob Webb allowed three more runs in 1 2/3 innings of work while Kyle Keller was able to get through 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Tommy Kahnle made his first appearance with the WooSox after signing a minor league deal a week before the start of the season, allowing an unearned run on two hits and a walk in one inning. Noah Song and Wyatt Olds each allowed three runs in shaky relief outings.
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It was a tale of two innings for Hayden Mullins in his first start of the season. Mullins struck out the side in the first but in his second frame, he walked five batters and was unable to escape the inning. All five runners came around to score as part of a 10-run inning for the Fisher Cats, who scored five more runs off Jorge Juan. Cade Feeney followed him with 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. The Sea Dogs saw their best pitching of the night with the game out of reach in the later innings, as Patrick Halligan and Max Carlson were both excellent. Halligan struck out seven in three shutout frames and Carlson punched out five in two scoreless innings of his own.
The Sea Dogs bats chipped away but were unable to come back after New Hampshire's early offensive outburst. Catcher Nate Baez ripped an RBI double in the second inning and was 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored in the game. Miguel Bleis hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth inning, as part of a 1-for-4 night. Will Turner was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
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After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Drive were blanked through the first five innings on Tuesday night. However, Greenville finally cracked the scoreboard in the sixth inning on an RBI forceout off the bat of Isaiah Jackson before second baseman Mason White laced an RBI double to tie the game. That duo delivered again in the eighth inning, as Jackson put the Drive ahead with an RBI single and then White ripped a two-run homer. White, a fourth-round draft pick last year, was 2 for 4 with three RBI in the game. Justin Gonzales was 2 for 5 in the game and drove in a run with a single in the ninth.
Starting pitcher Shea Sprague tossed four solid innings to open the game, allowing two runs while striking out four batters with no walks. Jojo Ingrassia was lights out in three innings of relief, allowing just one walk and no hits while fanning four. Austin Erlicher struck out a pair of batters in two scoreless innings to close out the win.
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In a big night for the Salem lineup, catcher Kleyver Salazar was right in the middle of the action out of the third spot in the lineup. Salazar was 4 for 5 with two doubles and he drove in a pair of runs with RBI singles in the first and fourth innings. Enddy Azocar, the 15th-ranked prospect in the system, was 2 for 5 and collected an RBI double in the fourth inning. Ty Hodge was 3 for 4 with a walk and drove in a pair of runs with a double.
A sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft, starting pitcher Leighton Finley made his organizational debut on Tuesday night and threw four strong innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks. Barrett Morgan struck out two batters in 2/3 innings of relief before departing with a back injury. Gilbel Galvan allowed an unearned run on two walks while striking out three batters in 2 1/3 innings. Adam Bates allowed three walks in two scoreless innings to finish the game.
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Player of the Day: Catcher Matt Thaiss had a monster performance in Worcester's loss, reaching base four times as he went 2 for 2 with two walks. Thaiss also delivered a clutch three-run homer in the seventh inning and a sacrifice fly as he drove in four runs in the game. Thaiss signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox over the offseason and is off to a strong start through five games, going 5 for 16 (.313).
Photo Credit: Matt Thaiss by Kelly O'Connor