IL Worcester Red Sox

Dalbec Hits International League-Leading 25th Homer, WooSox Fall 6-5

Published on July 27, 2023 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


WORCESTER, M.A. - A ninth-inning rally by the Rochester Red Wings (47-50, 13-11) gave the road team a 6-5 win at Polar Park, handing the Worcester Red Sox (53-45, 14-9) their ninth loss of the second half on Thursday night.

It was a 4-4 game entering the bottom of the seventh-Niko Kavadas walked, Nick Sogard singled and David Hamilton drew a walk of his own to load the bases. With no one out, Trevor Story was next, and despite grounding in to a 6-3 double play, he plated the go-ahead run.

Chase Shugart tossed a scoreless eighth, but Rochester took its first lead of the night moments in to the ninth against Ryan Fernandez. With Fernandez seeking his first Triple-A save, Drew Millas doubled and Erick Mejia crushed a go-ahead two-run home run, giving the road team a 6-5 lead just three pitches in to the top of the ninth.

Sogard doubled to put the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, but Worcester failed to score in the defeat.

Story and Reese McGuire made their second rehab appearances of the week. Story played all nine innings as the designated hitter, going 0-for-3 with a walk. McGuire caught seven innings and went 2-for-4, cracking a single in the first and a 97 mile-per-hour RBI double in the fourth.

Following a one-hour, 10-minute rain delay, Worcester took the lead on a wild pitch in the first. Half an inning later, Rochester tied the game on an RBI groundout from Matt Adams.

Bobby Dalbec led off the bottom of the fourth with his 25th home run of the season, tying him for the International League lead. The 398-foot blast to left gave the WooSox the lead and marked Dalbec's fifth long ball since the All-Star break.

Ceddanne Rafaela was next, and he reached on a bloop to right. After two disengagements, Rafaela stole second on a ball in the dirt; the throw to second base skipped in to center, and Rafaela then ran all the way home, beating the throw to the plate with a headfirst dive. The 270-foot sprint extended Worcester's lead to 4-1, as Rafaela notched his 32nd steal of the season between Double-A and Triple-A.

WooSox starter Dinelson Lamet turned in the best start of his young Red Sox organizational career, going five innings of one-run ball, striking out four.

He departed after five, and Rochester promptly rallied for three runs off reliever Brendan Nail. Jake Alu doubled, and after a walk and single loaded the bases, an RBI double play cut the Worcester lead to 4-2. With a man on, Millas blasted a game-tying two-run home run to left, a 386-foot shot.

After the WooSox retook the lead on the Story groundout, Rochester's ninth inning rally ultimately won the road team the game. The loss was just Worcester's second when leading after eight (now 35-2).

The WooSox continue the six-game series Friday at 6:45 p.m. at Polar Park against the Rochester Red Wings. On the mound, Shane Drohan (2-4, 5.94) faces Joan Adon (3-5, 4.46). Television coverage is on NESN+, while radio coverage is live at 6:25 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network.

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics

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International League Stories from July 27, 2023


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