August 23, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Sansone goes 6 strong; White, Rodriguez have 3 hits
8/23 Cup of Coffee: It was another tough day on the farm, as there were tough results up and down the minor league ladder, as many games went down to the wire and Salem was the only affiliate able to pull out a victory. In Greenville's completion of a suspended game, the Drive lost by one, while Portland gave up three runs in the ninth and got the tying run aboard, but was unable to complete the comeback, wasting six effective innings by Michael Sansone (pictured). Mason White did his part, knocking three hits, including a double. Worcester was also shut out. All nine batters got in on the action for Salem and seven of them had at least one RBI, including three for Colton Coates.
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Syracuse scored three runs in the bottom of the second and that was able to hold up, as neither team was able to push an additional run across the plate. The WooSox were shutout and unable to take advantage of two Syracuse errors. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout in his rehab appearance, while Trevor Story was 1 for 4. Brett Harris was the only member of the multi-hit club, adding a double. John Holobetz was on the mound and gave four innings, with all three runs on his tab, as he gave up seven hits and walked another Met. He struck out four. John Brebbia was the only reliever to not allow a baserunner, doing so with a clean ninth, but Osvaldo Berrios (two innings) and Tyler Samaniego (one inning) scattered a hit each.
Worcester is now three games back of Durham for the International League lead, but there are four teams between the Red Sox and the Bulls.
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Reading and the Maine Bean Suppahs went into the ninth tied at 2-2 and the visitors got a trio of runs in to take the lead. The home side was poised to come back, loading the bases with one out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat and the game with it. Michael Sansone was great on the mound, scattering one run over six innings of work. He surrendered two hits and three walks, striking out six. Joe Vogatsky allowed another run in his two-inning stint, but the three-run eighth went on Reidis Sena's tab. He gave up three hits and two walks, getting just two outs. Mason White had three hits, including a double, while Brooks Brannon added a pair of singles. Defensively, Will Turner made this insane play to help his team.
Portland has fallen to three-and-a-half games back of the Eastern League Northeast-leading Reading Fightin Phils, with Binghamton and Somerset between them.
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Greenville held a 7-1 lead after seven innings in the completion of Friday's suspended game, but the Dash put up a six-spot in the top of the eighth, as the first seven hitters reached base safely, with a grand slam centered around a trio of singles, followed by three consecutive free passes before winning in the 10th. All but the first single were on Brandon Neely's tab, as he replaced Shea Sprague one hitter into the frame. Sprague was the pitcher for the resumption of the contest and pitched four innings. He had control issues of his own, walking four, but limited the damage to two runs. Geraldo Rodriguez led the way offensively, as he was 3 for 5, including a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Maximus Martin, one of three Drive hitters to record two hits, also knocked a two-run blast.
Greenville got a run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings, but surrendered four runs in the top of the eighth and were unable to get any runs across in the bottom of the frame. Stanley Tucker, Isaiah Jackson and Luke Heyman each had two hits, including a solo home run in the first for Jackson. Barrett Morgan had the standout performance as the first man out of the bullpen in a staff day. He pitched 2 2/3 innings, striking out six with just a walk on his ledger. Hudson White was the ill-fated pitcher who handled the eighth, as he allowed four hits, though just three of the four runs were earned.
Greenville is one-and-a-half games back of Winston-Salem for the final playoff spot in the South Atlantic League South Division, as current leader Bowling Green also won the first half.
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The one victory in the system belonged to Salem and it was quite the eventful contest, as 17 of the 18 batters recorded at least one hit, including all nine RidgeYaks, and 11 of them had an RBI. There was also a one-hour, 48-minute rain delay in the minute of the third inning. Salem pounded out 15 hits and six batters had multiple hits. Andruw Mussett had a double and triple with two RBI, while Colton Coates had three RBI and contributed a three-bagger of his own, as their team used a four-run fourth and a six-run fifth to pull away and withstand a six-run frame of Wilson's own. Sadbiel Delzine was knocked from the game after the rain delay, ending a one-hit bid, as he faced one over the minimum and struck out five. Wuilliams Rodriguez also threw three shutout innings, but in much different fashion, as he allowed six hits and walked two more, while striking out a pair.
Salem is tied with Wilson for second place in the Carolina League North Division, four games back of Fayetteville.
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Player of the Day: It was a banner day on the mound for Portland's Michael Sansone, who pitched six strong innings and kept his team in an important game with regard to the playoff race. It was just the second time in 23 appearances, including 13 starts, that Sansone had completed six innings this season and the former start was back in April for Worcester. This outing was a rebound for the Connecticut native, as he had allowed 11 runs over just nine innings in his last two starts.
Photo Credit: Michael Sansone by Kelly O'Connor