By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Tuesday’s Worcester Red Sox lineup had the mettle and major league experience to compete with some big league outfits, let alone Triple-A teams.
Michael Chavis hammered that point home in front of 2,675 observers at Rochester’s Frontier Field. Chavis went 3-for-4, depositing two home runs into the left field bullpen to lift Worcester to a 10-6 victory.
The Red Sox recorded 16 hits in the series opener, including three home runs and two doubles. Jonathan Araúz, who, like Chavis, has appeared for Boston this season, hit a two-out, three-run homer in the fifth frame.
Rochester pitchers Sean Nolin and T.J. McFarland each allowed four runs, while Andres Machado allowed two runs on four hits and an error on a pickoff attempt. The Red Wings’ team ERA rose to 5.02, the fifth-worst mark in Triple-A East.
“We didn’t pitch well enough, one,” Rochester manager Matthew LeCroy remarked. “We missed up and over the plate and the better hitters in this league, if you miss, they’re gonna make you pay. For the most part, that’s what they did tonight.”
Rochester, hitless through three, answered an early 4-0 deficit with a four-run fourth inning, reaping the rewards of two straight walks when Daniel Palka, Jake Noll and Tres Barrera each hit run-scoring singles. That burst alone gave the Red Wings more runs than they had scored in five of the six games against Buffalo last week.
The momentum was fleeting, however, as Chavis and Araúz regained the lead by flexing their home run power in the fifth. Worcester never trailed again, even when the persistent Red Wing bats plated two runs in the bottom half.
“Our offense was good,” LeCroy said, supported by multi-hit games from Palka, Luis García and Yadiel Hernandez. “We did enough to win; we just couldn’t keep them from scoring… Pitching-wise, we just didn’t have it. When you play a team with this caliber and they’re hot, if you miss you’re in trouble.”
The failed pickoff attempt stood as Rochester’s only error, but the team’s fielding miscues continued. Jeter Downs’s two-out pop fly in the first inning fell between three fielders in shallow right field, scoring Franchy Cordero. Araúz earned a bunt single after no one covered first for Noll. Barrera’s throw to second base was in time to nab Downs in the ninth inning, but García dropped the ball.
Ironically, the Red Wings conducted fielding practice before the game.
“Our defense hasn’t been good all year, for me,” LeCroy said. “We’ve gotta catch the ball, especially at this level. Up here, you can’t give away free outs. It’s addressed every day but they’ve gotta go out and do it on the field, prove to people they can play this game at a high level on defense. There were some good things, but you just can’t give good teams extra outs. I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is.”
If there’s a reason for Rochester to be confident beyond the offense’s awakening, it’s that as good as Worcester is (29-14), the Red Wings won the series when they met in Massachusetts.
Rogelio Armenteros takes the mound for the home team in Game 2.
“Here, we’ve gotta take care of business,” LeCroy acknowledged. “They’re No. 1, No. 2 for a reason; they’re right up there at the top. They can do a combination of defense and hitting and the pitching. It’s gonna be a challenge, for sure, but we’ve got guys here that can do it. Hopefully we can get going.”
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