Sports stats

IL Worcester Red Sox

Buffalo Takes Two in Sunday Doubleheader

April 9, 2023 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Worcester Red Sox were swept in a doubleheader by the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday afternoon at Sahlen Field, dropping both games by a score of 2-1.

In Game 1, Buffalo rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 walk-off win. Spencer Horwitz and Wynton Bernard hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game, and Nathan Lukes delivered the game-winning single with a line drive to right.

The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh, when Ryan Fitzgerald led off the inning with his first home run of the year. The 412-foot missile to straightaway center field off Matt Peacock (W, 1-0) gave Worcester a brief 1-0 lead, but Buffalo answered with the decisive rally in the home half.

Red Sox pitching prospect Brandon Walter was brilliant in the opener, scattering four singles and a walk with three strikeouts over 5.2 scoreless innings. Buffalo started the bottom of the first with three straight hits, but Walter escaped the jam by inducing a 5-2 ground ball double play and an inning-ending fly out.

Worcester squandered a few early opportunities as well, stranding a one-out triple from Jorge Alfaro in the second inning and leaving the bases loaded with one out in the fourth. Alfaro finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of extra base hits, while Ryan Fitzgerald went 2-for-3 with a homer.

James Paxton made a rehab start in Game 2. The left-hander tossed three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks and striking out three. Paxton threw 58 pitches, 34 of them strikes. The southpaw sat 93-to-95 mph with his sinker and topped out at 96 mph.

Worcester scored the game's first run in the fifth inning. After Nick Sogard walked with one out, he stole second base and scored on a David Hamilton single. Sogard has reached safely in 10 of his first 16 plate appearances this season.

Buffalo responded by taking the lead in the bottom half of the inning with when Vinny Capra brought in the tying run with a groundout. Two batters later, Wynton Bernard reached on a throwing error that allowed the eventual winning run to score.

Norwith Gudino followed Paxton for the final three innings. He allowed two unearned runs on four hits without walking a batter and struck out two.

The WooSox stole seven bases across the doubleheader. They now have 14 steals through eight games, tied for second most in the International League.

The WooSox return home to Polar Park for six games against the Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians) from April 11-16, starting with the season's first Taco & Tequila Tuesday, presented by Tequila Herradura.

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics



International League Stories from April 9, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central