By Darryl Harding Sr-
Polar Park is the place and MiLB baseball is what’s happening. The Worcester Redsox take on the red hot Rochester Red Wings, who are sporting a 6 game win streak.
Woosox attempt to foil the Red Wings efforts, starting two game winner RHP Brad Keller taking the mound with 18 strikeouts added to 24 accumulated in the first half of the season. Keller ran into trouble from jump street, permitting 4 hits in the 1st iinning to Rochester and allowing them to score 3 runs.
Settling in after the first Keller completed 2.2 innings throwing 54 pitches, 32 for strikes. Starting on the rubber for the Red Wings is RHP Thaddeus Ward with a 4-3 record.
Keeping the Woosox scoreless in the 1st, the 2nd and 3rd innings Worcester bats came alive. Averaging .343 LF Nick Yorke shellacked a 405’ homer to center field in the 2nd inning. Ward continued to relinquish homers as Enmanuel Valdez, recently optioned from the majors, blasted a 410’ three run shot.
Remaining on fire, Yorke hit his second homer of the game to left center giving the Woosox the lead 5-3. RHP Bryan Mata pitched two innings in relief for the Sox acing the 4th, but granting two hits, two walks and three runs in the 5th.
Now 6-5, Red Wings brought in LHP Tim Cate after 4.1 innings spun by Ward. The homerun parade proceeded and after a Valdez walk SS Nick Sogard smashed a 393’ banger to give the Woosox the advantage again at 7-6.
“We needed to swing,” reiterated Woosox club manager Chad Tracy, “we got going, which is good to see. We swung the bats really well today and we did a damn good job with the back half of the bullpen.”
Chucking from the hill went well for the Woosox, pitching with goose eggs put up by RHP Luis Guerrero and RHP Isaiah Campbell. Only lasting for two outs, Cate was replaced by RHP Adonis Medina followed by RHP Amos Willingham then RHP Orlando Ribalta, who kept the Woosox scoreless.
Still 7-6 in the 8th, key moments as RHP Ryan Zeferjahn stranded runners on 1st and 3rd with a strikeout of Red Wings Darren Baker. Son of legendary major leaguer Dusty Baker, Darren whiffed on a 99 mph four seam fastball from Zeferjahn.
Zeferjahn remained in the 9th to grab the save and solidify the Woosox 7-6 victory, continually throwing 99-100 mph fastballs. Breaking the Rochester streak Woosox return for game three of the series on Thursday at 6:45 pm.