By Stephen Ur
The Worcester Red Sox hosted the Columbus Clippers in the sixth and final game of the six-game series between the two teams at Polar Park in Worcester, MA on Sunday afternoon. The Red Sox won their first game of the series in walk-off fashion on Friday night, 6-5. The win also snapped their six-game win streak.
The Boston Red Sox also announced that right-handed pitcher Jake Faria has been called up from Triple-A Worcester.
Bo Nalor hit a home run over the Worcester Wall with two outs in the top of the first on a 3-2 pitch to score the game’s first run. It was also his second long ball of the series. Two more runs scored when Daniel Schneemann ripped a double to center field, allowing Roman Quinn and David Fry to cross home plate.
Worcester got on the board in the bottom of the second when Nick Sogard hit a single into center field, allowing Greg Allen to score.
Starting pitcher Norwith Gudino pitched just two innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs while striking out two. Taylor Broadway would take the mound for the WooSox.
Fry would score for the second time of the game in the top of the fifth, Palacois right behind him as Rocchio hit a liner down the right-field line, making the score 5-1 with one out in the fifth. That would be the end of the day for Gudino, as well. He finished with two innings pitched, three hits and three earned runs. Oddaner Mosqueda took the mound for Worcester.
Rocchio would score not long after in the inning on an RBI single from Zack Collins, still with just one out. Naylor would score from third in the next at-bat on a wild pitch to Pries. The score now read 7-1 Clippers. After striking out Pries, Jhonkensy Noel hit a two-run homer to make it a 9-1 game, a six-run fifth inning.
Logan Allen was pulled for Columbus after giving up a single to right field to David Hamilton. Allen struck out nine batters in his 4.2 IP, allowing one run on six hits. Mosqueda was then pulled for the Red Sox after giving up three earned runs in 1.2 IP.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the eighth and Naylor, who hit a grand slam earlier in the series, at bat, it looked as if Columbus could add to their lead. Naylor would ground out to end the inning, and the WooSox got out of the jam.
Collins scored from second with no outs in the ninth on a double from Noel. The Clippers had then recorded 10 or more runs in all but one game in this series. They only scored five in the loss on Friday night.
The Clippers closed out Worcester in the bottom of the ninth and won their fifth game in the series, 10-1. The WooSox travel to Lehigh Valley for their next series against the IronPigs, which begins Tuesday.
NewsTalk New England 