The RailRiders made the franchise’s first trip to Worcester on Tuesday. They made sure to make a strong first impression.
Already boasting the best record in all of minor league baseball, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre opened a series against the division’s second-place team and came out on top of a wild, nine-run ninth inning for a 9-7 victory.
In their first season since moving from Pawtucket to Worcester, the Red Sox were challenging the RailRiders for first a week ago. But they hit a rough stretch in their last series, losing the final five games to Rochester to fall off the impressive pace set by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The RailRiders (33-13) blew open a tight game with five runs in the top of the ninth inning, highlighted by Rob Brantly’s two-run homer. But the Sox answered with four in the bottom of the frame to make things interesting.
In the end, the RailRiders opened up a 5.5-game lead atop the Northeast Division with the second month of the season coming to an end.
Socrates Brito collected three of the RailRiders’ 11 hits, finishing with a double and two RBIs to lead the offense. Ryan LaMarre went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and Andrew Velazquez had two hits with a double and a successful steal of home in the fifth inning that gave his team the lead for good.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre overcame an early deficit when Jarren Duran homered on Luis Gil’s second pitch of the game in the bottom of the first. And the game would remain tight for the first eight innings.
Worcester starter Tanner Houck kept the RailRiders off the board for the first three innings before Estevan Florial came home on an error in the top of the fourth. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre loaded the bases afterward and Kyle Holder brought in a second run when he was hit by a pitch.
The Red Sox tied it back up at 2-2 on Jeter Downs’ solo shot in the home half of the frame, but the RailRiders answered immediately in the fifth when Velazquez scored on a double steal and LaMarre triple home a run for a 4-2 lead.
Worcester very nearly tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Johan Mieses doubled to bring home a run and Downs also tried to score on the play. But LaMarre threw him out at the plate to keep it a 4-3 game.
Trey Amburgey managed to extend his franchise record on-base streak to 36 games when he was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth. Brantly then made the Sox pay with his fifth home run of the season.
Hoy Park followed with an RBI single and Brito came through with a two-run single to make it 9-3. It proved to be the game-winning hit.
Worcester got a run back in the home half on a Jonathan Arauz sac fly and than Duran hit his second of the game with two on and two outs against Sal Romano to pull within 9-7.
Romano regrouped with the bases empty to strike out Marcus Wilson looking to end the game. All four runs against him were unearned because of a throwing error against Park extended the inning.
Gil picked up his first career Triple-A win on the mound, going five innings with six strikeouts and no walks. He allowed two runs on five hits.
The series continues at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday.