IL Worcester Red Sox

Rafaela Homers for Record Fourth-Straight Game in 5-1 Win

August 4, 2023 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


SYRACUSE, NY - One night after a seven-homer outburst, the Worcester Red Sox (18-12, 57-48) belted three more long balls to pummel the Syracuse Mets (10-20, 43-61) 5-1 on Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium.

Top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela once again played a starring role, becoming the first player in WooSox history to homer in four consecutive games. His record-setting blast came on a first-pitch, 96 mile-per-hour sinker from Dennis Santana in the top of the eighth inning. The two-run homer, Rafaela's tenth in just 29 Triple-A games, was another no-doubter. It rocketed off the bat at 106 miles per hour and traveled 392 feet to left, turning a 2-1 nailbiter into a comfortable 4-1 ballgame.

Red Sox rehabber Trevor Story, who finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, had reached on a base knock to center field before Rafaela came to the plate.

The next batter was Bobby Dalbec, who previously held the WooSox record with a three-game homer streak from June 1 - June 3 this season. He clobbered a 97 mile-per-hour fastball 395 feet to right, giving Worcester its third set of back-to-back home runs in the last two games.

Dalbec now has 26 homers this season, one behind Memphis Redbirds first baseman Luken Baker for the league lead.

The scoring started early on Friday night, unsurprisingly with the long ball. Narciso Crook got a hanging slider from Syracuse starter Jose Butto (L, 2-6) and booked it a 358-foot flight to the left field seats to put Worcester in front 1-0 in the third.

Rafaela would add a sac fly later in the inning to double the lead, and the WooSox never trailed thanks to a terrific pitching performance from Kyle Barraclough (W, 7-0) and company.

Barraclough, who has incredibly won each of his seven starts since being signed from the independent Atlantic League on June 20, held Syracuse to one run (a Joe Suozzi RBI single in the third) on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in six innings.

Ryan Fernandez (H, 2) put together a perfect seventh, Justin Garza stranded two in a scoreless eighth, and Brendan Nail delivered a hitless ninth to lock down Worcester's third consecutive win.

The WooSox are now 10-3 against the Mets this season, and have hit 15 homers through four games this week in Syracuse. Home runs have accounted for 27 of Worcester's 33 runs in the series.

The teams play game five of this six-game series on Saturday night at 6:35 pm at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. Tanner Houck is scheduled to make a rehab start for Worcester. Pregame coverage begins at 6:15 p.m. on NASH Icon 98.9 FM and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.

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International League Stories from August 4, 2023


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