Three Times a Charm for the WooSox
Published on July 9, 2026 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release
Worcester Red Sox SS Nick Sogard (left) and 2B Tyler McDonough
(Worcester Red Sox, Credit: Tayla Bolduc)
Worcester, MA - The Worcester Red Sox turned the first triple play in Polar Park history and held on to beat the Rochester Red Wings, 8-7 on Thursday night for their third win in two days and their fourth straight victory overall. Everyone in the WooSox lineup reached base safely in a balanced 9-hit attack that included a 3-run double from Andrew Knizner and a 2-run double by Nick Sogard.
The key play in the game came in the top of the 3rd inning with the WooSox down, 1-0 following a HR from Rochester LF Trey Lipscomb to lead off the inning. With Red Wings on 1st and 2nd base and the runners in motion on a hit & run, Rochester DH Yohandy Morales lined a ball that WooSox shortstop Nick Sogard leaped to snare for the first out. Sogard then flipped to second baseman Tyler McDonough to double up the lead Rochester runner and McDonough tossed to first baseman Mickey Gasper to complete only the second triple play in the 51/2 year history of the WooSox.
Ironically, Sogard has been involved in both Worcester triple plays. The other came on July 19, 2023 at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when WooSox 3B Bobby Dalbec field a hard grounder and went around the horn to 2B Sogard and on to 1B Stephen Scott.
Worcester used the momentum from Thursday's triple play to immediately score 5 runs in the bottom half of the 3rd inning. McDonough and Braiden Ward began the inning with singles, stole 3rd and 2nd respectively (for Ward it was his league-leading 39th of the season) and Sogard walked to load the bases. Both McDonough and Ward scored when Gasper's fielder's choice grounder got away from Harry Ford for an error on the Rochester catcher. With two outs in the frame, Allan Castro was intentionally walked to reload the bases for catcher Andrew Knizner who promptly laced a 3-run double down the left field line making it 5-1 Worcester.
The WooSox would tack on three more runs in the 4th keyed by Sogard's 2-run ground rule double to left center. Sogard, on rehab (oblique strain) from the Red Sox, went 2-for-3 with a walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored on the night. McDonough also had 2 hits and scored 2 runs to extend his hitting streak to 7-games.
Osvaldo Berrios made a spot start for the WooSox and allowed 1 run on the Lipscomb homer in 3 innings. Tyler Uberstine (1-0) was next and got credit for the win tossing 3 innings giving up just 1 hit and 1 run on a HR by WooSox killer Yohandy Morales, his 21st of the year and his 7th in 17 games against the WooSox this season. Tyler Samaniego (2 runs in 1.1 innings) and Alec Gamboa (3 runs in 1.2 innings) did not have their usual best stuff, but Gamboa left the bases loaded in the 8th inning on a nice catch by Gasper at first base and then stranded two more runners in the 9th getting a strikeout to end the game.
The WooSox have won 4 in a row, 8 of their last 10 games and are now 8-7 in the second half and 44-42 overall on the season. Rochester (6-9, 51-37) came into this series with the best overall record in the league, but no longer after dropping the first three games to the WooSox.
Game four of the 6-game series is Friday night at 6:45 pm with LHP Raymond Burgos (1-4, 6.25) opposing former WooSox RHP Luis Perales (2-4, 3.94).
As is tradition on Friday nights at Polar Park, the game will be followed by UniBank Fireworks set to the music of NickelCreed. It will also be a Spencer Town Takeover, presented by Flexcon. The game will be televised live on NESN and air on NASH 98.9 FM and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.
Images from this story
 Worcester Red Sox SS Nick Sogard (left) and 2B Tyler McDonough (Tayla Bolduc) |
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