Bulls go hitless, drop first game in series with Worcester

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester Red Sox RHP Michael Wacha pitched a no-hitter through four innings and struck out eight batters en route to a 12-0 win over the Durham Bulls late Thursday evening.

Red Sox RF Abraham Almonte recorded four hits and drilled two home runs out of Polar Park as Worcester ran away with the first win of their series with Durham. The Bulls maintain a 2-1 lead in a series that has already seen a lopsided victory in favor of Durham.

Worcester came out of the dugout scorching as Almonte went yard on a solo homer to left-center field in the bottom of the first.

Almonte would drill a two-run dinger to left field in the third, giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead midway through the third. The Woo Sox weren’t done as LF Christian Stewart crushed another two-run bomb, and two batters later, 1B Pedro Castellanos smashed a two-run home run to extend the lead to 7-0. Worcester would add five more runs to this route later in the ball game.

The Bulls couldn’t buy a run as Red Sox pitcher Michael Wacha struck out eight batters during this four-inning onslaught. Wacha was sent down to Worcester from Boston for rehab work after missing over a month with right shoulder inflammation. Tonight’s performance indicated that this was likely his first and last start with the Triple-A affiliate.

Wacha, along with the Red Sox pitching staff of Andrew Piloti and Chase Shugart, combined to pitch the first no-hitter in Worcester Red Sox history. Bulls pitcher Easton McGee received his sixth loss of the year.

The Bulls look to bounce back as they continue their six-game series with Worcester on Friday night at 6:45 PM ET.