May 17, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Gonzales has a four-hit day in Greenville, Halligan doesn't allow a baserunner in Portland
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In what ended up being a rain-shortened game, Worcester only recorded four hits and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position in the loss. The only extra base hit for the WooSox came off the bat of Matt Lloyd, who ripped a double to lead off the third. Alec Gamboa was the tough loser in the game on the mound. Despite pitching well, a pair of solo home runs accounted for his two earned runs which proved to be the difference. He allowed four total hits over four innings and struck out three as well.
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Portland entered the bottom of the tenth inning leading 3-2 but Reidis Sena managed to only record one out in the bottom half of the frame before allowing the tying and winning runs to cross the plate. In the loss, Brooks Brannon, Johanfran Garcia and Max Ferguson all recorded two hits. Brannon added an RBI double in the first inning and Ferguson drove in the Sea Dogs' lone run in the 10th on a single to left field. Tyler McDonough also slugged his fourth home run of the season on a solo shot in the seventh to tie the game at 2.
On the mound Patrick Halligan retired every hitter he faced across four innings while adding four strikeouts in the start. Erik Rivera allowed two runs (one earned run) over the next 2 1/3 frames, and Max Carlson held Hartford scoreless while recording the final eight outs to send the game into extra innings.
Also in the contest, Franklin Arias left after three at bats but the replacement was later confirmed by reporters as a manager decision.
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The Greenville pitching staff got knocked around to the tune of 17 hits and seven walks as Devin Futrell struggled in his second start with the Drive. Entering the game with a sub-2 ERA on the season between Salem and Greenville, the left-hander allowed four runs on seven hits while not recording a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. After Osvaldo Berrios held Bowling Green off the scoreboard through the next 2 1/3 frames, Jay Almer, who eventually took the loss, and Luis Cohen combined to allow 10 runs (nine earned runs) over the final 4 1/3 innings.
While the pitching struggled, the Drive bats were in full swing. Justin Gonzales and Yoeilin Cespedes led the charge with four-hit nights each, with Gonzales recording a double and Cespedes grabbing two two-baggers of his own. Jack Winnay connected on a pair of home runs and Antonio Anderson added three hits himself.
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Salem held leads of 2-1 and 6-3 but the RidgeYaks pitching staff walked nine and gave up 12 hits in the loss. Leighton Finley took the loss after a tough outing on the mound saw him allow eight runs on ten hits with four walks and a strikeout in just three innings of work. Finley relieved Cole Tolbert, who allowed a run one a single hit with five strikeouts through the first three innings.
Offensively, Avinson Pinto led the way for Salem with a pair of hits and three RBIs. Andrews Opata, Starlyn Nunez and Stanley Tucker also had multi-hit outings as well. Enddy Azocar added a double and a walk to bring his OPS this season to .847 in what has been a strong start to the year.
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The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-1 lead through three-and-a-half innings behind a pair of two-run home runs off the bats of Jhorman Bravo in the second inning and Jorge Rodriguez in the fourth. Jakson Gamboa pitched well in his third start of the season, allowing a single run on a home run in 2 1/3 innings while adding three strikeouts. After beginning his professional career with a pair of scoreless appearances, Carter Rasmussen ran into trouble with his command. While eventually being charged with the loss, the right-hander walked six and allowed five runs while recording five outs. Merlin Bido relieved Rasmussen and pitched two scoreless frames.
Outside of the pair of home runs, Dorian Soto went 1 for 3 and Jostin Ogando singled in his only at bat of the game.
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Player of the Day: Amid the winless day across the farm system, Justin Gonzales continued to show his ever-improving hit tool with his 4-for-5 evening in Greenville's defeat. The Drive right-fielder had a trio of singles and a double to raise his slashline on the season to .311/.405/.508 across 153 plate appearances. Gonzales is currently the 7th-ranked prospect at SoxProspects.
Photo Credit: Justin Gonzales by Kelly O'Connor