Criswell Tosses 5+ of One-Run Ball, WooSox Drop Finale to Buffalo

Alvarez & Kavadas Homer, Worcester Falls 10-5 in Front of 6,911 at Polar Park

By Cooper Boardman

April 7, 2024

WORCESTER, M.A. — Despite a scoreless game through five, the Buffalo Bisons (5-3) erupted offensively to beat the Worcester Red Sox (3-5), 10-5 on Sunday afternoon at Polar Park. In his second organizational start, Cooper Criswell became the first WooSox pitcher to work in to the sixth inning. The right-hander

WORCESTER, M.A. — Despite a scoreless game through five, the Buffalo Bisons (5-3) erupted offensively to beat the Worcester Red Sox (3-5), 10-5 on Sunday afternoon at Polar Park.

In his second organizational start, Cooper Criswell became the first WooSox pitcher to work in to the sixth inning. The right-hander went 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run with four strikeouts.

Criswell worked 1-2-3 innings in the first and fourth and recorded eight total swing-and-misses on his sweeper. Over two starts, he has the following line: 10.1 IP, 1 ER, 9 K, 3 BB.

Following Criswell’s departure, Buffalo plated 10 runs over three innings. Luis De Los Santos opened the scoring with a sixth-inning RBI single, the lone run charger to the Worcester starter. In the seventh, the Bisons rallied for six on a Cameron Eden homer and multi-run hits from Nathan Lukes and Damiano Palmegiani.

Eddy Alvarez notched his first organizational home run in the bottom of the seventh, giving the home team its first run of the afternoon.

But Addison Barger blew the game wide open in the eighth for Buffalo, smashing a three-run shot to right off Brennan Bernardino.

The WooSox grabbed two back in the bottom of the frame, an offensive spurt that began with a Niko Kavadas walk and Tyler Heineman single. After a strikeout, Nick Sogard delivered an RBI knock, and two batters later, an error plated the second and final Worcester run of the inning.

Kavadas provided some late power in the ninth, clobbering his first long ball of the season over the wall in right, a 403-foot two-run blast. Heineman followed with a single, part of a four-hit game for the catcher.

A.J. Politi went 1.1 scoreless innings to finish the day out of the WooSox bullpen, his second runless appearance of the season.

The WooSox are back in action tomorrow (Monday) on the road, facing the Syracuse Mets at 5:05 p.m. On the mound, Jason Alexander (0-0, 4.50) makes the start for Worcester. Radio coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network.