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WooSox Pitchers Strike Out 16, Get Franchise First Win

By TWIW Staff | May 8, 2021
Last Updated: May 8, 2021

Worcester Red Sox batters produced back-to-back triples in the fourth inning and its pitchers struck out 16, including nine from winning starting pitcher Stephen Gonsalves, to lead the team to its first franchise win against the Buffalo Bisons, Toronto Blue Jays affiliate, in Trenton on Friday, May 7.

Gonsalves walked the second batter that came to the plate for the Buffalo Bisons. In the second inning he walked two and gave up a double, but also struck out six in the first two innings to keep the Bisons off the board.

In the fourth inning Worcester got their bats going. After a Jeter Downs single set up first and third with one out, Marcus Wilson hit a two-run triple to left field.

Chad De La Guerra tripled right after Wilson, assisted by a slip in the outfield, to put Worcester up 3-0.

Gonsalves held Buffalo scoreless in the fourth and retired the side in order in the fifth inning.

Gonsalves and allowed several baserunners, but got strikeouts when needed to get himself out of trouble. He finished with 5.1 IP allowing 2 hits, 1 earned run and walking six, but striking out 9.

Worcester added another run in the top of the ninth on a Cesar Puello sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-1 for closer Kaleb Ort.

Ort gave up an unearned run in the ninth, but struck out two for his first save of the year and Worcester’s first win by a score of 4-2.

Note: The Buffalo Bisons are playing its home games in Trenton as the Toronto Blue Jays play in Buffalo this year due to COVID-19 restrictions on cross-border travel. When Buffalo plays in Trenton, they are playing as the Trenton Thunder, which played in the same stadium until the team was eliminated in MLB’s minor league realignment this year.

Image: Worcester Red Sox Pitcher Stephen Gonsalves, courtesy of Worcester Red Sox

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