Worcester Scores Twice in the 9th Inning to Beat Buffalo, 3-2

Mikey Romero's RBI triple ties it and pinch-runner Tsung-Che Cheng scores GW run on wild pitch WooSox Starter Jake Bennett tosses 5 shutout innings allowing just 1 hit

11:30 AM UTC
Tsung-Che Cheng is mobbed by teammates after scoring the winning run in Worcester’s, 3-2 walk-off victory over Buffalo on Tuesday night at Polar Park.
Tsung-Che Cheng is mobbed by teammates after scoring the winning run in Worcester’s, 3-2 walk-off victory over Buffalo on Tuesday night at Polar Park.Tayla Bolduc

Worcester, MA – Pinch-runner Tsung-Che Cheng raced home with the game-winning run on a wild pitch to cap a 2-run, 9th inning rally sending the Worcester Red Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday night at Polar Park in the opener of a 6-game series. 

After being held to just one hit through 8-innings,  WooSox 3B Anthony Seigler led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a gift double when Buffalo RF RJ Schreck lost his fly ball in the 8:30 pm evening sky.  After Kristian Campbell moved Seigler to third base with a groundout, Mikey Romero, who had the first WooSox hit back in the 4th inning, drilled a game-tying triple to the left center field gap.  Cheng came on to pinch run for Romero and scooted home with the game-winner when tough-luck loser CJ Van Eyk uncorked a two-out, two-strike wild pitch with Allan Castro at the plate.     

It was Worcester’s third walk-off win of the year, their 8th last at-bat win, and their 11th come-from-behind victory of the season.  The WooSox have been involved in four 1-run games in their last five outings (3-1 in those) after playing a total of just eight 1-run games in their first 50 games.   

WooSox ace Jake Bennett tossed 5 shutout innings allowing just a 2-out double in the 5th inning and left with a 1-0 lead, but the Bisons scored 2 runs in the 6th inning off reliever Noah Song who entered the game on a 9-inning scoreless streak over his last 7 relief appearances. 

Bennett, the 6’6”, 25-year-old acquired from the Washington Nationals last off-season, walked 3 and struck out 4 while lowering his ERA to 1.60.  His 39.1 total innings in 9 starts leave him shy of qualifying for the International League ERA lead.  He’s allowed just 31 hits and 7 earned runs with only 9 walks compared to 41 strikeouts on the year.   Jake also went 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in 2 starts for the Boston Red Sox earlier this May.   

After Song was touched for 2 runs in the 6th inning to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead, the WooSox bullpen kept the Bisons at bay from there as Zack Kelly (2 scoreless innings) and winner Kyle Keller (2-2) with a scoreless 9th inning gave the Sox a chance for the dramatic comeback win in the 9th. 

The clubs will be a back at it early on Wednesday for the third and final morning game of the season at Polar Park beginning at 11:05 am.  RHP Jack Anderson (1-3, 5.52) gets the start for the WooSox (28-27) vs. Buffalo (27-31) lefty Josh Fleming (2-3, 2.48).  The game will be live on NESN and on radio on NASH 98.9 FM.