Zimmer and Dalbec Drill Long Balls as WooSox Fall to Bats

Murphy Tosses Three Scoreless Following Opener

By Jim Cain

June 1, 2023

LOUISVILLE, KY — Despite another homer from Bobby Dalbec and Bradley Zimmer’s first WooSox home run, the Louisville Bats (29-24) took game three of this six-game series with the Worcester Red Sox (25-29) by an 8-6 final on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field. Worcester scored the game’s first run

LOUISVILLE, KY — Despite another homer from Bobby Dalbec and Bradley Zimmer’s first WooSox home run, the Louisville Bats (29-24) took game three of this six-game series with the Worcester Red Sox (25-29) by an 8-6 final on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

Worcester scored the game’s first run as Niko Goodrum singled in Nick Sogard in the top of the first inning to put the WooSox on top 1-0.

Nick Martini led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer to tie the game.

Louisville scored four runs in the second. Michael Siani and Jhonny Pereda drove in runs with singles. Martini collected another RBI on a fielder’s choice. Matt Reynolds drew a walk with the bases loaded, and Louisville led 5-1 after two innings.

Dalbec blasted a 438-foot solo homer in the top of the fourth to make it a 5-2 ballgame. The long ball was his eighth over his last 15 games.

In the seventh, Bradley Zimmer hit an opposite-field home run, and Goodrum collected his second run-scoring single to bring Worcester to within a run.

But the Bats responded in the bottom of the seventh. Pereda doubled in two runs, and Alejo Lopez blooped a single to right to score a run and extend the Bats lead to 8-4.

Daniel Palka led off the eighth with a walk. Christian Koss picked up his first Triple-A hit with a double to center to put runners at second and third. Two batters later, Zimmer lined a two-run single to left to cut the deficit to 8-6.

Working after an opener, left-hander Chris Murphy tossed three scoreless innings. After a leadoff single, Murphy retired the next nine batters he faced. The lefty struck out three and did not walk a batter.

In the fifth game of his rehab assignment, Christian Arroyo went 0-for-5 as Worcester’s designated hitter.

The WooSox continue their six-game series with the Bats tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. Right-hander Jake Faria is the scheduled starter for Worcester. Radio coverage begins at 6:55 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.