Woosox Get Buzzed By Clippers And Lose 9-7

By Darryl Harding Sr –

The Worcester Redsox wrap up their homestand with game 6 against the Columbus Clippers. Cleveland Guardians AAA affiliate are last in the standings with a 31-42 record. 

Taking the mound for the Sox is RHP Justin Hagenman with a 1-3 record and 41 strikeouts. Starting for the Clippers is LHP William Dion who remained in the game despite getting hit by a blazing shot in the shoulder. 

After skillfully picking off 2B Jamie Westbrook in the second, Dion gave up a double to C Nathan Hickey and a sacrifice grounder to RF Matthew Lugo. DH Niko Kavadas, batting .277, blasted a line drive single, scoring Hickey and giving the Woosox a 2-0 lead. 

Hagenman completed 4 innings throwing 55 pitches, 35 for strikes with three strikeouts, allowing only a solo homer to Columbus 1B Jhonkensy Noel in the top of the 4th. Replacing Hagenman to spin two scoreless innings, RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa kept the Woosox ahead. 

Adding to their lead, Worcester scored in each of the next four innings. One run in the 5th behind a Westbrook RBI groundout. Another in the 6th with a RF Matthew Lugo homer to center field. 

Westbrook smashed a two run homer in the 7th and Woosox chalked up another run in the 8th due to a SS Chase Meidroth RBI single. Perfectly working Woosox bats produced against Clipper pitchers Nick Mikolajchak, Eric Sabrowski, Tanner Burns and Anthony Gose all working consecutive innings. 

Clipper starter Dion finished 4 innings striking out three, throwing 79 pitches, 50 for strikes. Worcester pitching has been lights out until the 7th inning when RHP Jorge Benitez faced nine Columbus batters relinquishing three runs. 

An additional Columbus RBI single by SS Jose Tena in the 8th left the Woosox a 7-5 advantage going into the 9th. Sal Romano entered to attempt the save but unfortunately faced problems with a four run Clippers comeback rally that left Romano and the Woosox with a 9-7 loss. 

“Two extended innings that killed us,” commented Woosox manager Chad Tracy, “those big crooked number innings will kill you when you have a lead.” 

Woosox will have Monday off but then roll into a marathon of games in the next two weeks with twelve in a row against Scranton and Syracuse.