BUFFALO, NY – Chase Meidroth hit his third home run of the year, but a six-run eighth inning dooms the Worcester Red Sox (30-37) as the club drops to seven games below .500 following their 8-3 loss to the Buffalo Bisons (35-32) in game four of their six-game series in Buffalo.
Continuing his rehab assignment, Romy Gonzalez, who made his debut with the WooSox on Thursday night, played a crucial role in Friday’s game. The 27-year-old, batting second and playing the entire game at first base, picked up a hit in four at-bats, contributing to the team’s performance.
Jason Alexander, who had a strong start against Rochester on June 8, where he tossed six shutout innings, continued his impressive form in the game against the Buffalo Bisons. The 31-year-old, starting the game on the mound for Worcester, allowed just one unearned run and struck out six Bison batters in five innings.
With two June starts under his belt, Alexander has held opponents to a .114 batting average and has yet to allow an earned run in 11 innings of work.
While the WooSox sent a traditional starter to the mound in Alexander, the Bisons opted for a bullpen game on Friday night. In 4.1 scoreless innings, Buffalo’s opener, Nick Fraze, scattered three hits and struck out three.
Down 1-0 entering the sixth inning, Chase Meidroth broke through for Worcester, launching his third long ball of the year. For the WooSox utility infielder, it was his first home run since May 5 against Lehigh Valley. With two more hits on Friday, the 22-year-old is now batting .287 with an astronomical .448 OBP.
Alexander was relieved by Isaiah Campbell to begin the bottom of the sixth, ending the night with a line of 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. In his only inning, Campbell tossed a scoreless frame and picked up a strikeout to keep the game knotted at one.
To begin the seventh, Matthew Lugo lined a ball into the left-center gap and was thinking three out of the box. However, an excellent relay started by centerfielder Steward Berroa cut down the WooSox speedy outfielder at third for the first out of the inning.
Two Worcester batters were retired to send the game into the seventh inning stretch.
Luis Guerrero entered for Campbell to start the eighth, and after two quick outs, walked the last two hitters in the Bisons order. With Berroa batting for Buffalo, Guerrero induced a grounder that should have ended the inning, but a misplay allowed a run to score and gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead.
The Bisons broke the game wide open in the bottom of the eighth. Buffalo scored six runs in the frame on four walks and three hits––including shortstop Michael Turconi’s three-run double that put the exclamation point on the inning.
Beginning the ninth with a seven-run deficit, the WooSox got two back following doubles from Nick Yorke and Nathan Hickey and Matthew Lugo’s RBI bloop single.
However, two is all the WooSox could push across as Worcester dropped game four of their six-game set in Buffalo, 8-3. Paxton Schultz picked up the win for the Bisons, while Guerrero drew his second loss of the year.
The WooSox and Bisons will continue their series on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. in Buffalo. On the mound, Worcester’s Richard Fitts (4-2, 4.02 ERA) is scheduled to face Buffalo’s Andrew Bash (2-0, 3.91 ERA).
