Ninth-Inning Rally Propels WooSox to Victory Over Mud Hens

TOLEDO, OH — Trailing by two entering the ninth inning, the Worcester Red Sox (10-13) scored four runs in the final frame to earn a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Toledo Mud Hens (14-10) on Thursday night at Fifth Third Field.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Elih Marrero lined a double down the right-field line. Karson Simas drew a walk, and then Chase Meidroth singled through the right side to plate Marrero and bring Worcester to within a run.

In his first plate appearance after replacing Vaughn Grissom in the bottom of the eighth, Eddy Alvarez belted an 0-2 fastball off the left-field wall for an RBI double to tie the game at five. Jamie Westbrook followed with a two-run double on a 1-2 pitch to put Worcester in front 7-5.

Despite walking two and allowing a single, Luis Guerrero was able to strike out the side and leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to cap off the comeback.

The Mud Hens started the scoring by plating a pair in the bottom of the second. Dillon Dingler hit a sacrifice fly to score Keston Hiura. Two batters later, Andrew Navigato lined a run-scoring single to give Toledo a 2-0 advantage.

Worcester responded with a run in the third. Karson Simas led off the frame with an infield single. In his Triple-A debut, Simas went 2-for-3 with two singles, two runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base. Two batters later, Westbrook hit an RBI double to put the WooSox on the board.

The WooSox added two runs in the fourth when Marrero mashed a two-run homer, collecting his first Triple-A hit and home run with one swing, to give Worcester a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Justice Bigbie doubled in a run. Two batters later, Navigato picked up his second RBI single of the night to put Toledo back on top 4-3.

Toledo tacked on another in the bottom of the seventh when Hiura tripled home Jace Jung.

In his fifth start of the season, Brian Van Belle allowed four runs over five innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out a pair.

Left-hander Jorge Benitez followed Van Belle and allowed a run on two hits across two relief innings. Benitez struck out five of the nine batters he faced. The lefty now has a 34.6% strikeout rate in seven appearances this season.

Playing his seventh game of his rehab assignment, Vaughn Grissom started at second base and went 1-for-4 with a double.

The WooSox and Mud Hens continue their six-game series tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Jason Alexander is the scheduled starter for Worcester. Left-hander Bryan Sammons is set to toe the rubber for Toledo. Radio coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.