June 1, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Winnay goes deep twice; Witherspoon goes five scoreless
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A solo home run in the first inning was all the RailRiders needed to take the series finale. Singles from Vinny Capra, Anthony Seigler, and Tsung-Che Cheng was all the offense Worcester could muster. Capra and Seigler got back-to-back hits in the fourth, but the inning ended the next batter with a double play. Alec Gamboa was solid aside from the early home run. He allowed the one run over four innings while striking out four without issuing a free pass. A group of four relievers followed with one inning apiece, led by Seth Martinez striking out three and Angel Bastardo striking out two.
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A dropped lineout by Binghamton's left fielder let three runs score and give Portland a victory. Franklin Arias laced a line drive with the bases loaded in the seventh inning right at the left fielder, but it was dropped and all three runs came around to score. The offense was quiet otherwise, with Nelly Taylor going 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base, and Tyler McDonough going 1 for 3 with a walk. Starter Gage Ziehl struck out six over four frames of one-run ball, Max Carlson got the win with two scoreless innings, and Cooper Adams was nearly spotless to earn a three-inning save.
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Justin Gonzales launched a leadoff home run and the Drive never looked back in a win over Asheville. The home run was his seventh of the year and his first in the last two weeks. Not to be outdone, Jack Winnay hit two home runs of his own as he capped off an excellent month of May. The most significant home run of the day came from Isaiah Jackson. Jackson broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth with a solo shot. Yoeilin Cespedes went 2 for 4 with a double, and Mason White went 2 for 3 with a walk. It was the best start of the season for Kyson Witherspoon who fired five shutout innings. He walked three and struck out four while allowing three hits. The win went to Danny Kirwin who held the Tourists to one hit over the final 2 1/3.
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The second 1-0 game of the day went an affiliate's way as Salem shutout the Crawdads. Jacob Mayers worked around three walks to hold Hickory hitless over the first three frames. Cole Tolbert earned the win with 4 2/3 scoreless innings as he lowered his ERA to 1.35, and Wuilliams Rodriguez closed it out with a four-out save. An Andruw Musett RBI single in the first inning was all the pitching staff needed. Andrews Opata went 2 for 3 and scored a run, and Avinson Pinto went 1 for 3 with a triple.
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Player of the Day: Jack Winnay is becoming a regular in this space as he capped off a scorching month in style. He finished 2 for 3 with two home runs and three runs scored in Greenville's win. The 23-year-old finished May hitting .290/.490/.623 with seven home runs and more walks (26) than strikeouts (23). This comes after a nondescript April that saw him slash .197/.376/.268. If the truth lies somewhere in the middle, his overall line of .243/.435/.443 shows his impressive eye and intriguing power. He has already drawn 43 walks on the year, which is more than second and third place combined on the team. Henry Godbout (22) and Isaiah Jackson (19) have combined for 41.
Photo Credit: Jack Winnay by Kelly O'Connor