WORCESTER — When Josh Winckowski was optioned to Triple A Worcester earlier this month, returning to the minors for the first time since 2022, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had a message for him.
“Just go down there and work,” Cora said on May 12. “If he wants to come back here, then do the things that you have to do and the things you can control and he’ll be back.”
From what WooSox manager Chad Tracy has seen over the past couple of weeks, Winckowski is doing just that.
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“He’s been amazing,” Tracy said. “I had Wink for a year and a half. [Pitching coach] Dan [DeLucia] worked with Wink a ton down in Fort Myers as our rehab coach. A lot of the guys leading into spring training that were living down [in Florida] would go in and Dan would work out with them. So he knows Dan, he knows me.
Tracy said the first day Winckowski was down in Worcester, he sought out the manager on the field and gave him a big hug.
“He was ready to go,” Tracy said. “His frame of mind has been great.”
The plan is for Winckowski to stretch back out as a starter, and Tuesday night’s game was a notable step toward getting back to the rotation. He threw 62 pitches (38 strikes) over four innings, his second-longest outing of the season both in terms of innings and amount of pitches.
An emphasis for Winckowski in his time in Worcester is to pound the strike zone and get ahead in the count. His first inning of work was a perfect example of the importance of getting strike one. The three batters he got ahead of ended up as outs (two strikeouts – including a three-pitch strikeout of top prospect Jackson Holliday to begin the game – and a ground out), while the two he fell behind reached on hits.
Winckowski fell behind 10 of the 18 hitters he faced, but notably, he didn’t walk anyone and struck out four.
“This year obviously the numbers are still good, but peripherally, getting him back in the zone consistently,” Tracy said of the priority for Winckowski. “He was one of our best in the org last year. First pitch strikes, two out of the first three in the zone, those numbers have all kind of dropped. So like biggest thing I know that Dan’s preached to him is let’s get back to attacking the zone early and getting ahead and when he does, he’s successful.”
Winckowski allowed two runs, one unearned, on five hits in his four innings of work. He racked up 11 swings and misses, with five coming on his cutter, three on his sinker, two on his four-seamer and one on his slider.
WooSox 20, Tides 4
Though the Tides’ lineup boasts two of the league’s top prospects in Holliday and Heston Kjerstad, it was the WooSox lineup that put on a show Tuesday night. Every member of the WooSox lineup had at least one hit and eight players drove in at least one run. It was the first time since 2000 that the WooSox plated 20 or more runs.
Eddy Alvarez had the biggest night of them all, blasting two home runs and driving in six in a 3-for-5 night. Enmanuel Valdez smacked two home runs in the first three innings of the game, both off of Norfolk starter Justin Armbruester. He also walked twice. Nathan Hickey homered, singled and walked twice, while Nick Sogard went deep for his fifth of the season and scored three times.
Bailey Horn was impressive in relief, tossing two hitless innings. Chase Shugart earned the win, allowing one run over two innings and striking out three.
Notes
– Former MLB player Matt Holliday was in the house at Polar Park on Tuesday to watch his son, Jackson, with the Tides. Matt Holliday is a seven-time All-Star who played for the Cardinals, Rockies, A’s and Yankees in his 15-year career.
Former MLB player Matt Holliday and his family watch Jackson Holliday play for the Norfolk Tides on May 21, 2024 at Polar Park. (Katie Morrison-O’Day / MassLive)Katie Morrison-O’Day
– WooSox bench coach Jose Flores is with the Red Sox this week as Boston bench coach Ramón Vázquez and first base coach Andy Fox both have college graduations for their children to attend this week. Pablo Cabrera, a defensive coach at the Red Sox’ Florida complex, is in Worcester to help the short-handed coaching staff.
What’s Next
The WooSox continue the six-game series at Polar Park Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m. against the Tides behind Naoyuki Uwasawa (2-1, 4.88), who faces Chayce McDermott (1-2, 3.55).
