By Tiffany Williams –
The Worcester Red Sox finally got the better of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday night, snapping a season-long home skid against the RailRiders with a 7-4 win before a sellout crowd of 9,508 at Polar Park. It was the WooSox’s first victory after three straight losses to open the six-game set and the club’s first home triumph over Scranton all year, pulling them back over .500 at 68-67.
The breakthrough came fast. Worcester jumped all over RailRiders starter Clayton Beeter with a four-run first inning fueled by three straight doubles and an RBI triple. Nathan Hickey, who has quietly been one of the team’s most consistent run producers, ripped a two-run double to push his season RBI total to 66, while Trayce Thompson and Tyler McDonough followed with back-to-back extra-base hits to give starter Tyler Uberstine a comfortable cushion.
Uberstine made sure the early fireworks held up. The righty turned in one of his sharpest outings of the season, working six innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts against just one walk. His ability to attack the zone with conviction and limit damage against Scranton’s powerful lineup underscored why Worcester continues to trust him in big spots, even as the club’s rotation has shuffled throughout the summer.
The WooSox piled on in the fifth, when Hickey doubled home another run before Max Ferguson’s two-run single pushed the lead to 7-1. The inning featured the kind of patient at-bats that manager Chad Tracy has been preaching, including a nine-pitch walk from McDonough to set the table. For a lineup that’s been prone to dry spells, Worcester’s ability to string together disciplined plate appearances was a welcome shift.
Scranton clawed back with a Spencer Jones homer in the sixth—his sixth long ball against Worcester this year, a reminder of the Yankees prospect’s dominance in the matchup—and two runs off Jovani Moran in the eighth. But Isaiah Campbell shut the door, retiring the final five hitters to lock down his team-leading eighth save.
For Worcester, the win was about more than just breaking a frustrating trend against the division leaders. It kept them from dipping below .500 for the first time since July 20, preserving the sense of momentum needed to finish the year strong. With young pieces like Hickey and Romero continuing to produce, veterans like Thompson grinding out at-bats, and arms like Uberstine showing poise against tough opponents, the WooSox are trying to balance player development with competitiveness in the standings.
The series resumes Saturday at 4:05 p.m., with Isaac Coffey set to take the ball against Scranton’s Erick Leal. For Worcester, the challenge is clear—turn one big win into a statement that they can finish 2025 with some swagger, even against the league’s best.