June 18, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Finley shines for Salem; Sandoval makes rehab start in Portland
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The WooSox cranked out 12 hits in their 10-inning victory down in Allentown. Nathan Hickey blasted a solo homer in the fourth and then singled in what proved to be the winning run, plating Allan Castro in the 10th. Castro was on base three times, going 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Vinny Capra had two RBI as part of his two-hit evening, while Tyler McDonough came off the bench to go 2 for 3 and drive in a pair.
Osvaldo Berrios took the spot start, giving up one hit over three scoreless innings, striking out three and walking one. The right-hander has yet to surrender a run in four appearances since his activation, scattering three runs across 10 innings. Eduardo Rivera went two innings of relief, with the only blemish a fifth-inning solo homer. The IronPigs reached Seth Martinez for three runs in the sixth, but Alec Gamboa and Kyle Keller went two hitless innings apiece, with Keller getting the winning decision.
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Portland was officially eliminated from the first-half Northeast Division race in devastating fashion, squandering a ninth-inning 4-1 advantage before falling in the 10th. Patrick Sandoval shifted his rehab to Double-A after making a pair of appearances with Worcester. Sandoval went three innings, allowing one run on one hit, a solo homer. He struck out four, walked one, and threw 27 of his 44 pitches for strikes. Dalton Rogers scattered three hits across four scorelss innings of relief, striking out four and walking a pair. Reidis Sena pitched a scoreless eighth but was touched up for three runs in the ninth. Cooper Adams was charged with the loss without allowing a hit as the automatic runner came on to score in the 10th on a ground out.
Joining Sandoval on rehab was Romy Gonzalez, who got the start as the designated hitter. He went 0 for 3, was hit by a pitch, and scored a run. Ronald Rosario legged out his first triple since 2024, while Ahbram Liendo and Stanley Tucker contributed doubles.
The Sea Dogs entered with a magic number of two, so the loss combined with a victory by first-place Hartford (COL) puts the first-half division crown out of reach with four games remaining.
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Little went right for the Drive on Wednesday, as they were outhit 16 to five. Starter Dylan Brown gave up six runs on six hits in four innings, with the biggest blow a three-run homer in the third. Brown walked a pair and struck out seven, giving him an organization-leading 70 punchouts across two levels. Calvin Bickerstaff had a strong effort out of the bullpen, going three scoreless innings. Yophery Rodriguez was 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead the way at the plate. Justin Gonzales walked three times and scored a run, while Yoeilin Cespedes ripped his 16th double of the season. Enddy Azocar saw his seven-game hitting streak snapped, but he did draw a walk out of the leadoff spot.
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A trio of Fredericksburg hurlers combined for a five-hit shutout, squandering a strong Leighton Finley effort. The 2025 sixth-round pick cruised through five shutout innings, allowing just one hit, striking out six, and walking four. Adam Bates took the loss, surrendering one run in 1 2/3, and the Nats added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth against Griffin Kilander. At the plate, Avinson Pinto doubled for the only RidgeYak extra-base hit. Anderson Fermin and Adonys Garcia had matching lines, both going 1 for 2 with a pair of walks.
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Player of the Day: It was a return to form for Leighton Finley, who went five scoreless after surrendering four runs apiece in both of his first June starts. Finley clawed his way into the system's top 30 prospects in the June rankings as part of his solid professional debut. The 22-year-old has struck out 46 over 50 innings and has had five appearances where he's gone at least five innings while allowing one or fewer runs. One of many big, hard-throwing hurlers Boston selected out of the SEC last July, the 6-foot-5 Finley touches 97 with the fastball.
Photo Credit: Leighton Finley by Kelly O'Connor