September 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Capra, Arias power WooSox sweep; Salazar powers RidgeYaks
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On Thursday night, Buffalo had just staged a comeback to send the contest to extra innings when the skies fully opened. Shortly after the restart on Friday, Vinny Capra blasted a three-run bomb in the 10th to give Worcester the win. It was the third hit of the game for Capra, who was also hit by a pitch and stole a base. Romy Gonzalez was 4 for 5 with an RBI, while Mikey Romero doubled and drove in a run as part of a 3-for-5 effort. Franklin Arias finished with a pair of hits. Blake Wehunt had gone six innings, allowing one run on seven hits, earning a no decision. The Capra homer made a winner of Hobie Harris, who had surrendered the tying run in the ninth on Thursday. Seth Martinez allowed the automatic runner to score on a base hit in the 10th but struck out a pair to secure the save.
Because the suspended game was already to the 10th inning when it resumed, the regularly scheduled contest was to go the full nine innings. Buffalo likely would've preferred to see the night end earlier, as its pitching staff was battered for 19 hits while John Holobetz spun a gem on the mound. Holobetz, staked to a lead before throwing a pitch, cruised through six shutout innings, scattering three hits, all singles. He struck out four and walked three. Tyler Samaniego, Patrick Halligan, and Osvaldo Berrios threw a scoreless inning apiece to complete the shutout.
Arias had a monster day at the plate, going 4 for 6 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI. It was the third consecutive multi-hit effort for Arias, who reached 50 extra-base hits on the year. Nathan Hickey blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning as part of his 3-for-4 evening that also included a walk. Braiden Ward also went deep in the fourth with a two-run shot. Capra added another two hits after his heroics in the opener, and Tsung-Che Cheng was 3 for 5 with two runs scored.
The sweep now has Worcester just two games out of the playoffs, as a Rochester and Syracuse split of their doubleheader allowed the WooSox to leapfrog the Mets and pick up a half game on the Red Wings. Seven teams are within 2 1/2 games in a jumbled playoff picture.
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Portland squandered several chances on Friday, going just 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Henry Godbout was the bright spot in the Sea Dogs lineup, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Ahbram Liendo scored the lone Portland run as part of his 1-for-3 evening. Starter Morgan McSweeney suffered the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in four innings, striking out four and walking one. Jeremy Wu-Yelland gave up one unearned run in two innings of relief, matching McSweeney's four punchouts and one walk. Joe Vogatsky closed things out with two shutout frames.
Despite a loss by first-place Reading, Portland's playoff hopes are dimming. The Sea Dogs remain in fourth place in the Eastern League's Northeast Division, 5 1/2 games back with eight to play.
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Greenville entered Friday's contest needing a sweep of its final three games as well as three straight losses by Winston-Salem to make it to the South Atlantic League playoffs. Neither came to be, with a walk-off loss officially eliminating the Drive from postseason contention. Leadoff man and first-round pick Jake Schaffner did his part, going 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored. Schaffner extended his hitting streak to seven games. Fellow North Carolina product Owen Hull extended his career-opening on-base streak to 23 games with a third-inning single. Yordanny Monegro went two innings in his second appearance since returning from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander allowed two runs on two hits, striking out four and walking one. Shea Sprague was excellent in a bulk role, firing five shutout frames, scattering five hits, and striking out seven without walking a batter. Aaron Nixon went two scoreless innings during regulation, but the Hot Rods reached in in the 10th for a walk-off single that plated the automatic runner.
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Kleyver Salazar led the way as Salem made its way into the final weekend of the season. Salazar kicked off the rout with an RBI single and then came in to score on a three-run homer by Josue Brito in Salem's five-run third inning. Salazar finished 4 for 4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Adonys Guzman also went deep for the RidgeYaks, his 11th of the season and eighth since joining Salem. Undrafted free agent Cam Padgett made his sixth appearance and first start for Salem, scattering four hits across 3 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five against one walk. Carson Revay went the next 1 2/3, allowing a run on two hits. Nicolas De La Cruz got credit for the victory, his seventh of the year, allowing one run in 2 1/3 hitless innings. He struck out four and walked one.
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Player of the Day: Salem scored five in the third, three in the fifth, and three more in the sixth in its blowout win, and Kleyver Salazar scored a run in each of those rallies. Salazar has put up an outstanding year in his second tour with Salem while flying somewhat under the radar. Friday's four-hit effort brings his season production up to .288/.400/.471. He's been particularly good since mid-June, posting a .347/.461/.563 slash with 33 walks against 34 strikeouts in 47 games. The younger brother of former Red Sox prospect and current Cardinals farmhand Johnfrank Salazar, Kleyver made his way into the top 50 of the newly released SoxProspects.com rankings.
Photo Credit: Kleyver Salazar by Kelly O'Connor