Tolle Turns in Dominant Outing in WooSox, 9-3 Loss to Jumbo Shrimp
IL Worcester Red Sox

Tolle Turns in Dominant Outing in WooSox, 9-3 Loss to Jumbo Shrimp

Published on August 23, 2025 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


Worcester - The Worcester Red Sox got an outstanding effort from starter Payton Tolle, but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp rallied for 4 runs in the 7th-inning to come away with a 9-3 victory over the WooSox on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 8,888 fans at Polar Park. Jacksonville, the first half champions, improved on their International League-leading best overall record at 75-48 while Worcester (62-61) fell to within a game of .500.

Tolle, (TOLE-ee), Boston's top pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline (#3 prospect for Red Sox and #49 overall in Minor League Baseball per Baseball America), made his third start for the WooSox and was brilliant. He allowed a soft ground ball double to Jacksonville lead-off batter Matthew Etzel to begin the game, but then retired the next 15 batters he faced to end his 5-inning outing. Etzel did eventually score on a wild pitch in the 1st inning but that would be all that Tolle would allow. At one point he struck out 5 straight Jumbo Shrimp batters during the 2nd & 3rd innings and finished with 9 strikeouts in his second straight impressive start.

The final line on the 22-year-old from Stillwater, Oklahoma - 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO - throwing 63 pitches (45 for strikes). Payton was a winner in his previous start on August 16 in Iowa when he tossed 5 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts. He has now allowed just 1 run in his last 14 innings of work with the WooSox. Tolle was promoted from Double-A Portland on August 6 after posting a 1.67 ERA in 6 games for the Sea Dogs. The 6'6", 250 lbs. southpaw was Boston's 2nd round choice (#50 overall) in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.

Tolle departed with a 3-1 lead as the WooSox plated single runs in each of the first three innings. SS Nick Sogard led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a solo HR (#4) to quickly tie the game. Catcher Chadwick Tromp led-off the 2nd inning with a single, alertly moved up to second base on a fly out to center, and scored on a 2-out single by newcomer Max Ferguson who was making his 2025 WooSox debut. Ferguson, playing second base, is the 72nd different player to appear for Worcester this season. The WooSox upped their lead to 3-1 in the 3rd as Mikey Romero doubled and came around to score on a 2-out single by Nathan Hickey. From that point, however, it was all Jumbo Shrimp.

Rehabbing Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten entered for the 6th inning and allowed a hit and an unearned run with a walk and 2 strikeouts on 20 pitches. David Sandlin was next out of the bullpen, working on back-to-back days for the first time this season, and after getting the first out in the 7th he hit a batter, gave up single, a walk, an RBI single, and then a 2-run single to Etzel which gave the Jumbo Shrimp a lead they would not relinquish. Sandlin (2-2) was charged with 4 runs in 1/3 of an inning to suffer the defeat. Jacksonville scored 3 more runs in the 9th to make the final, 9-3.

1B Kristian Campbell was the lone Sox player with a multi-hit game as he smacked a pair of doubles including a shot to left that came off the bat at 109 MPH.

This 6-game series continues over the weekend at Polar Park with game five on Saturday at 4:05 pm. Tyler Uberstine (2-3, 3.78) starts for the WooSox against Jacksonville righty Morgan McSweeney (3-0, 1,60), the Hudson, MA and Worcester Academy product. The game will be live on NESN+ as well as on NASH 98.9 FM and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.

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International League Stories from August 23, 2025


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