Cup of Coffee: Romero provides fireworks to support Houck and Tolle gem

7/5 Cup of Coffee: Hadlock Field was the site of some exciting fireworks both during and after the Portland victory. The mid-week switch to maximize the number of teams able to host July 4th fireworks had Worcester, Portland, and Greenville on the move. Tanner Houck returned on a rehab assignment to where he spent most of the 2019 season, pairing with Payton Tolle to dominate on the mound. They also got plenty of offensive support, notably off the bat of Mikey Romero (pictured). Worcester and Greenville fell following their bus trips, while Salem had no such travels to blame for its comeback loss. Boston's two DSL teams went head-to-head, while the FCL doubleheader was a weather casualty. 

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Hits were hard to come by in the Salt City, as the teams matched zeroes into the sixth inning. Kristian Campbell had two of Worcester's four hits on the night. Nathan Hickey and Karson Simas also had a base hit apiece. Jose de Leon returned from the injured list with three scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit while striking out five without issuing a walk. After Cooper Adams pitched a scoreless fourth, Bryan Mata cruised through the fifth before allowing a decisive four-run sixth, taking the loss. Jovani Moran and Alex Hoppe also went a shutout frame apiece. 

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The Sea Dogs brought a pair of ringers to their July 4th picnic, as rehabbing veterans Tanner Houck and Masataka Yoshida both played key roles. Houck was sharp across five scoreless innings, scattering three singles and striking out four. He did not walk a batter and threw 46 of his 74 pitches for strikes. Payton Tolle was excellent in relief, coming within one batter of completing a combined shutout before surrendering a solo homer that got the Fisher Cats on the board. Tolle went four innings, the first 3 2/3 being hitless, striking out eight. The effort earned him his first professional save, and he now has 96 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings across two levels. 

Mikey Romero led the celebration at the plate with an eighth-inning two-run homer that highlighted a 2-for-4 night. He scored two runs, drove in four, and also started at shortstop for the first time since May 16. Allan Castro was on base three times, going 2 for 3 with a walk, run scored, and two RBI. Max Ferguson doubled as part of a two-hit effort, while Ronald Rosario had a pair of knocks. Yoshida was 1 for 4 with a run scored as his rehab transferred from Worcester. 

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Greenville got off to an early 3-0 advantage, but it was nearly all Asheville after that. Noah Dean was chased from his start by a six-run explosion in the third inning. Overall, Dean surrendered seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3. Freili Encarnacion was 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored at the plate. Nelly Taylor had a single and a base hit, while Franklin Arias had a base hit. Albert Feliz continues to be a de facto two-way player: he blasted a solo home run in the seventh, then shifted over to the mound in the eighth inning, allowing one run in 2/3 of an inning. It was the fifth time this season that the Drive have turned to Feliz's arm. 

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Salem led throughout until a Hillcat rally in the bottom of the eighth inning handed the Sox a come-from-behind defeat. Karim Ayubi was 3 for 4 at the plate, picking up a double. Yohander Linarez doubled, walked, and drove in a pair, and Starlyn Nunez raced to his third triple of the season. On the mound, Ben Hansen went the first 4 1/3 innings, giving up one run on three hits, striking out two, and walking one. Austin Ehrlicher did not allow a hit in his first three innings of relief, but a leadoff double in the eighth was the catalyst for a three-run rally, handing the right-hander the loss.

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A wet day in Fort Myers means the Sox and Twins will try again on Saturday as part of a doubleheader. Plans to make up the June 27th rainout were shifted to another twin bill on July 11th.

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The Red squad clinched the season series, moving to 3-0 on the year against their intra-organizational rival. A quintet of Red hurlers surrendered just three hits, allowing them to pitch around 15 walks. Starter Christopher Cordero went four hitless frames, striking out five against four walks. Winning pitcher Eddison Septimo did not allow a hit in two innings of relief, walking and striking out three apiece. Jhorman Bravo was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Franklin Primera and Adrian Valdez also had two hits apiece for Team Red. 

An 0-for-12 effort with runners in scoring position doomed Team Blue. Josue Brito blasted his sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the ninth, to go with a pair of walks. Harold Rivas walked thrice and stole a base out of the leadoff spot, but he was held hitless, extending a 2-for-27 skid. Juanyerlin Duran took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Wascar Berroa was sharp out of the bullpen, going 2 1/3 hitless, striking out three while walking one.

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Player of the Day: It has been an up-and-down season for Mikey Romero, but he has been on a tear for two weeks since coming off of the injured list. The 2022 first-round pick has hit safely in each of his 10 starts since his activation, with a .383/.396/.574 line during that stretch (he did go 0 for 1 off the bench during that stretch, putting his hitting streak officially at seven games). An eighth-inning homer brought his slugging percentage on the season up over .500. Perhaps even more notable than the offensive exploits was Romero's return to shortstop. After spending significant time at short and third base during the first two months, he had been limited to second base since his return. Romero is currently ranked 10th in the system.