June 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Nunez's grand slam sparks Salem; Primera goes deep in FCL
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With the rehabbing Dylan Cease starting for Buffalo, Worcester plated five runs in the first three innings of Thursday's contest and never looked back. Both Braiden Ward and Tsung-Che Cheng homered off Cease, while Allan Castro and Matt Lloyd recorded RBI singles against him. Ward went 2 for 4 with a solo shot for his second home run of the season. Cheng went 1 for 3 with a three-run blast for his fifth home run of the season. Castro added one double and one run scored as part of a three-hit night. Lloyd had just the one hit. Vinny Capra singled twice, scored one run, and stole one base. Kristian Campbell went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts before departing in the fourth inning due to tightness in his side.
On the mound, Devin Sweet got the start and tossed two scoreless innings out of the gate, scattering two hits and two walks while striking out three. Osvaldo Berrios (making his Worcester debut after rehabbing in the FCL and Greenville), Seth Martinez, and Wyatt Olds combined to spin seven innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen. They each struck out a pair. Berrios was credited with the winning decision, his first in 13 career appearances at the Triple-A level.
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Blake Wehunt went six innings in his start for Portland, allowing two earned runs on five hits (including one home run), no walks, and six strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches (52 strikes) and generated 11 whiffs. Max Carlson surrendered two additional runs in the top of the seventh, while Caleb Bolden tossed a scoreless ninth inning. At the plate, Nate Baez provided the only offense with a sixth-inning solo shot, good for his sixth homer of the season. Nelly Taylor went 2 for 3 with one stolen base and one walk. Franklin Arias walked twice to extend his on-base streak to 15 games.
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Shea Sprague went four innings in his start for Greenville, allowing two earned runs on three hits (including one home run), three walks, and four strikeouts. He threw 81 pitches (45 strikes) and generated 11 whiffs. The rehabbing Tyler Uberstine relieved Sprague and yielded one earned run on one hit, no walks, and three strikeouts in his two innings of work. Danny Kirwin and Calvin Bickerstaff each surrendered a run as well, with Bickerstaff taking the loss after giving up the unearned but winning run a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th.
Offensively, two of Greenville's three hits cleared the fence on Thursday. Gerardo Rodriguez went 1 for 4 with a two-run shot for his third home run of the season. He also added a walk. Isaiah Jackson went 1 for 5 with a solo blast for his eighth big fly of the year. Yoeilin Cespedes and Jack Winnay each scored one run, while Freili Encarnacion and Antonio Anderson each stole one base.
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Five members of Salem's lineup recorded multiple hits on Thursday. Out of the leadoff spot, Starlyn Nunez crushed a grand slam as part of a 2-for-5 night in which he doubled, drove in five runs, and drew one walk. Adonys Guzman went 3 for 5 with three doubles, two runs scored, and one walk. Andruw Musett and D'Angelo Ortiz each had two singles, one RBI, and one run scored. Musett also drew two walks. Stanley Tucker went 2 for 4 with one triple, two RBI, three runs scored, and one walk. Ilan Fernandez plated two runs, scored once, and drew one walk.
Barrett Morgan went 4 2/3 innings in his start for Salem, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits (including one home run), three walks, and three strikeouts. He threw 75 pitches (44 strikes) and generated 12 whiffs. Joey Gartrell was responsible for the next 2 1/3 innings in which he yielded two runs on three hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. Harry Blum closed it out with a pair of strikeouts across two scoreless frames of relief.
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Berny Ortiz went 1 2/3 innings in his start for the FCL squad, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Christopher Cordero received the bulk of the work out of the bullpen and pitched a career-high five innings in which he surrendered two runs (one earned) on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Franklin Primera stood out at the plate, going 2 for 3 with one double, his third home run of the season, two RBI, and one run scored. Matt Fraizer doubled for his only hit.
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Emanuel Jimenez made his first professional start for the Blue squad, scattering two hits and three walks while striking out six over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Charlie Zink and Carlos Falcon each gave up one run across 2 2/3 combined innings of relief. Top international signee Garielvin Silverio recorded the first two hits of his pro career, going 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and one run scored. Santiago Yanes and Miguel Welch both went 1 for 2 with one walk.
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Isaac Brujan and Ranci Castillo combined to throw a one-hit shutout for the Red squad. Brujan, making his professional debut, got the start and allowed just one hit, one walk, and one hit by pitch while striking out five over 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Castillo earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless, no-hit frames of relief. Edgardo Gutierrez led the way offensively, going 2 for 2 with one home run, one RBI, two runs scored, one stolen base, and one walk. Geomaikel Martinez, Axell Herrera, and Eliezer Alfonzo all drove in runs as well. Anderber Urbina scored one run and stole one base.
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Player of the Day: Franklin Primera gets the nod for extending his hitting streak to seven games on Thursday. Through 19 games (78 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox in his first season stateside, the soon-to-be 19-year-old catcher is batting .411/.558/.625 with three doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs, 17 runs scored, three stolen bases, 16 walks, and eight strikeouts. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 33 prospect after signing for $10,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in September 2024.
Photo Credit: Franklin Primera by Kelly O'Connor