By Tiffany Williams –
The Worcester Red Sox kept their stranglehold on Rochester, grinding out a 3-1 win Wednesday night at Polar Park to move within one victory of locking up their fifth straight winning season.
The WooSox (74-71) have now beaten the Red Wings 16 times in 20 tries this year, including a flawless 8-0 at home.
Tyler Uberstine gave Worcester exactly what it needed in his final start of 2025 — five shutout innings, three hits, one walk, six strikeouts — lowering his ERA to 3.56 and improving to 6-4.
But the buzz belonged to 22-year-old Luis Perales, fresh off Tommy John surgery and making his Triple-A debut. The Venezuelan right-hander blew away Rochester in the sixth, striking out Yohandy Morales, Nick Schnell, and Trey Lipscomb in a dazzling, near-immaculate frame.
Signed as a teenager out of Venezuela in 2019, Perales has piled up 227 strikeouts in 163 career innings and is already on Boston’s 40-man roster.
Worcester’s offense did its job early. In the second inning, Max Ferguson drilled a two-run double after singles by Tyler McDonough and Corey Rosier. Mikey Romero crossed in the fifth on a Phillip Sikes infield knock to make it 3-0.
Luis Guerrero and Jovanni Moran held the line before Nick Burdi survived a shaky ninth — stranding the bases loaded for his fifth save.
The WooSox and Red Wings finish the year with four more at Polar Park, starting Thursday night when Jack Anderson faces Rochester’s Riley Cornelio.