Worcester, MA – The Worcester Red Sox battled back to make things interesting but could not overcome an early 8-0 deficit in suffering a 9-6 defeat to the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday night in the opener of a 6-game series at Polar Park. Coupled with their 7-6 loss to Lehigh Valley last Sunday, Worcester has dropped consecutive games for the first time in 23 days since July 17 & 19.
The WooSox won’t have to wait long to try to get back in the win column when they face the Bisons in game two tomorrow (Wednesday) in a matinee contest at 12:05 pm at Polar Park.
John Holobetz made his third start for the WooSox since his July 28th promotion from Double-A Portland. He gave up consecutive singles to the first two Buffalo batters to begin the game, got the next two outs, but then allowed a 3-run HR to Bisons 1B Sean Keys. Holobetz, who suffered the loss to fall to 1-1 with Worcester, would depart with one out and nobody on in the 4th inning – 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R,3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO.
Eduardo Rivera entered and was not effective for one of the few times in over a month. Rivera, who had allowed just 1 run in his last 12.2 innings, was touched for 5 runs (although only 2 earned) by the time he could finish the 4th inning. The Bisons got an RBI single by Rudy Martin Jr., another run scored on an error, Yohendrick Pinango followed with an RBI sac fly, and with two outs both Keys and C.J. Stubbs delivered RBI singles to cap the 5-run inning and stake the Bisons to an 8-0 lead.
The WooSox got on the board in the 4th inning. Catcher Mickey Gasper (4 hits) led with a single and 1B Romy Gonzalez (2 hits) laced a double. Mikey Romero plated Gasper with a sac fly and Allan Castro would score Gonzalez with an RBI single. However, the WooSox left the bases loaded and were still down 6 runs.
Worcester chipped away with a run in the 5th and another in the 6th to cut the deficit to 8-4. SS Franklin Arias (2 hits, 2 runs) led the 5th with a sharp single, went to third on another hit by Gasper, and came across to score when Gonzalez hit a hard grounder for a 4-6-3 double play.
Nate Eaton began the 6th with a double and he would score on an RBI single by Kristian Campbell. However, with runners on 2nd & 3rd and one out, both Braiden Ward and Arias were called out on strikes – both on 3 & 2 pitches and both after Buffalo catcher Stubbs challenged correctly to change ball four to strike three.
The WooSox got good relief work from Devin Sweet (2 scoreless) and Noah Song (3 innings, 1 run) and got a 2-run single from Romero in the 9th to pull to within, 9-6 but that would be the final.
Game 2 of the series is tomorrow (Wednesday) at 12:05 pm in the final weekday matinee of the year at Polar Park. Newly-acquired veteran righty John Brebbia (0-0, 0.00), a Sharon, MA native, will make a spot start for the WooSox against Buffalo righty Devereaux Harrison (3-4, 6.23). The game is live on NESN and can be heard on NASH 98.9 FM.