By Tiffany Williams –
DURHAM, N.C. — Despite a dominant return from Shane Drohan, the Worcester Red Sox couldn’t hold on late and fell 5-3 to the Durham Bulls on Friday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The series is now even at two games apiece.
Making his first start since coming off the injured list, Drohan was electric, tossing 3.2 hitless innings with a season-high nine strikeouts. The left-hander allowed just one baserunner on a walk to Dom Keegan in the second inning before striking out the final seven batters he faced.
Worcester struck first in the second when Chadwick Tromp’s sacrifice fly brought home Nathan Hickey for a 1-0 lead. The advantage held until the fifth, when Tanner Murray belted a solo home run to tie the game.
Durham pulled ahead in the seventh on a Keegan solo shot — the Bulls’ seventh home run of the series — and extended the lead in the eighth with three runs. A Worcester error opened the door before big-league rehabbers Jonny DeLuca and Richie Palacios drove in runs to make it 5-1.
The WooSox mounted a ninth-inning rally. Max Ferguson doubled with two outs and scored on a Corey Rosier single, before Tromp drove in Rosier with a double off the wall. Worcester brought the tying run to the plate, but Joey Gerber closed it out for his second save of the season.
The WooSox (66-63, 25-30 second half) and Bulls (72-55, 27-27) continue their six-game series Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Tyler Uberstine is scheduled to start for Worcester against Durham righty Forrest Whitley.