Coming into Sunday afternoon’s series finale against Syracuse, Worcester had only scored one combined run during its last two games.
None of that mattered, though, as the Red Sox recorded 10 hits and two home runs en route to an eventual 8-7 win at NBT Bank Stadium on Sunday.
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Leadoff hitter Nick Sogard led Worcester with three hits and two runs scored, while Vaughn Grissom (2-for-5), Blaze Jordan (2-for-5), and Corey Rosier (2-for-4) each posted a multi-hit performance.
On the pitching side, meanwhile, Red Sox starting pitcher Cooper Criswell relinquished four hits and five earned runs in 1.1 innings of work. But that didn’t faze the road team, as Worcester’s four-man bullpen only allowed two combined hits and runs in 7.2 innings of relief.
Complete game statistics can be found here.
Jovani Moran earned the win after striking out three and walking one in 2.1 innings, while Isaiah Campbell earned his seventh save behind a perfect ninth inning to help the Red Sox improve to 44-42.
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Jordan moved Worcester ahead at the top of the first inning on an infield fly ball that scored Sogard. But the momentum was short-lived, though, as Jesse Winker countered with a two-run blast to right field. Luke Ritter then recorded a two-run single to ensure Syracuse a 4-1 lead through one.
That wasn’t enough, though, as Worcester used a four-run top of the second inning to regain its lead. After Rosier (run-scoring double) and Phillip Sikes (RBI sacrifice fly) helped make it a one-run deficit, Sogard earned his 11th double to even the score.
Mets starting pitcher Justin Garza, meanwhile, allowed three earned runs, two walks, two hits, and struck out one in one inning as Syracuse moved to 40-47.
But before the opposition could blink, Grissom earned a double to center field to bring home Sogard and ensure the Red Sox a 5-4 lead. That insurance run was pivotal because the Mets’ offense responded with two more runs during the bottom of the second and fourth innings to move back on top.
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The offense explosion wasn’t wasted, though, as Sikes and Grissom countered with their fourth and eighth season home runs in the sixth and seventh innings to move Worcester ahead for good.
The Red Sox finished 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position, while Jordan and Grissom both earned two-out RBIs. The road team also left seven runners on base.
Worcester will continue its road trip, as they are scheduled to begin a six-game series against Rochester from Innovative Field on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
Read the original article on MassLive.