Fitzgerald Delivers RBI Hit, Second Straight Walkoff Win For WooSox

WORCESTER, M.A. — For the second time in as many days, the Worcester Red Sox (58-56) entered the bottom of the ninth in a tie game, and for the second straight day, the WooSox got a walkoff winner—on Thursday, a walkoff RBI single from Ryan Fitzgerald to beat the Rochester Red Wings (51-63) 9-8 at Polar Park.

Fitzgerald stepped up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth in an 8-8 game, working against Matt Cronin. He got a quick-pitch breaking ball and smashed a line drive to center, scoring Triston Casas as the game-winning run in front of 7,110.

“It's fun. There's really not much pressure on you,” Fitzgerald said. “You know the guy behind you's gonna get the job done.”

FITZY WALKS IT OFF!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/qZUptHsxd1

— Los Wepas de Worcester (@WooSox) August 19, 2022

Early on, the WooSox got runs on a first inning RBI ground-rule double from Triston Casas and a second-inning solo homer by Franchy Cordero over the Worcester Wall in right.

They trailed 8-2 in the fourth, but Cordero cracked a two-out single, plating Fitzgerald, then cut the deficit to 8-5 on a two-run homer by Connor Wong.

Since returning from injury on August 13, Wong is 7-for-22 (.318) with three homers and five RBI.

The comeback continued in the sixth thanks to Cordero’s second long ball, this time a solo homer to center. Cordero, optioned from Boston on August 2, is 14-for-39 (.359) in that span with two doubles, three homers and six RBI.

It was an 8-6 Rochester lead in the eighth, and Worcester began a threat with a Fitzgerald walk and a Nick Sogard double. A wild pitch plated Fitzgerald, and Cordero delivered the game-tying swing, a sac-fly lineout to left for his fourth RBI of the day.

The combination of James Norwood, A.J. Politi and Frank German tossed six scoreless innings, setting down 16 consecutive Red Wings hitters to close the game. German (2-1) earned the win after Fitzgerald's heroics in the bottom of the ninth.

Rochester scored all of their eight runs in the first three innings, including five in the first to knock WooSox starter Connor Seabold out of the ballgame.

Ten men came to the plate in the opening inning, including RBI hits from Jake Alu, Riley Adams, Nick Banks and Adrian Sanchez. Seabold allowed seven hits and notched two outs, both of them on strikeouts. The Red Wings also plated one in the second off Chase Shugart on a Jake Alu RBI single, then added two more on a pair of run-scoring doubles by Jecksson Flores and Andrew Stevenson.

Jeter Downs exited the game in the fifth inning with a left leg injury. He fell rounding first base, attempting reach second for a double.

The WooSox continue the six-game series on Friday at 6:45 p.m. at Polar Park against the Rochester Red Wings, affiliate of the Washington Nationals. On the mound, Brayan Bello is scheduled to make a rehab start for Worcester against Franklyn Kilome (2-3, 5.32). Radio coverage is live at 6:25 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network, while television is live on NESN+.