A big inning for the Worcester Red Sox in the top of the fifth inning was the difference in their 8-4 victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday night at Sahlen Field.
The Bisons were able to get on the scoreboard right away in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-run home run. Alan Roden led off the inning with a base hit against Brian Van Belle. He scored on a Davis Schneider two-run homer to left field for a 2-0 advantage.
Worcester was able to answer back in the top of the second to trim the deficit to 2-1. Trayce Thompson led off with a single to center field against Bisons’ starter Trenton Wallace. Thompson stole second base and advanced to third on a wild throw by Christian Bethancourt. Yasmani Grandal was able to record a sacrifice fly with one out to add an RBI and cut Buffalo’s lead to one run.
Wallace worked four innings in his start for the Bisons and was replaced by Erik Swanson in the top of the fifth inning. Swanson joined Buffalo on a Major League injury rehab assignment as he is coming back from a right arm injury. Wallace picked up five strikeouts in his seventh start of the year.
The WooSox were able to get the first four batters on base against Swanson. Phillip Sikes led off the inning with a walk and scored on the third straight single of the inning, off the bat of Marcelo Meyer. That tied the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning. Meyer, Vaughn Grissom, and Roman Anthony all had base hits to help load the bases. Worcester would take the lead with a two-run double by Thompson after he hit the ball to the opposite field to right. Anthony and Grisson both scored to make it 4-2 Red Sox.
Grandal would collect two more RBIs for three on the game with a two-out base hit than extended Worcester’s advantage to 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning. Meyer and Thomspon both scored on the first base hit of the game for Grandal.
Joey Loperfido was able to get a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run leading off the inning. It was Loperfido’s fifth home run of the season, also giving him a team best 21 RBIs on the year. The home run to right field came off Van Belle and cut the Bisons deficit to 6-3.
Nathan Hickey clubbed a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning against Ryan Burr to give Worcester an 8-3 lead. Burr was pitching in his first game of a Major League injury rehab assignment with Buffalo as well. Bethancourt’s RBI base hit to left field in the bottom of the seventh got one run back for the Bisons to reduce the deficit to 8-4.
The two teams are scheduled to meet for game three of the series at 6:05 p.m. at Sahlen Field Wednesday night. Lazaro Estrada is slated to start for Buffalo. You can listen to all of the action on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and Bisons.com starting at 5:45 p.m. with Pat Malacaro and Duke McGuire.
