September 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Paez deals, Castro hits walkoff single for WooSox
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After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the WooSox bats were held silent until the eighth inning. The WooSox loaded the bases on a Nathan Hickey walk, a Franklin Arias single, and an Allan Castro walk then scored their first run of the game when Romy Gonzalez drew Worcester's third walk of the inning. That run was enough to push the game into extra innings, where Castro was the hero as he ripped a walkoff single to right field to send the WooSox home with the win. Arias went 1 for 4 with a walk.
WooSox starting pitcher Jedixson Paez allowed a solo shot in his first inning of work but he was in complete control for the rest of his start, throwing six innings of one-run ball. Paez allowed three hits and struck out four batters with no walks. After making two appearances with the Sea Dogs, rehabbing right-hander Tanner Houck had his strikeout stuff working in his first outing of the year in Worcester as he fanned three batters in an inning, walking one. Osvaldo Berrios threw a scoreless inning and Hobie Harris tossed two shutout frames to earn the win out of the bullpen.
Worcester's win combined with a Rochester loss narrowed their deficit to just two games with five remaining. However, Indianapolis, Scranton, and Syracuse all were victorious ahead of them, tightening an already crowded playoff picture.
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Player of the Day: Allan Castro had the signature moment in a pitchers' duel where the WooSox scored just two runs on six hits, delivering a walkoff single in the bottom of the tenth. Castro went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI, raising his slash line to .247/.322/.370 in 115 games on the season. The 23-year-old Castro is playing in his first season at the Triple-A level and the outfielder is ranked No. 34 in the Red Sox system.
Photo Credit: Allan Castro by Kelly O'Connor