-By Darryl Harding Sr
A drizzly 66 degree day, although overcast, is no reason not to play the MiLB baseball contest. The Worcester Redsox host the Buffalo Bison in this first game of the homestand series
Stepping up in the starters position, for the Woosox, righty Richard Fitts is on the mound. After relinquishing an initial double, Fitts rifled through the next three innings retiring nine straight batters.
For the Bison, right hander Lazado Estrada duplicated the Woosox scoreless production until the bottom of the third. Estrada whipped a ninety- four mph four seamer down the pike and SS Nick Sogard took it yard to make the score 1-0.
Continuing with success, Fitts spun through two more innings completing five and leaving Buffalo with a goose egg. Fitts threw 53 strikes out of 77 pitches thrown. Estrada finished four, with only one run allowed but his replacement RHP Hunter Gregory did not fare so well.
Gregory, only recorded two outs and righty reliever Nick Sandlin recorded none. Between the two Buffalo pitchers Woosox tacked on four more, leaving it 5-0 advantage Worcester.
Buffalo managed to shorten the deficit with a run against southpaw Chris Murphy in the sixth, two more runs in the seventh facing RHP Bryan Mata and one more as RHP Alex Hoppe pitched the eighth. Now 5-4 Woosox bring RHP Isaiah Campbell in for the save and Worcester secured a victory.
Buffalo creeping back into this game, only resonated how important Fitts outing was. Woosox manager Chad Tracy commented, “Fitts did well… he did a lot better… getting all of his pitches working.” Woosox resume Wednesday at 645pm for game two of the series.