Bisons can't solve Chris Sale, fall to WooSox, 4-2

Fueled by two MLB rehabbers and maybe the defensive play of the year from Tate Matheny, the Worcester Red Sox slipped past the Buffalo Bisons, 4-2, Saturday from Polar Park.

Seven-time all-star Chris Sale and World Series Champion Marwin Gonzalez, both on MLB rehab assignments, led the way early on for the Red Sox.

Gonzalez, making his second rehab start this week, unleashed an estimated 457 foot home run over the Worcester Wall in right field to give Worcester a first-inning advantage 1-0.

Sale, amidst his recovery from Tommy John surgery in March 2021, started, worked five innings and struck out seven to earn the win.

The Buffalo bats fared decently against the all-star southpaw producing five hits and run, but it was Nash Knight who shined brightest against the ace. Knight went 2-2 against Sale and produced one of his best games of the season coming just a home run short of the cycle after also tripling off the Red Sox bullpen.

Knight and Cullen Large got to Sale twice in the fourth inning. Large doubled off the wall in left-centerfield and Knight matched it with a double down the left-field line to drive him home to tie the game at one.

Kevin Smith also put a good ride into a Sale fastball in the fourth but was robbed of a home run by Red Sox centerfielder Tate Matheny. After Matheny reached his wrist beyond the centerfield wall and brought the ball back, all Smith could do was shake his head and tip his cap.

In the bottom half of the fourth, it was Matheny who put the Red Sox back up for good. With the game knotted at one after Knight’s double, Matheny came back from his stellar defensive play in the top of the inning to launch a looping two-run to left and retake the Red Sox advantage, 3-1.

Knight tripled in the seventh inning via a pop-up in shallow right field and got Buffalo within two runs after he scored via a Rodrigo Vigil groundout but the scoring on the night stopped there or Buffalo.

Bowden Francis went opposite Sale and continued his effective season despite earning a loss. The righty fell to 6-3 on the year allowing seven hits and four runs over five innings, but still retains a 3.18 ERA over 22.2 innings with Buffalo.

Buffalo (46-28) will be in search of a series split headed into Sunday’s series finale at Polar Park. After alternating wins over the first three games, Worcester (40-35) has won two in a row to lead the current series 3-2 and the season series 9-8.

The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. with Lefty Zach Logue expected to start in his second appearance of the series opposite the Red Sox righty Kutter Crawford.