The Worcester WooSox just pulled off an 8-7 thriller against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, putting up five bombs in a wild game! What a way to cap off their penultimate series of 2026, man. They outplayed Lehigh Valley for most of it, but still had to fight for that W in dramatic fashion. You just love to see that grit!
The Worcester Bomb Squad Went Off
Seriously, the WooSox offense went full home run derby. They sent five balls flying over the fence! Allan Castro was an absolute hero, crushing two of those dingers. That second blast was straight-up clutch, pulling the WooSox out of a deficit and into a lead. Then Sam McWilliams came in and locked it down, making sure that lead didn’t slip away. And don’t forget Franklin Arias, who hammered his 24th homer of the season. That’s his fifth already since moving up to Triple-A! This lineup has some serious pop, and they showed it when it mattered most.
Gage Ziehl Is Your Guy to Watch
While the offense was busy mashing, Gage Ziehl was out there grinding on the mound. This 23-year-old righty gave a gritty performance, pitching into the sixth inning. He even got taken yard in the fourth, but did that shake his confidence? Nope! He kept his composure, striking out eight batters by the time he was done. That brings his total to a whopping 126 Ks across 116 innings pitched this season, with 96 innings and 85 Ks happening in Portland before his move. Keep an eye on Ziehl, folks, because he’s definitely shaping up into someone big for 2027. The pitching staff as a whole also deserves a shoutout: zero walks issued all game, even though they gave up nine hits. Sure, Noah Song let two runs slip in the sixth, but the team still got the job done.
Portland’s Season Wrapped, But What a Prospect Haul
Down in Portland, the Sea Dogs’ season ended a bit anticlimactically with a rain cancellation against Binghamton. But what a season it was for those guys! Remember early in the season when Franklin Arias was just an absolute hitting machine? Yeah, that’s why he got promoted to Triple-A! We also saw Anthony Eyannson dealing before he got dealt to Baltimore as part of the Adley Rutschman trade. But even with those moves, Brooks Brannon was absolutely raking, and the team pulled off eight walk-off wins. Their pitching staff, led by Hayden Mullins (another guy to watch!), even tossed a combined no-hitter back in April, though it wasn’t a shutout. And you’ve got Justin Gonzales looking like a formidable everyday outfielder for a few years down the road. The farm system might not be totally stacked, but man, there are some seriously good players starting to make their mark.
The WooSox have just one more series left in 2026, so let’s see if they can keep this energy going!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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