July 9, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: McDonough powers WooSox sweep; Tolbert rolls for RidgeYaks
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Following Tuesday's rainout, the WooSox opened their doubleheader with a victory as Hayden Mullins made his Triple-A debut. The 2022 12th-round pick, was called up from Portland to make the start. He allowed a solo home run to the second batter he faced but completed three innings without any further damage. Mullins gave up four hits, walking four and striking out three. Noah Song followed with two innings of relief, wih a solo homer his only blemish as well. Devin Sweet gave up two unearned runs in 1 2/3 to get credit for the win, and Wyatt Olds retired the final batter for his third save of the year.
Tyler McDonough delivered the key swing, a sixth-inning grand slam with two outs. Braiden Ward was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases, and Allan Castro swiped a bag and scored a run as part of his two-hit effort.
The nightcap was a smooth one as the WooSox completed the sweep. Brent Harris blasted a grand slam in the first inning, his first round tripper since joining the organization, and Worcester did not look back. Max Ferguson was 2 for 3 with a homer, two RBI, and two runs scored, and Mickey Gasper also went deep in the win. McDonough followed up on his heroics in the opener by not recording an out, picking up a double, walk, and hit batsman. Vinny Capra and Kristian Campbell added two hits apiece. A reliever by trade, Seth Martinez got the opener nod for the third time in his last four outings, allowing one unearned run in two innings. Angel Bastardo was the winning pitcher, allowing one run in two innings. Eduardo Rivera struck out three in two perfect frames and Sam McWilliams finished things off by striking out two of the three batters he faced in the seventh.
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Portland was also rained out to start its series in Manchester on Tuesday, and then had to scratch top prospect Franklin Arias from the lineup before the game due to elbow soreness. All five runs in this contest came on solo homers. Johanfran Garcia, Miguel Bleis, and Ronald Rosario did the honors for the Sea Dogs in the second, third, and fourth innings, respectively. This was enough support for Dalton Rogers, whose two round trippers were the only two hits he allowed in five innings of work. Rogers struck out five and walked five as he picked up his first winning decision of 2026. Patrick Halligan gave up just one hit in his two scoreless innings of relief, striking out five of the seven batters he faced.
The Sea Dogs doubled their hit total from the opener but only pushed across two runs as the Fisher Cats salvaged the split. Garcia added two more hits, while Jack Winnay was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. Nate Baez had a run-scoring double for Portland's only extra-base knock. Max Carlson got the start, allowing four runs on five hits in three innings, striking out four without walking a batter.
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It was an auspicious start as Enddy Azocar blasted the second pitch of the game for a home run, but it was all Greensboro from that point forward. Kyson Witherspoon crusied through three scoreless innings but ran into some trouble with a two-run homer in the fourth. He finished 4 2/3 frames, surrendering three runs on five hits, striking out four and walking two. The other two scores came on a homer by Isaiah Jackson in the ninth, his 13th of the year.
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Cole Tolbert was dominant on the mound and Anderson Fermin led the way at the plate as the RidgeYaks won for the fifth time in six games. Tolbert fired three hitless innings, striking out six and walking a pair. After missing all of 2025 with Tommy John Surgery, the 23-year-old righty has quietly turned in an excellent campaign, with one or fewer runs allowed in eight of his nine appearances. Columbia reached Luis Cohen for a pair of runs in 2 2/3 innings, but Harry Blum shut down the Fireflies with 2 1/3 scoreless for the win. Joey Gartrell struck out a pair and allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth to get credit for the save.
At the plate, Fermin turned in his second straight multi-hit effort, going 3 for 4 with a stolen base and a pair of RBI. Kleyver Salazar was on base three times with two singles and a walk, adding an RBI and run scored. Starlyn Nunez added a pair of hits, and Skylar King picked up a double in the win.
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Player of the Day: In his sixth season with the organization, Tyler McDonough has given solid production while moving between Worcester and Portland as roster help has been needed. The 2021 third-round pick has played particularly well during his time with the WooSox, hitting .311/.427/.689 in 23 games.
Photo Credit: Tyler McDonough by Kelly O'Connor