August 3, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Cespedes debuts for Portland; Azocar and Primera go deep
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The WooSox pushed their winning streak to five games as they three-hit the Tides. Raymond Burgos got the win with five innings of one-run ball. He has an ERA of just 1.84 over his last three starts. Eduardo Rivera struck out two over two hitless frames, and Tyler Uberstine picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. Leadoff man Braiden Ward reached an impressive milestone as he swiped three bags to give him 50 on the season. Nobody else in the International League has reached 40 steals. He also went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. Mikey Romero opened the scoring with an RBI single, and he finished 1 for 3 with two walks.
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Portland earned a series split in impressive fashion as the Sea Dogs pummeled the Senators. Making his Double-A debut, Yoeilin Cespedes went 1 for 5 with a two-run single but also struck out four times. The big hit in the game was a three-run shot off the bat of Ronald Rosario, his 11th of the year. Matt Fraizer finished 1 for 3 with a three-run double and a walk, and Tyler McDonough went 2 for 4 with a two-run single, walk, and two steals. On the mound, Gage Ziehl struck out eight on the way to his sixth win. He surrendered one run and walked one while scattering six hits. It is his fifth time logging eight or more strikeouts in his last nine appearances.
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Down 7-5 in the seventh, Jake Schaffner ripped a three-run triple to give the Drive a lead they would not relinquish. His former roommate Owen Hull also had a big day, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI. Greenville took its first lead of the day on a two-run home run from Enddy Azocar, and they later took the lead again on a three-run blast from Maximus Martin. Azocar finished 2 for 5 with a double, and Gerardo Rodriguez went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Starter Matt Duffy struck out six but also allowed three runs on two home runs over 3 2/3 frames. The win went to Matt McShane who fired 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Calvin Bickerstaff got a six-out save.
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The RidgeYaks wasted a strong start from Williams Montero as they got doubled up by Kannapolis. It was a good bounce back for Montero after he failed to get out of the first inning in his Low-A debut. He struck out four and allowed one hit over 3 1/3 shutout frames. Leighton Finley took the loss after he allowed four runs over four innings. Franklin Primera connected on a two-run home run, his second since joining the RidgeYaks, and Skylar King added a solo shot. Kleyver Salazar went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI single.
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Player of the Day: A double and a home run from Enddy Azocar helped Greenville secure a come-from-behind win. The home run was his 18th of the year, and 12th with the Drive. His hitting streak is now extended to 14 games, during which he has hit .394 with six doubles and eight home runs. The 19-year-old is one of the hottest hitters in the system right now, and he just finished a series that saw him post 26 total bases over five games.
Photo Credit: Enddy Azocar by Kelly O'Connor