Last week the Worcester Red Sox spent their second consecutive week in upstate New York when they took on the Rochester Red Wings, the AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals, at Frontier Field, and in Tuesday’s opener the WooSox were down big after six innings but the bats saved them with two late three-run frames in a 9-7 victory.
Chad De La Guerra gave Worcester a quick lead when he scored on a passed ball in the top of the first, but the Red Wings grabbed runs in the second and third to take the lead. In the fourth Jhonny Pereda launched a two-run single for the WooSox to retake the lead, but hopes of a big frame were dashed when Pereda was retired by the not-so-common 9-2-6 play to end the inning. In the sixth starter Kyle Hart and reliever Brandon Brennan struggled to get through the inning as Rochester scored five times to take a 7-3 lead.
Jeremy Rivera began the comeback with a two-run double in the seventh inning, and Franchy Cordero added an RBI single to make it a one run deficit. In the eighth Jett Bandy hit a Texas Leaguer to center to tie the score, Grant William followed with an RBI fielder’s choice when the Red Wings failed to retire Pereda at the plate, and Rivera tacked on another RBI single to make it the 9-7 final. Michael Feliz earned the win, and Kaleb Ort earned his 16th save of the season striking out the side in the ninth.
There was more late-inning heroics from the WooSox on Wednesday as they scored two runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Red Wings 4-3. Down 2-0 entering the seventh Johan Mieses got his team back to even with a two-run blast over the left-field wall. The first pitch from WooSox reliever Durbin Feltman in the eighth frame untied the score as it ended up just clearing the wall in left, but in the ninth Jhonny Pereda ripped a two-run single just inside the third-base bag to score two and give Worcester the 4-3 lead. Feltman retired the side in the ninth to earn the win.
A slow start from Alex Claudio on Thursday didn’t get things off on the right foot for Worcester but after a bumpy opening inning the WooSox arms held the Red Wings in check the rest of the way and the bats took care of the rest in a 10-2 victory. In the fourth Grant Williams gave his team the 3-2 lead with a bases-loaded triple, and Franchy Cordero hit a solo shot in the seventh to make it 4-2. The bats broke the game open in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs when Cordero walked to drive in a run, Josh Ockimey followed with a two-run single, and Johan Mieses knocked in another with an RBI single of his own. Already up 8-2 the WooSox got into double digits in the ninth on a Cordero two-run single. Seth Blair got the win in relief.
Friday was the opposite scenario with the WooSox bats giving the team the early lead, and the arms were good enough to put the game in the win column with a 4-2 decision. A Johan Mieses sacrifice fly in the second inning opened the scoring, and he did it again in the third to make it 2-0. Franchy Cordero followed the second sac-fly with a two-run single to make it 4-0. The rest was up to the pictures, and starter Raynel Espinal was up to the task, striking out six in three innings. As this recap is being written the win is listed as going to Brandon Brennan. Going by the box score it should belong to Austin Brice. Regardless of who the win belongs to, the save went to Kaleb Ort.
The Worcester pitchers were the story on Saturday as Connor Seabold, Colten Brewer, and Eduard Bazardo combined on a four-hit shutout as the WooSox cruised to a 3-0 win. The WooSox scored a run in the top of the first when Chad De La Guerra scored on a double-play ball. In the third Franchy Cordero earned a painful RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Joey Meneses got the WooSox a little more breathing room in the ninth when he walked with the bases loaded.
For the second week in a row Worcester went into Sunday looking for a series sweep, but unlike two weeks ago in Buffalo the WooSox got the job done in Rochester as they defeated the Red Wings 2-1. Josh Ockimey got Worcester on the board in the top of the first with a bases-loaded RBI single to left in the top of the first. Starter Kyle Hart lost that lead in the bottom of the first when he gave up a solo home run, but that was the only mistake Hart would make over his six-inning stint, allowing just one more base hit while striking out five.
The two squads would stay knotted at 1-1 until the fifth when Johan Mieses laced a single to left to score Connor Wong. Relievers Durbin Feltman and Kaleb Ort both kept Rochester off the board, with Ort earning his 18th save of the campaign.
210Sports’ WooSox of the week
Pitcher: Kyle Hart gets the nod this week, striking out 14 batters and allowing just two earned runs in 11 innings pitched over two games.
Batter: Franchy Cordero is this week’s winner, going 10-20 with four doubles and a home run over five games. He also drove in nine runs and scored seven times.
Last week’s transactions
*Monday, August 30: Boston recalled Phillips Valdez and selected Raynel Espinal from Worcester.
*Tuesday, August 31: Boston returned Raynel Espinal to Worcester and traded Delino DeShields to Cincinnati for cash considerations. Worcester placed Jeter Downs on the IL, sent Michael Gettys to the FCL, and added Grant Williams from Portland.
*Wednesday, September 1: Boston selected Jack Lopez and John Schreiber from Worcester. Worcester added Ricardo Cubillan from the FCL.
*Friday, September 3: Boston recalled Connor Wong from Worcester. Worcester activated Colten Brewer from the IL.
*Saturday, September 4: Boston optioned Connor Wong to Worcester and claimed Geoff Hartlieb from the NY Mets and optioned him to Worcester. Worcester added Matt Kent from Portland.
*Sunday, September 5: Boston selected Kutter Crawford and recalled Franchy Cordero from Worcester. Worcester activated Jeter Downs from the IL and added Geoff Hartieb to the active roster
This week’s schedule
vs Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia)
Monday: off
Tuesday: 6:30pm
Wednesday: 6:30pm
Thursday: 6:30pm
Friday: 6:30pm
Saturday: 4pm
Sunday: 1pm
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