Toledo Edges Worcester, 5-4

Worcester, MA – The Worcester Red Sox dropped their second straight to the Toledo Mud Hens on Wednesday night at Polar Park, 5-4 to fall to 0-2 in the 2^nd half and 36-37 overall. It marks the first time in a month that the WooSox have dropped below .500 since they were 24-25 on May 26. The WooSox need a win on Thursday night to avoid matching their season-low of 2-games under .500 on May 23.

The WooSox began with a bang against Toledo starter Dylan File, touching him for three runs in the 1st and forcing the visitors to turn to the bullpen. The Sox opened the scoring after walks to Braiden Ward and Vinny Capra was followed by an RBI single from DH Matt Thaiss. With two outs, RF Allan Castro brought two more home with a deep double that hit just inches below the top of the Worcester Wall. That forced File from the game after a 34-pitch 1^st inning. However, the Mud Hens bullpen would ultimately hold the WooSox to just one more run over the final 8.1 innings of the game.

Worcester pitchers combined to strike out 13 batters, while allowing only five hits total. Raymond Burgos started for the WooSox and retired nine of the first ten he faced, the only blemish a solo homer to newly promoted Mud Hen’s SS John Peck in the 2^nd inning.

The Sox got that run back in the 3rd as Thaiss was hit by a pitch to start the inning. After a base hit by newly-signed catcher Andrew Knizner, Thaiss scored on a throwing error as shortstop Peck overthrew first while trying to turn a double play. Worcester’s 4-1 lead was short-lived, however.

The tide turned in the 4th as Burgos walked two of the first three batters he faced, then gave up a sharp double to right-center by Peck that made it 4-2. The Hens tied it five pitches later, after a ground ball to second turned into trouble. The error resulted in two runs scoring to knot the game at 4-4. Toledo had only two hits through 4-innings, but the game was tied.

The Mud Hens took the lead in the 5^th off reliever Tyler Samaniego (1-1) who would suffer the loss. DH Corey Julks jumped on the first pitch from Samaniego for a solo HR (#13) giving Toledo a 5-4 lead that would turn out to be the final score.

The Sox threatened in the 6th, loading the bases with only one out, but rehabbing Red Sox 2B Romy González grounded sharply into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep the Sox down by a run. The WooSox failed to advance a runner into scoring position for the rest of the night.

Tyler Uberstine (2 IP,4 SO) and Eduardo Rivera (1 IP, 2 SO) held the Hens scoreless over the final three frames to keep the WooSox within one going into the bottom of the 9th.

Ward (2-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 SB) was hit by a pitch for a league-leading 17^th time with one out in the 9^th. However, the International League leader with 34 stolen bases on the season was caught stealing for the first time after 31 consecutive successful attempts (since April 5) on a close call at second base to snuff out Worcester’s last inning comeback attempt.

Worcester has now lost 5 of 6 and 9 of their last 12 games following a 4-game winning streak from June 4-9.

Brayan Bello (0-0, 5.19) will make his third start for Worcester, and his first at Polar Park since being optioned from Boston on June 7, when the WooSox host Toledo again on Thursday at 6:45 pm. The Mud Hens will send RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (2-3, 4.47) to the mound opposite Bello. The game is live on NESN+ and can be heard on NASH 98.9 FM and The Pike 100.1 FM.

Tomorrow, as is the case for every Thursday summer evening home game at Polar Park, the WooSox will again present “Deuces Wild” at Polar Park when fans can enjoy $2 Hot Dogs (Coney Island and Hebrew Nationals), $2 12-ounce drafts of Coors Light and Masshole Light Lager, and $2 bottles of Polar water (the beverage deals run for seven days). It will also be Caribbean Heritage Night and Auburn Town Takeover, presented by Altus Dental, on Thursday night.