Less than two weeks since the Red Sox promoted Kyle Barraclough to Triple-A Worcester, the right-handed pitcher continued to prove his worthiness.
Barraclough allowed two hits, one earned run, and struck out a career-high 11 to help the Worcester Red Sox defeat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 3-1 on Friday.
The 33-year-old posted his second game of the season with double-digit strikeouts, dropped his ERA to 2.40, and improved his pitching record to 8-0 during nine Triple-A appearances and 9-0 between Worcester and Boston.
The WooSox improved to 65-52 behind their seventh win in 10 games, as they remain 4.5 games behind the Norfolk Tides (69-47) for first place in the International East League, while the fifth-place RailRiders moved to 56-59.
Through one-and-a-half innings, both teams were scoreless.
However, it didn’t remain that way as Enmanuel Valdez recorded a two-run homer over the Worcester Wall to ensure the WooSox an opening 2-0 lead. The blast was Valdez’s 10th of the season in Triple-A.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre wouldn’t be shutout, as Andres Chaparro cut the RailRiders’ deficit in half with a leadoff fifth-inning solo home run. But Worcester’s offense quickly responded as David Hamilton earned a one-out walk during the inning’s bottom half.
Before the opposition blinked, though, Hamilton stole second and third base. With two outs and a runner in scoring position, Wilyer Abreu recorded a clutch run-scoring single to left-center field to help the Red Sox extend their lead to 3-1 through five.
Hamilton has recorded 48 stolen bases through 83 games to make matters sweeter, while Abreu has an International League-best 22 RBI this month.
Once Barraclough exited with two outs in the seventh inning, reliever Joe Jacques posted the next four outs before Worcerster’s defense forced a game-ending double play with the bases load to ensure Justin Garza earned his second save of the year.
Worcester and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will continue its six-game series on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled from Polar Park at 4:05 p.m.
Brian Van Belle (2-2, 7.24 ERA) will pitch for the WooSox against the RailRiders’ Edgar Barclay (0-1, 4.97 ERA).
