ROCHESTER, NY — Thanks to a five-run seventh inning, the Worcester Red Sox (18-12) came from behind to beat the Rochester Red Wings (14-17) on Friday night at ESL Ballpark by a 10-5 final.
Worcester scored in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game, as Mickey Gasper blasted a solo home run with two outs in the frame to give the WooSox a 1-0 lead.
Nick Sogard singled home a run in the second inning to make it a 2-0 game.
The Red Wings scored three times to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Abimelec Ortiz tied the game with a two-run double, and Levi Jordan’s bunt single gave Rochester a 3-2 lead.
Rochester plated a pair in third when Ortiz hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 5-2.
In the top of the fifth, Vinny Capra lifted a solo homer over the left-field fence to cut the deficit to 5-3.
The WooSox broke through against the Rochester bullpen in the seventh, with the first six hitters reaching safely. The WooSox batted around and scored five times. Braiden Ward led off the inning with a triple. Sogard then singled him in. Capra doubled in Sogard to tie the game. Gasper laced a single into right to put Worcester ahead 6-5. After a walk to Anthony Seigler, Allan Castro hooked a double to right to score two.
Matt Lloyd hit a two-run single in the ninth to give the WooSox a 10-5 lead.
Every member of the WooSox lineup reached safely at least once.
In his second Triple-A appearance, Eduardo Rivera tossed three scoreless innings and picked up the win. Rivera retired nine of the 10 batters he faced. The left-hander struck out five, and he induced 12 whiffs.
The WooSox have won eight of their last 11 games, and they are now six games over .500, matching their season-high from both April 10 (9-3) and April 12 (10-4).
Worcester has won 20 of its last 27 games in Rochester, and they have won 35 of their last 48 games in the Flower City.
The WooSox and Red Wings continue this six-game series tomorrow afternoon at ESL Ballpark, with first pitch set for 1:05 pm. Radio coverage begins at 12:45 pm on 98.9 Nash Icon and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.