Goodrum Delivers Seventh-Inning Single to Beat Rochester, 5-4
WORCESTER, M.A. — The Worcester Red Sox (28-32) grabbed their first win of the week against the Rochester Red Wings (28-30), a 5-4 victory fueled by a three-run seventh on Thursday night at Polar Park. The WooSox trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, when Niko Goodrum came to
WORCESTER, M.A. — The Worcester Red Sox (28-32) grabbed their first win of the week against the Rochester Red Wings (28-30), a 5-4 victory fueled by a three-run seventh on Thursday night at Polar Park.
The WooSox trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, when Niko Goodrum came to the plate with runners on second and third. He worked a 2-1 count, then lined a hard single to right, plating Bradley Zimmer and Christian Koss for a go-ahead single.
The swing gave Goodrum his fourth straight game with an RBI, and his fifth in six June games.
Ryan Sherriff tossed a scoreless eighth and A.J. Politi did the same in the ninth, sealing his fourth save and Worcester’s 17th come-from-behind win of the season.
After a 47-minute rain delay, Ryan Fitzgerald began the scoring for the night, lifting a sac-fly to right to put Worcester on the board in the first for starter Rio Gomez. In his Polar Park debut, Rio Gomez posted the following line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. The left-hander allowed a game-tying solo home run to Travis Blankenhorn in the fourth, and after a strikeout and double, was lifted from the game.
The WooSox went to Brendan Nail, who made his Triple-A debut out of the bullpen. Rochester added two more in the inning on a throwing error and a Carter Kieboom triple, but Nail was excellent from that point on. The 27-year-old allowed two total runs over 3.2 innings, striking out six and earning the win.
In the fifth, Bradley Zimmer cracked an opposite-field solo shot, his sixth Triple-A long ball of the season and third in 13 Worcester games. Rochester got the run back on a Franmil Reyes solo homer in the seventh to make it 4-2, which was followed by Worcester’s three-run seventh.
The WooSox continue the homestand on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. against the Rochester Red Wings, affiliate of the Washington Nationals. On the mound, Shane Drohan (1-1, 6.27) faces Paolo Espino (3-1, 4.09). Television coverage is live on NESN+, while radio coverage is live at 6:25 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network.