By Darryl Harding Sr-
Picturesque Polar Park proves perfect for MiLB play on a lovely Sunday afternoon. The Worcester Redsox host the last game of this series against the Toledo Mud Hens, Detroit’s AAA-affiliate.
Woosox right handed starter Brad Keller cruised through the first three innings pitched, leaving the Mud Hens scoreless. Offensively Worcester struck first, chalking up a crooked number in the 2nd inning due to two homers by C Kyle Teel and 1B Bobby Dalbec.
Taking Mud Hens RHP Troy Watson deep repeatedly put the Woosox up with a 2-0 advantage. Keller’s cruising grinded to an abrupt halt in the 4th where he gave up three doubles, a single and a two run jack by Toledo third baseman Drew Maggi.
Granting the Mud Hens five runs Keller completed five innings throwing 79 pitches, 51 for strikes with 6 strikeouts. Woosox tacked on an additional run, in the 4th, scoring 3B Jamie Westbrook off a CF Roman Anthony sacrifice fly.
Down 5-3, lefty Zach Penrod replaced Keller and kept the Woosox within striking distance, spinning two scoreless innings. Unfortunately Toledo also found success in RHP Chase Lee, who threw scoreless back to back innings in the 5th and 6th.
Finding themselves behind entering the 7th Woosox fervently attempted to avoid the fate of their last three unsuccessful games. Toledo sent lefty Andrew Magno to the rubber and suddenly the Woosox offense came to life.
Posting 4 runs in each the 7th and 8th innings Woosox pulled away 11-5. Highlighted by a Westbrook grand slam followed by a Teel RBI single and a 2B Vaughn Grissom three run homer in the next inning.
RHP Brian Van Belle qualified for the save coming in the top of the 8th and pitching six outs. Although the Mud Hens added one run in the 9th it was not nearly enough to combat the Woosox late game offensive onslaught.
After a few days of struggling at the plate clubhouse manager Chad Tracy commented on Westbrook’s base clearer, “it was gonna take us one big AB to get out of it, and that’s exactly what happened.” Woosox play the odd Monday holiday game as they travel to Rochester NY to take on the Red Wings at 4:05pm.