Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Evens Series with a &-1 Victory

WooSox held to five singles

The WooSox honored Ashlyn Mercier, a Westborough, MA police officer, on First Responder Wednesday at Polar Park, presented by National Grid. Ashlyn, who was crowned Miss Massachusetts in June, heads to West Palm Beach, FL this week to participate in the Miss America contest next month. Worcester lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 7-1 on Wednesday night at Polar Park. (Ashley Green)

10:37 AM EDT

Worcester, MA – The Worcester Red Sox were out-hit, 13-5 and out-scored, 7-1 by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders who evened this 6-game series at a victory apiece on Wednesday night at Polar Park. Worcester won the opener on Tuesday, 8-5, but the WooSox have now lost 11 of their last 15

Worcester, MA – The Worcester Red Sox were out-hit, 13-5 and out-scored, 7-1 by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders who evened this 6-game series at a victory apiece on Wednesday night at Polar Park. Worcester won the opener on Tuesday, 8-5, but the WooSox have now lost 11 of their last 15 games since August 9.

For the second straight night, the first three batters in the WooSox lineup were all rehabbing Red Sox players. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (left forearm inflammation) led-off as the DH and was 0-for-2 with two walks and an RBI. Roman Anthony (ligament tear in his right ring finger) batted second and went 0-for-4 as the leftfielder with one putout, while Trevor Story (sports hernia surgery) hit third also going 0-for-4 as the shortstop handling 3 assists & 1 putout.

The RailRiders used back-to-back homeruns to put 4 runs on the board in the 2^nd inning and never looked back. With two outs in the frame, Oswaldo Cabrera walked, Tyler Hardman singled, and Kennedy Corona followed by belting a 3-run HR (#7) onto the berm in leftfield. Former Yankee shortstop Anthony Volpe, playing second base on Wednesday, was next and he smacked a solo shot (#6) into the third row of the Worcester Wall in rightfield for a 4-0 lead.

Cabrera and Hardman added RBI singles in the 3^rd inning to up the RailRiders advantage to 6-0 and close the book on WooSox starter and loser Gage Ziehl (1-3). Ziehl was touched for 9 hits and 6 runs in his 3-inning stint.

Worcester’s only run came in the 3^rd thanks to the speed of CF Braiden Ward who led with a single, stole second for his league-leading 54^th SB of the season, went to third when the catcher’s throw went into center, and bounced home on a Kiner-Falefa RBI grounder. Ward is now three stolen bases shy of matching the Worcester (and modern-day Red Sox Triple-A) record for most SB in a season held by former WooSox David Hamilton who had 57 in 2023.

Worcester’s bullpen was terrific holding the RailRiders scoreless from the 4^th inning until the 9^th. Noah Song continued his impressive work of late tossing 3 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. Tyler Samaniego had a 1-2-3, 7^th inning on just 4 pitches and Devin Sweet did the same in the 8^th with 2 strikeouts.

Scranton/WB tacked on a run in the 9^th to make the final, 7-1. The RailRiders used six pitchers to hold the Sox to just five singles and one run.

Game three of the 6-game series will be Thursday at 6:05 pm at Polar Park. Blake Wehunt (1-1, 3.65), the 6’7”, 240 lbs. righty takes the mound for the WooSox while the RailRiders send their own big man, 6’5”, 245 lbs. righthander Adam Kloffenstein (3-9, 5.23) to the hill. The game is live on NESN and can be heard on NASH 98.9 FM and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.

Tomorrow’s game will be another Deuces Wild Thursday evening home game at Polar Park when fans can purchase $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 from August 21-27). The WooSox will also play as Los Wepas de Worcester, presented by Modelo and La Mega Radio, celebrating Brazil.