Back-to-back, third-inning blasts doom WooSox against Toledo

Josh Winckowski only allowed four hits, two earned runs, and struck out one in five innings for Worcester on Wednesday night.

Two of those hits, though, were back-to-back, two-out home runs that played an ultimate factor in the Red Sox’s 2-1 comeback loss against Toledo at Polar Park.

The Mud Hens improved to 13-16, while the Red Sox moved to 14-14 on the season. Complete statistics of the game can be found here.

After two scoreless innings, which featured an impressive 9-3 double play by Toledo to keep Worcester off the board, the Mud Hens responded with their offense.

With two outs in the top of the third inning, Brewer Hicklen and Hao-Yu Lee broke the scoreless tie with two consecutive solo home runs to move Toledo ahead.

The Red Sox weren’t shut out, though, as Corey Rosier singled in the eighth inning and then advanced 90 feet behind a throwing error. Rosier then scored on Nick Sogard’s groundout to cut their team’s deficit in half.

Nathan Hickey (2-for-4) and Rosier (2-for-4) recorded four of Worcester’s eight combined hits, while Sogard earned his sixth RBI.

The Red Sox finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while Toledo went 0-for-7. Both teams also stranded 16 combined runners.

After Winckowski exited in the fifth inning, the Red Sox bullpen of Zack Kelly (three), Austin Adams (two), and Nick Burdi (two) struck out seven combined hitters over four scoreless innings of relief.

Though Marcelo Mayer and Vaughn Grissom kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles, the Mud Hens escaped the jam further unscathed.

PJ Poulin hurled a scoreless ninth to earn his second season save.

Worcester will look to get back on track at home against Toledo on Thursday at 6:05 p.m.