WooSox Ride Five-Run Third to 9-2 Win over IronPigs
ALLENTOWN, P.A. — One night after failing to score a run at Coca-Cola Park, the Worcester Red Sox (12-9) tied a season-high with five runs in a single inning on the way to a 9-2 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (13-8). Two innings after Lehigh Valley jumped up 1-0
ALLENTOWN, P.A. — One night after failing to score a run at Coca-Cola Park, the Worcester Red Sox (12-9) tied a season-high with five runs in a single inning on the way to a 9-2 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (13-8).
Two innings after Lehigh Valley jumped up 1-0 in the first on an RBI single from Ryan Cordell, the WooSox began their biggest rally of the series. Jett Bandy singled, Jack Lopez walked, Jonathan Araúz knocked a ball to left and Worcester had the bases loaded with no outs. Michael Chavis stepped up and rocketed a one-hopper at shortstop Ruben Tejada—the play brought home Bandy and was ruled an error, though it could have been a base hit.
After IronPigs’ starter Adonis Medina got two outs, Marcus Wilson cracked a hard grounder to third that went off the glove of Sal Gozzo. By the time Gozzo retrieved the ball in short left field, Araúz scored to give Wilson his first of three RBI on the night. Cesar Puello and Michael Gettys followed that up with run-scoring knocks of their own, and the WooSox had a five-hit, five-run inning, tying a season best in both categories.
Former number one overall pick Mickey Moniak answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the third off Ryan Weber. That, along with the first inning run, was the only damage against the Worcester starter, who tossed six innings of two-run ball along with seven strikeouts in his first win of the season.
Austin Brice, designated for assignment Thursday by Boston, made his WooSox debut in the seventh. The right-hander allowed one hit, but struck out two in a scoreless inning against the top of the IronPigs’ lineup.
Worcester delivered another crooked number in the eighth, putting up three runs to extend the lead. Araúz ripped a one-out double to center and was pushed to third on a Chavis single. Muñoz grounded out to bring home Araúz and Franchy Cordero—making his own WooSox debut—walked. Wilson then doubled home Muñoz and Cordero to make it 8-2 and cap off a two-hit, two-walk, three-RBI night for the 24-year-old.
.@MW12 has:
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) May 28, 2021
-2 hits
-3 RBI
-1 double
-reached 4 times
-a big smile pic.twitter.com/hUgK8JoUJB
That portion of the lineup added one more in the top of the ninth on a Muñoz groundout, working against a position player on the mound, catcher Jack Conley.
Marcus Walden and Kevin McCarthy combined for two scoreless innings to close out the win and snap Worcester’s two-game losing streak. The nine-run output nearly doubled the total number of runs by the road team over the first two games of the series, and improved Billy McMillon’s road record to 3-6 this season.
The WooSox continue the six-game series in Allentown on Friday against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at 7:05 p.m. Radio coverage starts at 6:45 on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network. Lehigh Valley’s Julian Garcia (0-0, 6.00) faces Raynel Espinal (2-1, 4.71), who has won two straight starts for Worcester.