IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox Hang Ten as Bats Pace Worcester over Lehigh Valley

Published on July 9, 2021 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


ALLENTOWN, P.A. - The Worcester Red Sox (34-22) trounced the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (24-33) on Friday night, earning victories against the IronPigs and the weather after a 36-minute delay before first pitch.

Worcester took the lead almost immediately and did not relinquish it. They jumped on Lehigh Valley starter Chase Anderson for five hits and four runs, sending eight batters to the plate in the opening frame. Anderson, down from the Phillies on a rehab assignment, lasted just three innings in this one before the bullpen took over.

Marcus Wilson, leading off for the WooSox tonight, took first base after a hit-by-pitch to begin the game. Yairo Munoz would follow with a single and a stolen base, setting up a two-run single by Franchy Cordero, logging RBIs 26 and 27 and putting the WooSox up 2-0.

Jarren Duran, the traditional leadoff hitter, was scratched before the game with lower-back tightness. It was considered to be a precautionary measure with the uncertain weather and playing conditions.

Jeter Downs and Connor Wong, back after a short stint with Boston, sustained the rally with a single and a double, respectively. Soon-to-be Olympian Jack Lopez would double Worcester's lead in the ensuing at-bat with two-out, two-run base knock, giving starter Daniel Gossett a 4-0 lead before he even left the dugout.

Lopez's impressive inning continued with a stellar running catch that sent him somersaulting over the tarp along the first-base side. Gossett, meanwhile, tossed five strong innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five with the lone blemish coming on a solo home-run in the bottom of the first.

Worcester added a run in the fourth, with a Tate Matheny base-hit setting up a Marcus Wilson RBI double. The insurance business continued in the seventh with an RBI double from Chris Hermann, a defensive sub for Yairo Munoz at first base. Two batters later, a Johan Mieses two-run home run extended the WooSox lead to 8-1.

The eighth inning brought more of the same, with a pair of solo homers from Josh Ockimey and Marcus Wilson making it 10-2 Worcester. The solo shot capped a perfect night at the plate for Marcus Wilson, who went 3 for 3 with a walk and two runs batted in.

Kyle Hart, Brandon Brennan, and Phillips Valdez comprised the relief effort before letting Kaleb Ort close it out in the ninth. The bullpen held Lehigh Valley to a combined two runs on five hits and preserved the win for Daniel Gossett.

The WooSox continue the six-game series versus the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Radio coverage starts live at 6:15 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network. Worcester's Tanner Houck (0-1, 4.08) is the scheduled starter.

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics

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International League Stories from July 9, 2021


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