By DJ Harding
The Worcester Red Sox took on the Rochester Red Wings Saturday in what was their seventh doubleheader this season.
The Woo Sox only played seven doubleheaders in each of their last two seasons. Both seasons the Woo Soxs would go 1-2-4 in those doubleheaders.
This year Worcester was 2-2-2 going into today’s doubleheader.
Rochester is winning the current series 2-1 after winning the first two games. Worcester got their first win Thursday night in a 5-4 come from behind win.Thursday’s victory was Worcester’s 17th of the season.
Game 1 saw Shane Drohan take the mound for the Woo Sox. Drohan going into the start had a record of 1-1 after making his Triple A Debut in May.
Today Drohan threw for 5 ⅔ innings allowing 3 hits and 2 runs.
His opponent on the mound Palio Espino was on the mound for 6 innings allowing 9 hits and 5 runs.
Worcester struck first with Niko Goodrum scoring on a sacrifice fly from Ronaldo Hernandez. Goodrum got on base, hitting a single.
After Goodrum scored in the bottom of the first, the second and third innings saw no scores. Rochester got their first runs of the day in the top of the fourth.
Franmil Reyes hit a single to prevent a one, two, three inning. Travis Blakenhorn went up next and hit a two run homer to give Rochester a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth Emmanuel Valdez answered right back with a homerun of his own to tie the game at two runs a piece.
This was Valdez’s first game back in Worcester after playing 33 games with Boston.
The Woo Sox took the lead after the Valdez homer, loading the bases for Christian Koss; he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Ronaldo Hernandez giving Worcester a 3-2 lead.
The scoreboard would go unchanged in the fifth inning and the top of the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth inning Ryan Fitzgerald and Narciso Crook would each hit a single to lead off the inning.
Bradley Zimmer would single with both Fitzgerald and Crook on as Fitzgerald scored on the Zimmer single. Crook scored right after on the Christian Koss sacrifice bunt.
Kaleb Ort who pitched the other 1 ⅓ besides Drohan would finish the top of the seventh and earn the save.
Drohan would pick up his second win of the season and the Woo Sox took game 1 of the doubleheader.
Game 2 had the pitching matchup of Norwith Gudino versus Jose Urena.
Gudino pitched 5 innings for Worcester allowing 2 hits and 1 run.
Urena saw 6 innings of action for Rochester giving up 4 hits and 2 runs.
Urena gave up his two runs in the bottom of the second that were scored by Nick Sogard on a single.
Bradley Zimmer and Christian Koss, the two runners that scored got on base two different ways. Zimmer got on with a single while Koss reached base with a fielder’s choice.
Worcester would have a 2-0 lead after the bottom of the second and keep that lead until the top of the fifth when Richie Martin scored on a balk.
The top of the sixth saw the Red Wings tie the game when Jake Alu scored on a Nomar Mazara single.
Game 2 would see extra inning action after the seventh inning was scoreless.
The Red Wings went down 1, 2, 3 in the top of the eighth. For Worcester after Sogard hit a sacrifice bunt to move the Runner placed on second to third, Goodrum and Valdez were intentionally walked.
Ronaldo Hernandez batted next and hit a sacrifice fly that won Worcester Game 2 in extra innings.
The Woo Sox won both games of the doubleheader taking a series lead 3-2 and now holding a record of 3-2-2 in their seven doubleheaders this season.
Worcester looks to win the series tomorrow when they play Rochester for their final game of the series.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM EST