MOOSIC, P.A. – Despite an early lead for the road team, the Worcester Red Sox (25-26) dropped the series opener to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (23-26) on Tuesday night, an 11-6 loss at PNC Field.
Roman Anthony began the ballgame with his latest big swing, blasting a 115.5 mile-per-hour, 417-foot leadoff home run to right-center. Anthony, who came in slashing .354/.485/.494 in May, now has three home runs in his last seven games.
After Vaughn Grissom singled up the middle off SWB starter Sean Boyle, Nate Eaton cracked a two-run home run down the left field line. Eaton now has 20 extra-base-hits in 49 games, including five home runs.
Richard Fitts was the originally scheduled starter for Worcester, but ultimately pitched for the Red Sox in Milwaukee, setting up a bullpen day at Scranton.
SWB scored 11 times in a six inning span, plating two in the second, two in the third, three in the fifth and four in the sixth. They received big swings on a two-run homer by Andrew Velasquez and an RBI double by Everson Pereira. Ismael Munguia drove in four with a pair of two-run singles in the fifth and sixth.
Worcester scored in the third and fourth, a sac-fly from Ryan Noda and an Anthony RBI groundout.
Down 11-5 in the eighth, Nathan Hickey led off with an opposite field solo shot, going 386 feet to left-center. Hickey has eight home runs on the season, six of which have come in the last 15 games.
Wyatt Olds was the lone WooSox pitcher to post a scoreless outing, tossing two innings with three strikeouts.
The WooSox continue their six-game series on the road against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, affiliate of the New York Yankees. Radio coverage begins at 10:45 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network.