Worcester was 12-14 in August and hit just 16 home runs in those 26 games. The WooSox are on a two-week road trip with six games at Buffalo, then six more versus Lehigh Valley in Allentown.
The Bisons have been slumping. They are 4-7 in their last 11 games.
Without a dramatic turnaround Worcester will not win the league’s second half championship. The WooSox still have an excellent chance to finish above .500 for the sixth straight season, every year they have been in the city.
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TRIPLE-A TRIVIA
1. Which batter who has played for the WooSox at some point in his career has hit the most home runs in the major leagues?
2. What pitcher holds the Worcester Red Sox record for most career wins?
Answers below.
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Kristian Campbell is one of those batters a manager wants up with men on base. His two home runs on Sunday improved his career total to 19 and 13 have come with somebody on. Campbell has had almost as many three-run homers — five including Sunday — as solo, six. … As the major league season hits stretch time, Chad Tracy is a leading candidate for American League Manager of the Year. If that happens, he will be part of the only father-son team to both win that award. Jim Tracy. Chad’s dad, was so honored with the Rockies in 2009. … Tomas Nido made his catching debut for the WooSox on Saturday. He is the team’s eighth catcher this year, tying the team record set last season.
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So far, six players have hit home runs for both the Boston and Worcester Red Sox. That list includes Roman Anthony, Nate Eaton, Mickey Gasper, Romy Gonzalez, Anthony Seigler and Nick Sogard. Add that to the list, if you wish, one player who has homered for Worcester and against Boston — Andrew Knizner. … Wyatt Olds is the 60th Worcester player all-time to graduate from here to the major leagues, 11th this year. Ten of those 11 are pitchers. The most graduates ever in one season is 14, done in 2024. … The weekend series included a pair of umpires going up the ancestry ladder with Steven Rios Jr. and Robert Ginther III. If baseball can find an ump who is IV, it can do a cycle. … Tyler McDonough hit .188 with six home runs and 18 RBIs for Portland in August. However, the way he hit in Triple-A when he was with the WooSox this June & July (.310 with 7 HR & 22 RBI in 31 games) — the Worcester offense could use his production.
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Weekend visitors to Polar Park included Scranton/Wilkes-Barre bench coach Gil Velazquez, who had a substantial career in Pawtucket from 2008-10. Velazquez played in 266 games for the PawSox and had one of those strange dips in production along the way. He hit .260 in 2008, then just .193 in 2009 with a similar number of games played.
Also on hand was Worcester native and Mets scout Shaun McNamara. He has recovered from a nasty fall earlier in the year in which he tore both quadriceps muscles. McNamara is off the injured list and is headed to Japan this week.
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CATCHING UP WITH….
Pitcher Jonathan Brand, who holds an unbreakable WooSox record with an infinite career ERA, has recovered from that one forgettable appearance last season. Brand is having a fine year for the Rangers Frisco Double-A team in the Texas League. He is 4-2 with three saves and a 4.62 earned run average.
Catcher Eli Marrero got into four games in Worcester in 2024 and had two hits, a double and a home run. He is with the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate. Marrero is batting .240 and does not have a home run, but has one triple to his credit.
Infielder Pablo Reyes has split the season between two Triple-A teams, El Paso and Salt Lake. He is presently with Salt Lake, an Angels farm team. Reyes is batting .335 with 9 homers and 55 RBIs in 88 games total.
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the first native of Hawaii to play for the WooSox, while reliever Max Carlson is the first Minnesotan. With those Worcester debuts, the team is up to 38 of the 50 United States on its all-time roster. The remaining 12 include some obvious ones like Alaska, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Vermont. They also include Maine, Arkansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, West Virginia and New Mexico.
Carlson is the 14th player to make his Triple-A debut in Worcester this season, the fifth Boston draft choice. He, Blake Wehunt and Kade Feeney were taken in 2023. Caleb Bolden and Hayden Mullins were part of the 2022 draft.
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TRIVIA ANSWERS
1. Trevor Story has hit 207 big league home runs. Story has three for the WooSox, all coming during his rehab stint here in 2023.
2. Right-hander Brian Van Belle won 18 games for the WooSox from 2023-25 and compiled an overall record of 18-7. He debuted with the Rays last season and his first career strikeout was of Willson Contreras. Van Belle has missed all of this season with elbow surgery.