By DJ Harding –
The Worcester Red Sox returned home to take on the Rochester Red Wings in a 6 game series. Last night was the first game of the six game series.
This was the Woo Sox first home game in 16 days. The Woo Sox were on their longest road trip of the season playing Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and the Louisville Bats. Worcester went 4-8 in the 12 games on the road (they lost 4 of the 6 games in each stop.)
Worcester going into last night sat at 27-30 which is tied for fifth in the International League East Standings. Rochester meanwhile sat right behind them at 26-29 which is seventh in the IL East.
Derek Hill would be the lead off hitter for the Red Wings and start the game on fire with a first pitch home run. This is Hill’s sixth homerun of the season and the third most on the active roster.
The Pitcher for the Woo Sox Brandon Walter going into tonight is 0-5 and would pitch 4 and ⅔ innings in this matchup.
The Red Wings Pitcher Joan Adon is 2-3 going into tonight and would pitch 5 innings in tonights matchup.
The Red Wings wouldn’t score any more runs in the first inning besides the Hill home run but would score one run in four of the next five innings.
Rochester would gain a 4-0 lead by the end of the top of the fifth inning. In the Third Inning Derek Hill would continue his hot start and hit a triple which he would score on.
The Red Wings third run came in the fourth inning when Framil Reyes scored on a sacrifice fly after hitting a single to lead off the innings. Score number four would be scored by Derek Hill single.
After going down 0-4 the Worcester Red Sox would wake up scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth. After a Ryan Fitzgerald single the Woo Sox would get three walks that would score Fitzgerald and load the bases. A wild pitch would be thrown soon after to score the second run.
The top of the sixth was scoreless for Rochester but Worcester would use the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead. Bobby Dalbec would walk after Yu Chang would fly out which was followed by a Niko Goodrum homerun.
This was Goodrum’s sixth homerun of the season which would tie him for fourth best on the active roster.
After Goodrum would tie the game at four runs a piece, Ryan Fitzgerald would hit a double which was number 16 on the season. Fitzgerald leads the active roster in doubles this season. Bradley Zimmer would hit a triple which would score Fitzgerald. For Zimmer this was his first triple of the season.
The Red Wings would answer in the top of the seventh hitting back to back singles. Matt Adams would hit a home run which would score him, Jake Alu, and Carter Kieboom (Alu and Kieboom hitting those singles.)
The Woo Sox would go scoreless in the bottom of the seventh but Narciso Crook would hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to bring the score to 7-6 with Rochester leading.
Jake Alu would walk to start the top of the ninth inning. Alu would steal second base and later score off of a Carter Kieboom double.
Following a Red Wings groundout Framil Reyes would hit a single. Soon after he and Kieboom would both score in the top of the ninth Kieboom on a Matt Adams groundout, while Reyes would score from a Cody Wilson double.
For Wilson that was his fourth double of the season. Wilson would come around to score off of a Richie Martin single. That would give the Red Wings 11 runs and a 11-6 lead going into the bottom of the ninth innings.
The Woo Sox wouldn’t answer in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Red Wings would secure an 11-6 win.
In their rehab assignments Adam Duvall and Yu Chang would only get one hit in four at bats while Chang would go 0-4 from the plate. For Chang this was his first day of Rehab while Duvall started last week in Louisville.
Duvall postgame said “The wrist feels fine and this game was about getting in reps and getting used to playing again.” Duvall is aiming for a return to Boston this weekend.
Woo Sox Manager Chad Tracy would have a similar statement about the rehabs saying “they had fine outings and they are progressing which is the goal.”
The Red Wings improve to 27-29 while the Woo Sox fall to 27-31.
Duvall also said post game “The real test is tomorrow with the quick turnaround and having my wrist and legs in center field feel fine.”
A quick turnaround it is indeed as game two of this six game series will start 12:45 PM EST