ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Red Wings (15-17) hit three homers and scored three unanswered runs in the final three innings as the Worcester Red Sox (18-13) saw a three-game winning streak come to an end with a 7-5 loss on Saturday afternoon at ESL Ballpark. The WooSox are now 3-2 on the week and can still win the series with a victory on Sunday.
For the first time in the series the Red Wings struck first, plating four runs against WooSox starter Michael Sansone in the bottom of the 3rd inning. A leadoff single and one-out walk put runners at first and second for Dylan Crews, who lined a single to right center to score Phillip Glasser giving Rochester a 1-0 lead. On the very next pitch, Yohandy Morales launched a three-run homer to left center to make it 4-0 Red Wings.
The WooSox struck back in the next inning. With Mikey Romero at first base and one out, Allan Castro hit a line drive that just cleared the wall down the left field line for a two-run homer to cut the Rochester lead to 4-2.
Nathan Hickey led off the top of 5th inning with a solo homer to make it 4-3, and the WooSox took the lead in the bottom of the 6th when Hickey hit sizzling one-hopper to second base that was mishandled by Glasser allowing two runs to score to put Worcester on top 5-4.
In the bottom of the 6th, however, the Red Wings jumped back in front against Sansone. With Morales at first base and one out, Abimelec Ortiz launched a long home run to right field to make it 6-5 Rochester.
The Red Wings plated an insurance run in the top of the 8th inning when Andrés Chaparro hit a solo home run off WooSox reliever Jacob Webb to give Rochester a 7-5 lead.
The WooSox went down in order in the top of the 9th to end the ballgame and went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position on Saturday afternoon.
Rochester reliever Trevor Gott (1-0) picked up the win with 1.1 scoreless innings following starter Andrew Alvarez, while Sansone (1-2) suffered the loss allowing six runs on six hits over 5.1 innings while walking three and striking out five.
Despite the loss on Saturday, the WooSox will play for the series win in the finale on Sunday afternoon in Rochester with first pitch at 1:05 pm. The WooSox have not yet announced their starting pitcher, while right-hander Chandler Champlain (1-0, 3.60) makes his second start of the series for the Red Wings. Pregame coverage begins at 12:45 pm on the WooSox Radio Network.