Worcester defeats RailRiders in another high-scoring game
Another high-scoring, back-and-forth game. Another Worcester victory.
The Red Sox rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 9-8, on Friday night at Polar Park in Massachusetts.
Jamie Westbrook, Eddy Alvarez and Enmanuel Valdez each had two hits for Worcester, which has taken three of the first four games of the six-game series.
Oscar Gonzalez and Luis Torrens each had three hits for the RailRiders (28-14). Everson Pereira and Jose Rojas chipped in two hits apiece.
After a two-run home run by Bobby Dalbec in the bottom of the first inning gave the WooSox an early lead, the RailRiders responded with five runs in the top of the second. Jeter Downs had a sacrifice fly and Torrens a RBI double to tie. Kevin Smith followed with a double to score Torrens and Caleb Durbin plated Smith with a single. Durbin went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a single by Pereira.
A one-out triple by Gonzalez and another sac fly by Downs extended the lead to 6-2 in the top of the third.
But as it did repeatedly in its win Thursday, Worcester battled back.
Alvarez’s two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fourth cut the deficit to 6-4. In the fifth, a RBI single by Valdez and a bases-loaded walk by Niko Kavadas tied the score, 6-6.
In the top of the seventh, the RailRiders moved back in front. Pereira led off with a double and T.J. Rumfield followed with a RBI single. With one out, Gonzalez doubled to send Rumfield to third. After a pitching change, Rojas singled to score Rumfield, but Gonzalez was thrown out at the plate trying to score by right fielder Dalbec to keep it 8-6.
That was big because, in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to walks, the WooSox put runners on first and second with two outs. Westbrook had a two-run double to tie the game at 8. Alvarez then doubled to score Westbrook with the go-ahead run.
In the top of the ninth, the RailRiders put the tying run aboard when Pereira reached on a two-base throwing error. But Lucas Luetge got a groundout and two strikeouts to save the victory for winner Jorge Benitez.
Saturday’s game at Polar Park was rained out. The teams will play a doubleheader Sunday starting at 1:05 p.m.
