Worcester: L, 4-3 (BOX SCORE)
The WooSox didn’t get much offense in Syracuse (Mets AAA) and, as a result, got walked off with two outs. But it shouldn’t have even gotten to that point since they were getting outhit 11-3, so there’s some people on the squad we need to tip our caps to. Blake Wehunt didnt’ quite make it five innings but kept all but one run off the board despite allowing seven total baserunners. Allen Castro drove a late run in to make this a tie game in the 9th, and Franklin Arias and Romy Gonzalez hit doubles; Arias’ scored a pair of runs.
Don’t look now, but Arias already has 22 RBIs since his call up to Triple-A a month ago, and his total in 2026 sits at 74. That’s a good season by any account, but keep in mind that Arias batted first for a lot of his time in Double-A so that total might be even higher if he wasn’t hitting so many solo shots to start the game. That he’s consistently been the youngest at his level and hasn’t gone more than three days before finding a groove are very, very good signs going forward (as in, after the lockout, in this writer’s humble opinion.) Still, Arias is slashing .291/.357/.488(!) in a sample size that is growing bigger and bigger against guys who are getting better and better. And maybe, just maybe, it was all part of Breslow’s plan to waltz straight from the Trevor Story (0-4, 2 K’s on Friday) contract into Franklin Arias mowing down big league pitching. (And it was just how he drew it up, even down to Andruw Monasterio playing so well this year, right?)
Portland: L, 5-2 (BOX SCORE)
Yes, it was Roman Anthony rehab night against the Fightin Phils (Phillies AA.) Yes, he drove in a run, his third in as many games. Devin Futrell also had a good night on the mound and shoved through six innings even after allowing a first-run home run, displaying a line that could have been plenty enough to take a decision win with a bit more pop at the plate: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
But the real story of the night – aside from Anthony getting closer to beign back with the big league club just in time to be one of the team’s “September call-ups” – has got to be how good Justin Gonzales has looked in general this year, but especially since his promotion to Double-A. He hit a triple and his OPS stands at over 1. These are numbers that folks made a big deal out of when Arias started the season hot this year, and there’s reason to believe that it’s time to pay attention to the outfielder, who won’t turn 20 until New Years Eve.
Greenville: PPD in 3rd, Make-Up Today
I will not jinx the Drive into saying they might be able to sleepwalk into a win Saturday following a rain delay in which they had a lead. The last time I did that, they sweated out a 7-run performance in the remaining innings and gutted a win out by the skin of their teeth. What I will say is that it’s looking good in the third against Winston-Salem (White Sox High-A.) “First” pitch of the double-header is today at 4:30.
I think it may be time to have a look at Franklin Primera at the High-A level until the season ends. The 19-year-old catcher is hitting .344/.484/.536 in 35 games, which is a decisively small sample size, but he’s got it at the plate. He added two more hits off the Warbirds (Brewers A) staff Friday in the DH slot as the other guy on the club catching, Adonys Guzman, also went 2-for-4 with a home run. The RidgeYaks were fighting an uphill battle all night, though, as they found themselves down 7-0 after two. They were able to make the deficit two, but that’s as close as it got.
Read the full article here