Cup of Coffee: Sandlin leads Portland to combined no-hitter; Hicks debuts
6/23 Cup of Coffee: David Sandlin (pictured), Christopher Troye, and Jonathan Brand combined to throw Portland's first no-hitter since 2023. That was not the only exciting performance of the day, as Jhostynxon Garcia and Payton Tolle shined as well. Jordan Hicks had a rocky rehab appearance, Corey Rosier belted a grand slam, and Enddy Azocar hit his second home run for Salem.
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A grand slam from Corey Rosier and two home runs from Jhostynxon Garcia fueled Worcester in a slugfest. Making his system debut, Jordan Hicks lasted 2/3 of an inning, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. It was his first appearance since June 1 after dealing with a right toe injury. A group of six relievers followed Hicks, headlined by Alex Hoppe who shut the door for his third save.
Garcia was one of four players to have two hits, as he finished 2 for 4 with a walk and five RBI. The best at-bat of the day was by Nick Sogard who drew a 19-pitch walk in the third inning. That was followed by a triple from Kristian Campbell and a home run by Garcia. Sogard finished 2 for 4 with a walk, while Campbell went 2 for 4 with a double, triple, and a walk. Nathan Hickey was the fourth player to go 2 for 4 with a walk while notching his first triple. The WooSox ended the first half winning 14 of 19, and the second half of the split season will begin on Tuesday.
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The Sea Dogs dominated in every fashion as they no-hit the RubberDucks while putting 19 runners on base. David Sandlin bounced back in a big way from a rough start last time out, striking out nine and walking three over six innings. Christopher Troye worked around two walks in his two frames, and Jonathan Brand struck out two in the ninth, though he did walk one and hit a batter. Luis Ravelo laced an RBI single in the first inning and added a two-run home run in the third. Drew Ehrhard was on base four times as he went 2 for 3 with a double and two walks. He scored three times and drove in two. Max Ferguson filled up the box score too, going 3 for 3 with two walks, two RBI, two runs scored, and his 17th stolen base.
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A dominant start from Payton Tolle was not enough as the Grasshoppers prevailed in extra innings. Tolle tallied a staggering 21 whiffs in his six frames, striking out nine while allowing one run on five hits. He moved into second place in the South Atlantic League in strikeouts, moving one spot ahead of old friend Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Michael Sansone allowed the tying run to score in the seventh, but was otherwise stellar over three innings. The loss went to Darvin Garcia who gave up four runs (two earned) in the 10th. The usual suspects led the way on offense, with Franklin Arias setting the table by going 2 for 5. Miguel Bleis went 1 for 3 with a double and two walks, and Brooks Brannon went 2 for 3 with a walk.
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The Nationals pulled away late thanks to a three-run home run in the eighth. Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar accounted for nine of Salem's 12 total bases, with Gonzales going 2 for 4 with a double and a triple, while Azocar went 1 for 3 with a solo home run. Starter Steven Brooks struggled through four innings, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks. Griffin Kilander allowed just an unearned run over 3 2/3 near-perfect innings. He retired the first nine batters he faced before an error put a runner on base. The run would later come around to score after he left the game. In all, he struck out seven and needed only 46 pitches.
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Player of the Day: Payton Tolle's 21 whiffs and Jhostynxon Garcia's two home runs would be enough to win on most days, but David Sandlin gets the nod, with a hat tip to Christopher Troye and Jonathan Brand. Sandlin struck out nine to lead Portland's combined no-hitter as he lowered his ERA to 3.90. The 24-year-old has been inconsistent over the course of his career, but performances like the one on Sunday show his upside.
Photo Credit: David Sandlin by Kelly O'Connor