Cup of Coffee: Hickey and Jimenez homer twice; Greenville and Salem end their seasons

9/8 Cup of Coffee: The seasons came to an end for Greenville and Salem, while it is looking like next week will be the end of the line for Portland. In Worcester, a walk-off single from Seby Zavala helped the WooSox earn a split. John Holobetz was excellent for Portland, and Frederik Jimenez (pictured) hit two home runs for Salem. 

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A two-run walk-off single from Seby Zavala gave the WooSox the win in game one. Kyle Harrison started but went only one inning and allowed one run while striking out two. While Harrison has been battling an ankle injury, he may have been removed to keep his arm fresh in case he is needed in the majors. David Sandlin's struggles continued as he threw the next two frames and allowed two runs and walked three. The win went to Hobie Harris as he tossed a scoreless seventh and then allowed only the zombie runner to score in the eighth. Aside from Zavala, the star offensively was Nathan Hickey. Hickey launched two home runs and drove in three as he went 2 for 3 with a walk. Mikey Romero went 2 for 4 with an RBI single out of the leadoff spot.

The RailRiders got to Isaac Coffey for four runs over the first two innings and never looked back. Coffey gave up six hits, and he was followed by Bryan Mata who struck out three and allowed a solo home run in his two frames. Only two players for Worcester recorded a hit with Kristian Campbell and Abraham Toro both going 2 for 3 with a strikeout. 

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Portland was also on the wrong end of a 5-0 shutout. It was a pitcher's duel to start, led by John Holobetz who kept Erie off the board for his six innings. In his last 25 2/3 innings he has allowed only five runs. The bullpen struggled from there with Luis Guerrero allowing two runs and Noah Song allowing three. The damage could have been worse for Song, as he was aided by a double play and an outfield assist. The SeaWolves got to him for eight hits in only 2 1/3. Portland managed only five hits with all of them being singles. The bottom three batters in the order (Juan Chacon, Caden Rose, Ahbram Liendo) all went 1 for 3 with a walk. 

The loss leaves Portland's playoff hopes hanging by a thread. They are now 5.5 games back of Somerset for the Eastern League Northeast Division's second-half playoff spot with six games to play. 

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The Drive entered the day needing to sweep the doubleheader and have Hub City lose to Rome to make the playoffs. Their hopes were dashed pretty quickly, as Winston-Salem scored early and often. Hub City also beat Rome, so a win in both games would not have been enough. Michael Sansone gave up the first seven runs, and Danny Kirwin was tagged for five runs while recording four outs. An RBI single from Justin Gonzales and a single from Andruw Musett were Greenville's only two hits. 

In its last game of the season, Greenville saw its bats wake up. Maximus Martin went 2 for 4 with a double and three RBI, while fellow 2025 draftee Mason White went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. Juan Montero laced a two-run single, while Gonzales went 1 for 2 with two walks. Manuel Medina twirled three scoreless frames, and Jay Allmer got the win in his Greenville debut. 

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In their last game as the Red Sox, Salem held on to win. While Salem will remain an affiliate of the Red Sox, the Low-A squad will be doing a re-brand and have a name change this fall. Jose Bello allowed just an unearned run over five innings while walking two and striking out four. Griffin Kilander got the win and limited Fayetteville to one run despite walking four in 3 2/3. Eybersson Polanco earned a one-out save after getting a strikeout with two men on in the ninth. Frederik Jimenez entered the day with one home run in the last three months, but he hit two on Sunday. Starlyn Nunez went 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI single, and Yohander Linarez went 1 for 3 with a triple. 

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Player of the Day: Two home runs from Frederik Jimenez helped Salem's season end on a high-note. The 20-year-old had a tough year in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League, finishing below the Mendoza Line while posting a slugging percentage below his on-base percentage. He was coming off a solid showing in 2024 in the FCL that included being named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of July 22. The switch-hitter finishes the year with seven home runs, with all but one coming as a left-handed hitter.