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IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox Begin 2022 Season with Win, 6-5 at Jacksonville

April 5, 2022 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


JACKSONVILLE, F.L. - A three run fifth and a Ryan Fitzgerald long ball pushed the Worcester Red Sox (1-0) to a win over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (0-1) on Tuesday night, a 6-5 victory in the team's 2022 opener.

Worcester entered the top of the fifth in a 2-2 game, and Fitzgerald began the rally with a single to left. After a Yolmer Sanchez walk-his first as a member of the Red Sox organization-Jarren Duran came to the plate. Duran, who delivered 36 RBI in Triple-A last season, came through with his first, doubling deep to left center to bring home Fitzgerald. After a walk, Triston Casas pushed Sanchez home with a fielder's choice, followed by Rob Refsnyder's first RBI single with Worcester to make it 5-2 WooSox.

After a Charles Leblanc solo homer cut the deficit to 5-3, Fitzgerald came to the plate in the sixth. The 27-year-old entered the season off a blistering spring, homering four times in camp with the Red Sox, and kept it rolling in his first Triple-A game of the season. He saw two pitches, then smacked the 1-1 offering over the right field wall, a solo homer that was ultimately difference in the win.

On the mound, Derek Holland, Zack Kelly and Kaleb Ort combined to hold the Jumbo Shrimp scoreless over the final three innings, sealing a season-opening win for the WooSox. Ort, who led Triple-A East in saves last season, began a bid to do the same in the International League East with a runless ninth.

In the third, Worcester's first run of the season came on a wild pitch, allowing Connor Wong to scamper home after a stolen base. Jacksonville answered by jumping on top thanks to a two-run double in the fourth, the final time they would lead in the game.

Franchy Cordero made sure of it, tying the game on an RBI single to right in the top of the fourth. The 27-year-old notched 56 RBI in 78 Triple-A games last season and later made a bid for his first homer of the season-a deep fly ball that was penned in by the 420-foot wall in center.

After Leblanc's shot against Kyle Hart, the Jumbo Shrimp grabbed two more in the sixth behind to a Lorenzo Quintana two-run blast, closing Hart's day at 3.1 innings with four runs allowed and three strikeouts. Hart followed Darwinzon Hernandez, who got the Opening Day start for Worcester, allowing two runs across 2.2 innings with three strikeouts.

Offensively, Worcester put up six runs on eight hits, two of which were for extra bases. Hitters 4-9 through the order, three of whom joined the organization prior to the 2022 season (Refsnyder, Sanchez, Christin Stewart), combined to go 6-19 with three RBI.

The WooSox continue the six-game series in Jacksonville Wednesday night, as Worcester's Thomas Pannone makes his organizational debut on the mound against Braxton Garrett. Radio coverage is live at 6:45 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon, 100 FM The Pike and the WooSox radio network.

Following an opening week road trip, the WooSox return home to Polar Park for a six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, beginning with the home opener on Tuesday, April 12 at 3:05 p.m. at Polar Park. Tickets are available at WooSox.com.

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