June 6, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: WooSox top Scherzer; Ingrassia cruises
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In a matchup of rehabbing right-handers, the WooSox knocked off a future Hall of Famer. Patrick Sandoval made his first appearance in over six weeks and faced off against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer. Scherzer started scoreless, but Worcester reached him for two runs in the third and another in the fourth, running him from the game and handing him the loss. Sandoval went just 1 1/3 innings, walking one batter. Raymond Burgos slid from his usual rotation spot into a bulk relief role without a hitch. He allowed just one run on three hits in 4 2/3, getting credit for the win. Kyle Keller followed with a scoreless seventh, and Zack Kelly allowed a pair of runs in two frames as he closed out the win.
Matt Lloyd took Scherzer deep for a solo homer in the fourth. Tsung-Che Cheng drove in three runs in his 2-for-5 evening. Mikey Romero, Tyler McDonough, and Jason Delay each doubled as part of their respective two-hit efforts.
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It was a crushing loss at Hadlock, as the Yard Goats stormed back with six runs in the ninth inning. Portland opened up a commanding lead with a seven-run sixth-inning rally, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Ahbram Liendo. Nate Baez added a pair of runs on an RBI single as he finished the evening 2 for 5. Marvin Alcantara also had two hits for the Sea Dogs. Starter Hayden Mullins went the first three innings, allowing two runs on two hits, striking out five against three walks. Dalton Rogers worked four hitless innings of relief, walking and striking out three apiece. Cooper Adams threw a scoreless eighth but was reached for five runs in the ninth, with Hartford then plating the eventual winning run off of Patrick Halligan. The loss was consequential in the standings as well. Instead of moving a half-game ahead of Hartford in the first-half standings, Portland is 1 1/2 behind.
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Friday night's contest in Rome remained scoreless until the game's final pitch. A trio of Greenville arms combined to allow just five hits. Jojo Ingrassia needed only 42 pitches to cruise through four scoreless innings. He scattered two hits, struck out six, and did not issue a walk. Joe Vogatsky followed with three shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out three against one free pass. Steven Brooks pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, but a leadoff single in the ninth followed by two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly gave Rome the win. Greenville had squandered a golden opportunity in the top half of the ninth. Freili Encarnacion led off the inning with a walk, and he advanced to third with nobody out as Yophery Rodriguez doubled, the first extra-base hit of the night for either team. A pop fly out failed to advance the runners, and Encarnacion was thrown out at home trying to score on an Antonio Anderson ground ball to shortstop. Justin Gonzales then ripped a hard line drive directly at the third baseman to end the ninth.
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In contrast to the sharply-pitched Greenville contest, the two teams here combined to walk 18 batters, and ended on a walk-off grand slam in the 11th. The RidgeYaks plated seven runs despite managing only four hits. Stanly Tucker scored twice, going 1 for 4 with a double, a stolen base, and a walk. Andruw Musett also doubled for Salem. Brady Tygart made his third rehab start and first with Salem as he continues to make his way back from a shoulder injury. He struck out five, walked two, and hit a batter over 2 1/3 hitless innings, but was charged with two runs when two of the bequeathed baserunners in the third came on to score. Leighton Finley surrendered four runs (two earned) of his own, in addition to those two inherited runners, across four innings of work. Adam Bates gave up just one unearned run in 2 2/3 frames. A walk and a single in addition to the automatic runner loaded the bases in the ninth against Griffin Kilander, setting up a grand slam by Carolina League home run leader Jose Anderson.
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Friday afternoon's game got off to an auspicious start as Harold Rivas walked, advanced to second on a Jhorman Bravo walk, stole third, and came on to score on a Dorian Soto sacrifice fly. Unfortunately, the Sox would be held scoreless from there forward, managing just three hits. One of those hits was a double by Rivas, his fourth of the year and the team's only extra-base hit of the day. Williams Montero had a solid start, giving up a run on two hits in three innings, striking out four while walking one. Jeison Payano took the loss as he did not record an out, walking four batters while a fifth reached on an error. Melrin Bido entered in the fourth with a bases-loaded, no-out situation. After allowing all three inherited runners to score, he settled in and did not surrender a run of his own across three innings.
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An eight-run fifth-inning rally by the Bautista squad doomed Team Blue. A couple of Boston's top international signings had big afternoons at the plate. Garielvin Silveio scored three runs, going 2 for 4 with an RBI. Esterlin Casanova did not record an out with two hits, two walks, three RBI, a run scored, and a steal. Krishan Ulacio was 2 for 3 with a triple, a walk, and two RBI. Starter Jesus Lopez gave up just one hit in three scoreless innings. The Dodgers tagged Jainer Almanza and Michael Manjarres for a combined 10 runs despite the two allowing just one hit.
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Team Red fell in a similarly-scored slugfest. Joskairo Ramirez had another big day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a walk, double, two RBI, and two runs scored. He has hit safely in all four games, going 6 for 11 with four walks and 13 total bases. Geomaikel Martinez tripled as part of a 2-for-3 day, driving in a run. Starter Angel Roa allowed three runs on two hits in three innings, walking three and striking out one. Alexander Heredia was saddled with the loss, as he surrendered three runs in 2 1/3.
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Player of the Day: Jojo Ingrassia fired four scoreless innings on Friday, as he has somewhat quietly had a strong season for the Drive. The six-foot lefty has allowed just three runs on 10 hits in 17 2/3 innings across six appearances, striking out 24. It was Ingrassia's second straight scoreless outing since returning from the injured list after missing almost all of May. A 14th-round pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2023, Ingrassia is currently ranked 46th in the system.
Photo Credit: Jojo Ingrassia by Kelly O'Connor