Behind four multi-hit performances and four innings of shutout relief, the Worcester Red Sox defeated Durham 5-3 on Wednesday night to earn their second consecutive road win against the Bulls.
Nick Sogard finished 2-for-5 and scored one run to help Worcester improve its record to 66-61. Mikey Romero (2-for-5), Abraham Toro (2-for-4), and Nathan Hickey (2-for-4) recorded six of their team’s 10 combined hits.
Toro also scored three times.
On the pitching side, meanwhile, starter Connelly Early allowed three earned runs and struck out six in five innings to earn his third win for the Red Sox. Chris Murphy (two), Alex Hoppe (one), and Hobie Harris (one) allowed only one hit, one walk, no runs, and struck out two in four relief innings.
Complete game statistics can be found here.
After one combined inning of scoreless action, Hickey changed that for Worcester with a run-scoring groundball toward first base to plate Toro from third. The road team wasn’t finished, though, as Hickey then connected for a double down the right-field line against Durham starting pitcher Jesse Scholtens.
That hit allowed Sogard to score and double the Red Sox’ lead to 2-0 through three innings of action.
Scholtens allowed seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, and struck out six in four innings as Durham moved to 70-55. But reliever Cole Wilcox suffered his fifth-season loss, as the right-handed pitcher allowed two hits, one earned run, and struck out three during the fifth and sixth innings.
Through three-and-a-half innings, the Bulls still trailed by three runs. But with multiple runners on and two outs during the bottom of the fourth inning, Jamie Westbrook changed that behind his seventh-season blast to even the score at 3-3 during the bottom of the fourth.
Durham finished 1-for-2 with runners in scoring position, while Westbrook drove in all three of his team’s two-out RBIs. Worcester, meanwhile, finished 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
One of those four previously mentioned moments was a solo home run for Toro to move the Red Sox ahead for good to lead off the top of the fifth inning. The designated hitter then scored off a wild pitch for an insurance run in the seventh, as Worcester emerged victorious.
The Red Sox and Bulls will compete in game three of this series on Thursday from Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 6:35 p.m.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
