By Darryl Harding Sr –
Worcester Redsox baseball is in full swing on a picturesque Saturday afternoon to begin Memorial Day Weekend. Woosox faces the Orioles AAA affiliate, Norfolk Tides in their 5th game of this homestand. After trouncing the Tides in the first matchup, Sox have drop the last three and look to turn it around with RHP Jason Alexander.
Alexander takes the stage with an ERA of 4.83 and 38 strikeouts. Taking the hill for the Tides is LHP Cade Povich starting with a 2.08 ERA and 65 strikeouts. Despite the superior ERA Povich found himself in immediate trouble relinquishing a two run homer to Nick Sogard, scoring himself and Chase Meidroth in the first.
Another round house was given up to Niko Kavadas 2nd inning. Blasting his 10 homer of the year, Kavadas increased the Worcester lead to 3-0. Alexander went scoreless until the 4th inning when he allowed two runs, one on a two out single to Billy Cook, scoring Jackson Holliday and a Daniel Johnson double bringing Cook across the plate.
Now 3-2 Alexander faced more adversity in the 5th with a Tides rally that orchestrated an RBI off of a Hudson Haskins single, tying the game. The woes continued for Alexander in the 6th and Norfolk took the lead 4-3 recording another Johnson single RBI.
After completing the 6th Alexander was relieved by RHP Isaiah Campbell. Alexander registered 4 strikeouts throwing 78 pitches, 55 in the strike zone. The Tides also replaced their starter with LHP Matt Krook. Povich chalked up 6 strikeouts, tossing 95 pitches, 61 for strikes.
The Sox put Brian Van Belle at the rubber for the 8th, who unfortunately let up another Johnson RBI, scoring Heston Kjerstad. With the score 5-3, Woosox rallied against RHP Keleb Ort, who spelled Krook. Singles by Bobby Dalbec and Jamie Westbrook set up a Kavadas RBI single.
With two outs Norfolk brought in LHP Luis Gonzalez who immediately permitted Eddy Alvarez RBI single, tying the game 5-5. LHP Jorge Benitez was subbed in the 9th but quickly surrendered a solo homer to Blake Hunt leaving Worcester behind 6-5. Desperately trying to close out the inning, Benitez continually struggled handing over 3 additional earned runs.
RHP Luis Guerrero came in to record the last out but with the score now 9-5 Woosox were unable to produce in the 9th. “These are good teams,” said Woosox manager Chad Tracy after the game, “you got to play clean baseball and you got to execute in big moments.” With a 4th straight loss, Woosox look to salvage this series with a win tomorrow in the final game of the homestand.