Last week the Worcester Red Sox headed to NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, New York for their series against the Mets playing for mostly pride having virtually no chance of catching Buffalo at the top of the Triple-A East standings, and they began things on the right foot using two late home runs Tuesday night to win 5-4.
The WooSox got off to a great start when Chad De La Guerra doubled and Connor Wong singled him home just seven pitches into the contest. Worcester starter Raynel Espinal couldn’t hold that lead, surrendering two runs in the third and one in the fourth. A fifth-inning solo home run from Jeter Downs and a sixth-frame homer by Johan Mieses got Espinal off the hook for a short while, but Espinal allowed a home run in the seventh to leave the game trailing 4-3.
Worcester’s comeback began in the eighth inning when Wong homered to left, and in the top of the ninth Wong launched another one to give his team the eventual 5-4 victory. Eduard Bazardo pitched the final two frames, striking out four to earn his first career AAA win.
Wednesday’s contest was canceled due to rain. Thursday’s game once again required a late-inning comeback, but unfortunately the Mets we able to take advantage of their final at-bat to defeat the WooSox 4-3. The only two runs starter Kutter Crawford allowed in his 6.1 inning stint came in the bottom of the first, putting the WooSox in a hole early. Worcester got one of those runs back in the top of the third when Chad De La Guerra stole home on the front end of a double steal, but in the seventh Syracuse made it a two-run lead again.
Things were looking good in the ninth when Josh Ockimey scored Franchy Cordero with a sacrifice fly and Taylor Motter scored on a wild pitch to tie it, but Mets played some solid baseball in the ninth, turning a single and a stolen base into the winning run.
When neither your pitching nor hitting is very good you generally don’t have much chance to win the game, and that was the case Friday night as the WooSox ended up on the wrong end of a 7-1 final. None of the four Worcester pitchers were particularly effective, with each allowing at least one run in the contest. Not that it mattered much as the bats could manage only three hits, two coming from Jeter Downs. His homer in the fifth was the only run for the WooSox.
It was a slightly different story on Saturday as Worcester manager Billy McMillon used five pitchers and none of them surrendered a run as the WooSox blanked the Mets 4-0. Starter Connor Seabold got the win, striking out five in five innings. He’d get all the runs he’d need in the second when Jeter Downs crushed a two-run shot to left. In the ninth, the WooSox added a run when Tate Matheny tripled to right and kept right on going to score when the right fielder couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly. Joey Meneses cost his teammates a save opportunity when he homered to make it 4-0 later in the frame.
The WooSox went into Sunday’s contest looking for a victory to win the series, but the Mets had other ideas as they scored early and often to defeat Worcester 9-4. Daniel Gossett got the start for the WooSox and had his worst outing of the season, giving up three home runs and nine hits in four innings. All seven runs he allowed were earned. Any chance of a miracle comeback was dashed when Eduard Bazardo couldn’t get through the seventh frame, allowing five of the seven batters he faced to reach.
Trailing 4-0 entering the fourth Franchy Cordero got the WooSox on the board with an RBI double, and then Joey Meneses followed with an RBI single. Josh Ockimey’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning made it 7-3, and a Jhonny Pereda bases-loaded walk in the eighth accounted for the team’s fourth run.
210Sports’ WooSox of the week
Pitcher: Connor Seabold is this week’s winner, earning a win while not allowing a run and striking out five in five innings.
Batter: Connor Wong gets the nod this week, going 5-12 with two homers and three RBI in three games. He scored three times and stole a base.
Last week’s transactions
*Monday, September 13: Boston returned Stephen Gonsalves and Brad Peacock to Worcester, and activated Eduard Bazardo from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Worcester. Worcester released Brandon Brennan.
*Tuesday, September 14: Boston returned Kaleb Ort to Worcester. Worcester added Grant Williams from Portland and sent Matt Kent to Portland.
*Thursday, September 16: Boston placed Christian Arroyo on a rehab assignment in Worcester.
*Friday, September 17: Boston optioned Ryan Braiser to Worcester and placed Jarren Duran on a rehab assignment in Worcester. Worcester sent Grant Williams to Portland.
*Saturday, September 18: Boston placed Jonathan Arauz on a rehab assignment in Worcester.
This week’s schedule
vs Rochester (Washington)
Monday: off
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: 6:30pm
Thursday: 6:30pm
Friday: 6:30pm
Saturday: noon
Sunday: 4pm
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