September 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Cup of Coffee: Arias homers, but Worcester is eliminated from playoff contention
9/20 Cup of Coffee: An extra-inning loss to Durham has officially eliminated Worcester from playoff contention. Even with a win they would have been eliminated after Rochester beat Buffalo. Top prospect Franklin Arias still had a big day, and Tanner Houck was solid in long relief.
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Worcester's slim playoff hopes ended with an extra-innings loss to Durham. A two-run home run from Franklin Arias in the third inning gave the WooSox a 2-1 lead, and Arias later added an RBI single in the fifth to retake the lead at 3-2. Braiden Ward followed up his five-hit night by going 1 for 4 with a double and a walk, and Tyler McDonough went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks.
Gage Ziehl turned in a quality start as he allowed two runs (one earned) over six innings. He walked one and struck out three. Making his fourth rehab appearance, Tanner Houck allowed one earned run and struck out two over 3 1/3 frames. In all, he allowed three runs over eight innings with nine strikeouts since returning on September 8. The loss went to Sam McWilliams as he allowed the zombie runner to score in the 10th.
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Player of the Day: Franklin Arias did everything he could to keep Worcester in the playoff picture, going 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI. Arias is up to 25 home runs and 91 RBI over 117 games between Portland and Worcester. He entered the year with 18 home runs total over his previous 240 games. The increased power output has catapulted him into a consensus top-10 prospect in the game. While it seems unlikely that Boston would add Arias to the 40-man roster to help the 2026 roster, he has put his name in the conversation to make the team in 2027.
Photo Credit: Franklin Arias by Kelly O'Connor