June 27, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Witherspoon shines for Drive; Bleis homers twice
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Little went right at Polar Park in a blowout loss to the Mud Hens. Mikey Romero blasted a solo home run in the first inning, his fifth of the season, accounting for all of the Worcester scoring. Allan Castro reached base three times, going 1 for 2 with a pair of walks. It was a bullpen day on the mound, with six pitchers getting work in, none for more than two innings. Starter Seth Martinez was hit hard, allowing five runs in his two frames, taking the loss. Zack Kelly and Wyatt Olds threw a scoreless inning apiece.
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Portland fell in a come-from-behind loss, squandering a big day at the plate by Miguel Bleis and a strong start from John Holobetz. Bleis led off the game with a solo homer, then went deep again with two outs and nobody on in the 5th. He now has six home runs on the season. Ahbram Liendo added a single, a walk, and a pair of stolen bases. Holobetz allowed just one run on three hits in his six innings of work, striking out six and walking one. It was his third straight start with exactly six punchouts against one free pass. The Yard Goats reached Jeremy Wu-Yelland for a pair of runs on three hits in the seventh to tie the game, and Reidis Sena gave up an unearned run in the eighth to take the loss.
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Asheville stunned Greenville with five runs in the ninth, spoiling the best start thus far for 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon. Witherspoon went six full innings, a new professional high, allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out seven while walking only one. Efficiency has occasionally been an issue for the 21-year-old righty, but that was not the case on Friday as he needed just 80 pitches to get through those six frames, with 52 of those for strikes. Calvin Bickerstaff allowed one run on one hit in two innings of relief before the Tourists rallied for five runs in the ninth against Steven Brooks.
Antonio Anderson led the way at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a sixth-inning solo homer. He added a walk and drove in a pair. Ronny Hernandez also went deep as part of back-to-back homers with Anderson. He has seven round-trippers on the year. Isaiah Jackson had a pair of hits, and Yoeilin Cespedes ripped his 19th double of the season.
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Myrtle Beach took advantage of Salem's wildness, as a quintet of RidgeYaks combined to issue 15 walks. Starter Brady Tygart took the loss, allowing three runs on two hits in 1 2/3, striking out two and walking five, including the last three batters he faced. Jacob Mayers was the only of the relievers not to allow a run, working around four walks and striking out two while allowing one hit in 2 1/3 frames. Avinson Pinto was a bright spot at the plate, collecting two of Salem's four hits and picking up a double, walk, and stolen base.
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FCL Twins 8, FCL Red Sox 1 (completion of 6/20 suspended game)
Saturday's contest was paused in the third inning due to rain, so the two teams resumed with the Twins leading 8-1, and 8-1 is how the game finished. Williams Montero entered at the restart and went all 3 2/3 innings, scattering a pair of hits, striking out five, and walking three. Trennor O'Donnell had given up a pair of runs in 2 1/3 innings on Saturday as he continued his Tommy John rehab. Franklin Primera had a single and a walk, and Harold Rivas stole three bases.
In the regularly scheduled contest, the Sox used a cadre of rehabbing ringers to turn the tables on the Twins. Hobie Harris, out since the start of spring training with forearm tightness, struck out a pair in a perfect first inning. Matt Duffy made his second appearance of his Tommy John rehab, striking out three and giving up two hits in two scoreless innings. Ethan Walker, shut down in mid-May with lower back inflammation, struck out four and walked two in 1 2/3 hitless frames. Eddison Septimo followed with 1 1/3 hitless, and Denison Sanchez finished things off with an inning, surrendering a pair of unearned runs.
The rehabbers were not confined to the pitcher's mound. Maximus Martin got the start at designated hitter, going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Chad Darville represented the regular roster well, going 1 for 2 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and two runs driven in.
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The Blue squad managed just three hits in support of a solid start by Jesus Lopez. Lopez went 4 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up three hits, striking out six, and walking two. The 17-year-old righty is unscored upon in 12 1/3 innings across four starts. The Athletics reached reliever Erickson Ettien for a pair of runs in 2 1/3, handing him the loss.
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Dawvris Brito had a big day at the plate, but it was not enough to keep Team Red from falling to its tenth consecutive defeat. Brito, signed in January to a $1.2 million bonus, was 3 for 5 with two doubles, a run scored, and two driven in. Joskairo Ramirez was 2 for 5 out of the leadoff spot. Yeider Pineda got the start, striking out one and hitting a batter in a scoreless first inning. Isaac Brujan took the loss for the Red squad.
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Player of the Day: It was an excellent week for 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon. On Monday, his old teammates at the University of Oklahoma finished off their NCAA Championship, and on Friday, he turned in the best start of his young professional career. His six innings were a career best, while his seven strikeouts were one short of the career mark he'd set in his last outing. In six starts since making an adjustment closer to his old delivery, Witherspoon has allowed nine runs in 30 2/3 innings, good for a 2.64 ERA, while striking out 35. He is currently third in the SoxProspects.com rankings.
Photo Credit: Kyson Witherspoon by Kelly O'Connor