Long Ball, Mets Errors Help WooSox to Second Win at Polar Park
WORCESTER, M.A. — The Worcester Red Sox (4-5) scored in every inning between the fourth and seventh to beat the Syracuse Mets (2-7) 7-4 on Thursday night, aided by a late miscue and one big swing at Polar Park. In a 4-4 game in the sixth, Yairo Munoz cracked a
WORCESTER, M.A. — The Worcester Red Sox (4-5) scored in every inning between the fourth and seventh to beat the Syracuse Mets (2-7) 7-4 on Thursday night, aided by a late miscue and one big swing at Polar Park.
In a 4-4 game in the sixth, Yairo Munoz cracked a one-out double down the left field line. A strikeout brought Cesar Puello to the plate for the WooSox with two outs. On the first pitch, Puello punched a flare towards right center. Syracuse center fielder Mason Williams and right fielder Alex Ferguson looked at each other, and the ball avoided Williams' late bid for the final out. It dropped harmlessly to the grass, Munoz scored and Worcester took a 5-4 lead.
An inning later, Jarren Duran annihilated an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right, a two-run home run that went 440 feet, to punctuate the second WooSox win at home this season.
Duran hits a 95 mph fastball 440' pic.twitter.com/F7NC4NHceC
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) May 14, 2021
Early on, Worcester took the lead first for the third time this year. Duran led off the bottom of the opening inning with an infield single and reached second on his first stolen base of the year. Chris Herrmann ripped a ball to right to score Duran (part of a three-hit night for the catcher), and the WooSox led 1-0 after one.
But Syracuse answered half an inning later against Worcester starter Stephen Gonsalves. The left-hander struck out the first two batters of the inning then walked the next two, Johneshwy Fargas and Martin Cervenka. Gonsalves got down 2-1 to David Thompson, and the Mets’ first baseman took the fourth pitch over the picket fence in left for a three-run shot. Thompson’s homer marked the eighth of the series in three games, and it put Syracuse up 3-1. The ninth long ball of the week made it 4-1 Mets, when Jake Hager led off the ensuing inning with a drive off the FLEXcon Landing in right center.
For the WooSox, Hermann began the bottom of the third with a ringing double to left-center. After a sacrifice bunt, Michael Gettys—moved to the five spot in the lineup after two doubles on Wednesday—brought Herrmann home with a blooper to center. Through four innings, Syracuse had four runs on three hits, while Worcester scored two on four knocks.
The home team tied the game in the fifth on Josh Ockimey’s second homer in his last three games: his second mirrored the first, a shot over the Worcester Wall in right. This one scored Jack Lopez to even the game at four. Munoz would come home an inning later after the error in center, and Duran would finish the job with his two-run shot in the seventh. Duran has minted Polar Park with a 5-for-12 start, along with three homers and five RBI.
The WooSox continue their inaugural six-game homestand at Polar Park on Friday against the Syracuse Mets at 6:35 p.m, with television coverage beginning at 6:30 on NESN+. Radio coverage starts at 6:15 on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network. Syracuse's Jordan Yamamoto (0-1, 8.10) faces Worcester's Kyle Hart (0-0, 9.82), who makes his first home start of the 2021 season after debuting with Boston last August.