Goodrum, Crook Homer in 11-6 Series-Opening Loss to Rochester

WORCESTER, M.A. — The Worcester Red Sox (27-31) erased an early deficit but fell in the series opener on Tuesday night, an 11-6 loss to the Rochester Red Wings (27-29) at Polar Park.

The WooSox trailed 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, then rallied for five consecutive runs. Ryan Fitzgerald began the comeback in the bottom of the fifth with a single, and two walks and a strikeout later, the bases were loaded for Nick Sogard. He watched four pitches go by for a run-scoring walk, his fourth RBI in five June games. One batter later, a wild pitch brought Narciso Crook home, and Worcester made it a 4-2 deficit after five.

In the sixth, Bobby Dalbec worked a one-out walk, putting the tying run on. Niko Goodrum worked a 3-2 count, then blasted a game-tying two-run homer, a 411-foot shot to dead center. Goodrum now has six home runs, two of which have come from his left side (including Tuesday night’s).

Ryan Fitzgerald followed with a bloop to left and hustled to second for a double, his team-leading 15^th of the year. After a groundout, Bradley Zimmer laced a triple down the right field line, plating Fitzgerald for the go-ahead run.

With Worcester leading 5-4 in the seventh, Rochester began the frame with consecutive singles. Three batters later, Matt Adams blasted a three-run home run over the Worcester Wall in right to put the Red Wings up 7-5.

In the eighth, Narciso Crook ripped an opposite-field solo shot to make it a 7-6 ballgame. Crook, who slashed .316/.404/.474 over 16 games in May, now has three hits in four games in June.

Rochester re-took control of the game with a four-run ninth, plating runs on a Kieboom RBI double, an Adams groundout and a pair of run-scoring hits by Cody Wilson and Richie Martin.

Adam Duvall and Yu Chang made rehab appearances for the WooSox. Duvall played all nine innings in centerfield, going 1-for-4 with a single and a walk, while Chang started at DH and went 0-for-4.

Early on, WooSox starter Brandon Walter posted the following line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. For Rochester offensively, Derek Hill homered on the first pitch of the night and tripled to set up an RBI groundout in the third. They also added runs on sac-flies by Drew Millas in the fourth and Nomar Mazara in the fifth, the latter of which made it 4-0 before Worcester’s comeback.

The WooSox continue the homestand on Wednesday afternoon at 12:15 p.m. against the Rochester Red Wings, affiliate of the Washington Nationals. On the mound, Jake Faria (2-1, 6.26) faces Cory Abbott (2-4, 5.71). Television coverage is live on NESN, while radio coverage is live at 11:55 a.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon and the WooSox Radio Network.