WooSox Can’t Extend Early Lead, Take 4-2 Loss in Syracuse

SYRACUSE, NY – An early 2-0 lead would not hold for the Worcester Red Sox (4-8) on Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium, as the Syracuse Mets rallied for four unanswered runs (7-5) on their way to a 4-2 win.

Rob Refsnyder and Nick Sogard got the WooSox off to a hot start, stringing together back-to-back doubles down the left field line to plate a first inning run against Joey Lucchesi (W, 2-0).

In his second rehab game (lefty pinky toe fracture), Refsnyder went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and caught a fly ball in right field. Vaughn Grissom (left hamstring strain), who was acquired in a trade for Chris Sale in December, went 0-for-3 in his first rehab appearance of the season, lining out in each of his last two at bats.

Jamie Westbrook doubled the lead to 2-0 in the second with a leadoff homer that stayed just inside the right field foul pole. A moonshot in the box score, Westbrook’s first long ball of the season traveled an estimated 320 feet and left the bat at 94 miles-per-hour.

Lucchesi locked it down from there, holding Worcester to just two walks and two singles over his final five innings. Syracuse’s bullpen proved equally tough, as Shintaro Fujinami (H, 1) and Josh Walker (S, 1) combined to retire the final nine WooSox batters in order.

Grant Gambrell (L, 0-2) faced the minimum through two innings, but the Mets offense came to life in the third. Four consecutive singles tied the game, including a two-run base hit from top prospect Luisangel Acuña. Two batters later, Mark Vientos knocked in Mark Vientos with a soft groundout to short to make it 3-2.

Gambrell allowed three runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Justin Hagenmen struck out three and allowed just one hit: a solo home run by Rylan Bannon in the sixth.

The series continues in Syracuse through Sunday at NBT Bank Stadium. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. on the 98.9 NASH Icon WooSox Radio Network.