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IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox Offense Stagnant in 6-3 Loss to Rochester

July 11, 2024 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


WORCESTER, MA -- Sal Romano and Jorge Benitez combined for five scoreless innings of relief, but the Worcester Red Sox (7-7)/(42-47) lost 6-3 to the Rochester Red Wings (12-3)/(50-38) in game three of their six-game series at Polar Park on Thursday night.

Richard Fitts started the game on the mound for the WooSox and picked up two strikeouts en route to a scoreless first. The following inning, Rochester jumped on the right-hander, bashing three home runs in the frame.

After striking out the first batter of the second, Drew Millas belted a 432-foot-long ball onto Summit St. to give Rochester the early lead. Following a walk to Alex Call, Stone Garrett and Erick Mejia launched back-to-back homers, putting the Red Wings up 4-0 by the end of the inning.

The WooSox got a run back in the bottom half of the second on Tyler Heineman's RBI single to right that fell just out of the reach of a diving Call. It was the only run Worcester would score in the frame, as the game entered the third with Rochester leading 4-1.

Over the next two innings, the Red Wings offense added insurance, scoring once in both the third and fourth innings. With Worcester trailing 6-1 heading into the fifth, Fitts was relieved by Sal Romano, ending the WooSox starter's night. The Alabama native finished with a line of 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

Before scoring seven runs in Wednesday afternoon's matinee, the WooSox offense had pushed just eight total runs across the plate in the first four games of their nine-game homestand. With just one hit through five innings, it appeared the offense had reverted back to its old ways. But in the sixth, the heart of Worcester's order started heating up.

After Nick Yorke reached on a fielding error, Bobby Dalbec smoked a 106.3 mph single to left to put runners on the corners with two outs. The next batter, Mickey Gasper, one-upped Dalbec by lacing a 107.3 mph single to center with the WooSox left fielder running on the play. Both Yorke and Dalbec scored easily on Gasper's base hit, cutting the Red Wings lead to 6-3 at the end of the sixth.

For Gasper, it was his 16th and 17th RBIs for Worcester, who has continued to impress since being promoted to Triple-A on June 4. The 28-year-old is now hitting .384 with a 1.127 OPS in 21 games with the WooSox.

Romano remained on the mound through the seventh for Worcester, quieting the Red Wings offense in three innings of relief. The 30-year-old allowed just two hits in an excellent bounce-back outing before handing the ball to Jorge Benitez, who followed with two scoreless innings of his own. However, Worcester did not capitalize on their sixth inning momentum, as Rochester maintained their three-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.

Despite Matthew Lugo's two-out double, the WooSox went down quietly in their half of the ninth, dropping game three of six to Rochester, 6-3. Spenser Watkins (W, 7-3) earned the victory for the Red Wings while Richard Fitts (L, 5-4) was handed his fourth loss of the year.

Worcester and Rochester will continue their six-game series at 6:45 p.m. on Friday night at Polar Park. Cooper Criswell (2-2, 1.40) will get the start for the WooSox opposite Jackson Rutledge (4-5, 6.66) for the Red Wings. The game will be broadcasted live on NESN+ and radio coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network.

BOX SCORE - ROC 6, WOR 3

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