May 8, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Castro walks it off in Worcester; Gonzales, Godbout go back-to-back
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In a game that took over four hours and required three extra innings, Worcester came out on top. Allan Castro played hero by going 2 for 5 with one double and a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th. He scored three runs in total and added a stolen base and a walk. Anthony Seigler and Matt Lloyd both went deep as well for their first homers of the season. Seigler went 2 for 4 with a solo shot, three runs scored, and two walks. Lloyd went 1 for 4 with a solo blast, two RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Nick Sogard singled twice, drove in one run, scored another, and drew one walk. Braiden Ward drew two walks, stole two bases, and scored two runs.
Seth Martinez got the start for Worcester and went the first two innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits (including one home run), two walks, and one strikeout. Eduardo Rivera also gave up a run before Kyle Keller, Devin Sweet, and Tayron Guerrero combined for 3 1/3 scoreless frames of relief. Cade Feeney got roughed up for four runs (three earned) over three innings in his Triple-A debut, while Nathan Hickey put up a zero in the top of the 12th to ultimately take home the winning decision.
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Blake Wehunt got the start for Portland in Game 1 and went three innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Max Carlson pitched well in relief, yielding just one unearned run on two hits, no walks, and three strikeouts over four innings. At the plate, Marvin Alcantara and Brooks Brannon each had two hits, with the former doubling and the latter tripling. Nelly Taylor and Ahbram Liendo each drew one walk and scored one run.
Caleb Bolden got the start for Portland in Game 2, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. Joe Vogatsky and Caden Rose (who took the loss in his first professional appearance on the mound) combined to give up five additional runs (two earned) across 6 2/3 innings of relief. Offensively, Franklin Arias went 2 for 4 with one double, one run scored, and one walk. Will Turner drew one walk and drilled a two-run home run for his lone hit of the night. Ronald Rosario and Max Ferguson each had two hits, with the former scoring one run and the latter recording one RBI, one stolen base, and one walk.
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Seven members of Greenville's lineup recorded multiple hits on Thursday. Justin Gonzales doubled and homered as part of a 2-for-5 night. Henry Godbout went 2 for 4 with one home run, two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk. Yoeilin Cespedes, Gerardo Rodriguez, and Freili Encarnacion each went 2 for 5, with Cespedes and Encarnacion scoring one run apiece. Yophery Rodriguez and Jack Winnay both went 2 for 4 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk.
Austin Ehrlicher, making his first appearance since April 19, got the start and went 1 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on no hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Brandon Neely took over and notched his first professional win, yielding three earned runs on five hits, no walks, and four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Danny Kirwin and Matt McShane combined for eight strikeouts across four scoreless frames to close things out.
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Christian Foutch went 3 1/3 innings in his start, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits (including one home run), four walks, and three strikeouts. Jose Bello and Griffin Kilander combined to surrender three additional runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings of relief. Offensively, Salem was held to five hits as a team. Kleyver Salazar went 1 for 2 with one run scored and three walks. Skylar King singled in one run for his lone hit of the night. Anderson Fermin singled, scored one run, and drew one walk. Ilan Fernandez did not register an at-bat, as he walked in each of his four trips to the plate.
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Berny Ortiz got the start and fared well in his stateside debut, allowing only one unearned run on no hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over two innings. Christopher Cordero, Yoelvin Chirino, and Rony Calderon combined to surrender eight runs in five innings out of the bullpen. At the plate, Harold Rivas went 1 for 4 with one run scored and one stolen base. Conrad Cason and Jorge Rodriguez each had singles as well, while Hector Ramos drew two walks.
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Player of the Day: Allan Castro gets the nod for lifting Worcester to an extra-innings victory on Thursday night. The switch-hitting 22-year-old outfielder now has hits in five of his last six games, over which he is batting .292 (7 for 24) with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, seven runs, three stolen bases, two walks, and seven strikeouts. As of this writing, he is ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the organization.
Photo Credit: Allan Castro by Kelly O'Connor