By DJ Harding
The Worcester Red Sox took on the Rochester Red Wings in the final game of a six game series. Worcester is leading in this series 3-2 after winning both games in the doubleheader on saturday. Today the Woo Sox dawned a different name going by the Worcester Ruby Legs.
The Ruby Leg name is part of the Minor League Baseball Promotional Series “What If?”. In 2019 during the baseball offseason Dr.Steinberg the president of the Woo Sox had a series of fan plan sessions to help come up with the team name with their impending move from Pawtucket to Worcester.
Woo Sox became the clear cut winner but Worcester Ruby Legs became a popular suggestion. The name pays homage to the Worcester Worcesters and the Boston Braves of the late 1800s who wore high red socks. Once the Braves disbanded the Red Soxs would dawn the high red socks (hence the name). Legend has it the Worcesters were also referred to as “the ruby-legged opposition”.
So that is why the WooSox players will wear a jersey and hat combo that is typical of what the Worcestre Ruby Legs were nearly 150 years ago.
The pitching matchup for today saw Brandon Walter face off against Joan Adon. Both pitchers would give up one run in the first and both of those runs came off of Homeruns.
For the Ruby Legs Walter pitched 6 innings allowing 6 hits, 2 runs and striking out 7 batters.
Manager Chad Tracy postgame spoke on Walters performance “He did great, I mean the first few innings were a bit shaky but by the third inning he locked in and shut them down for a couple of innings.”
Adon also saw 6 innings of action giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, while striking out 5 batters.
Rochester struck first and on the first pitch of the game as Derek Hill would hit a homerun for an early 1-0 lead. This is the second game this series Derek Hill hit a lead off homerun on the very first pitch.
Walter then gave up a double to Jake Alu and walked Victor Robles. Lucky for Walter, a groudnout an then two strikeouts got him out of the inning with only one run on the board.
In the bottom of the first after a Nick Sogard flyout to lead off the inning, Emmanuel Valdez hit his third homer of the season and second of the weekend sending the ball 424 feet.
Manager Tracy commented of Valdez’s performance this weekend “Valdez has been amazing in the three games with the doubleheader Saturday and today. He’s faster and playing better, I think after starting off hot here the big leagues was an eye opening experience for him. He knows what he has to do to get better and that’s what we’ve seen from him.”
Bobby Dalbec and Larry Fitzgerald then got back to back out to end the first inning. Dalbec struckout and Fitzgerald grounded out, leaving the game at a 1-1 tie.
In the top of the second the Red Wings couldn’t score leaving the game at a 1-1 tie. After a ground out Rochester got runners on second and third Walter once again snuck out of a jam getting a groundout and a strikeout to end the inning.
Worcester broke the tie in the bottom of the second inning. Ronandlo Hernandez, who hit the walk off sacrifice fly to win game two of the Saturday doubleheader, doubled in his first at-bat to lead off the bottom of the second. Bradley Zimmer struckout after Hernandez but Narciso Crook hit a single and scored Hernandes giving Worcester a 2-1 lead.
Stephen Scott and Christian Koss both got out leaving Crook on the bases, leaving the score at 2-1.
Rochester went down 1, 2, 3 in the top of the third inning as Worcester held their 2-1 lead. The bottom of the third saw the Ruby Legs extend their lead. Nick Sogard hit a leadoff double before advancing to third on a passed ball. Valdez who was batting during the pass ball then hit a single to score Sogard giving the Ruby Legs a 3-1 lead. Bobby Dalbec struckout to give Worcester their first out. Valdez then got caught while stealing second before Fitzgerald hit a pop up for the third out.
The Red Wings down 3-1 in the top of the fourth once again had three straight outs. The Ruby Legs also went scoreless in the fourth which was their first scoreless inning of the game.
Rochester got back on the board in the top of the fifth, when Richie Martin hit a double and later came around to score from a Jake Alu forceout.
The sixth and seventh inning went silent in the runs column as Rochester only had two hits in those two innings Worcester meanwhile didn’t log a hit over the two innings.
The Red Wings once again were held to zero in the top of the eighth inning going down one two three. The Ruby Legs scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth from Nick Sogard and Emmanuel Valdez.
Sogard hit a double and would later score on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Fitzgerald. Valdez hit a single and scored on a Ronaldo Hernandez single.
Worcester put them down one two three and finished out the game with a 5-2 win. Worcester won the last four games of the six game series winning the series and currently on a four game win streak.
Manager Tracy told me ‘These last four games our pitching has gotten better because we could’ve won the first two but down the stretch we lost leads which we’ve changed during these last four games.’
The Worcester Red Sox now head on the road for a six game series against the Norfolk Tides hoping to keep the momentum with them. Game one on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM EST.