WooSox Drop 2024 Season Finale to IronPigs, 7-4
ALLENTOWN, PA –– Bobby Dalbec recorded three hits and Tyler McDonough drove in three runs, but Darick Hall’s walk-off grand slam handed the Worcester Red Sox (44-31)/(79-71) a 7-4 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (34-39)/(68-78) in the 2024 season finale. Ending the year with 79 wins, the WooSox notched
ALLENTOWN, PA –– Bobby Dalbec recorded three hits and Tyler McDonough drove in three runs, but Darick Hall’s walk-off grand slam handed the Worcester Red Sox (44-31)/(79-71) a 7-4 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (34-39)/(68-78) in the 2024 season finale. Ending the year with 79 wins, the WooSox notched their fourth winning season in four years of existence.
The WooSox finished the 2024 season where they started: at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Similar to their first game of the year, Sunday’s matinee opened in a pitcher’s duel with neither team able to push a run across over the first four innings. Lehigh Valley had a couple of opportunities with men in scoring position in the second and third innings, but WooSox starter Jason Alexander successfully worked around the trouble.
As the game moved to the fifth, both teams were still looking for their first run. Bobby Dalbec led off the frame for Worcester with his 19th double of the year, giving the WooSox their first runner in scoring position of the afternoon. After Alan Rengel, who got the start for the IronPigs on Sunday, struck out the next two batters, Max Ferguson blooped an RBI single into left to put Worcester ahead, 1-0.
Now pitching with the lead, Alexander tossed a one-two-three fifth before handing the ball to the bullpen. In his final start of the season, Alexander posted a line of 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K and retired the last seven batters he faced.
Cam Booser entered for Alexander to start the sixth, looking to continue his starter’s dominant performance. But after Austin Hays reached on a throwing error, the southpaw walked two of the next four IronPigs, loading the bases for Ryan McKenna with two outs. Working the count full, McKenna drew a walk to force in the tying run. Bailey Horn would enter for Booser to stop the bleeding and punched out Ethan Wilson to end the frame.
Similar to the fifth inning, Dalbec led off the seventh with his second double of the game and 20th of the season. With a man in scoring position and one out, Tyler McDonough belted a 1-1 sweeper from Spencer Turnbull high over the wall in right to take the lead right back. The two-run shot was McDonough’s first career Triple-A homer and first since August 18––when he was playing for Double-A Portland.
TYLER MC-DINGER ‼️
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) September 22, 2024
HIS FIRST AAA HR GIVES WORCESTER THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/UIyzWXWjgJ
Horn stayed in the game for the seventh and, after allowing a leadoff single, picked up a couple of strikeouts and a fly out to end the inning unscathed. Zack Kelly was next out of the ‘pen for Worcester, taking over to start the eighth. The righty needed just 10 pitches to toss a one-two-three inning and send the WooSox into the ninth––three outs away from their 80th win of the season.
In their final at-bat of the season, Dalbec led off the frame with his third hit of the day. After the WooSox’ shortstop advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by IronPigs’ reliever Max Lazar, McDonough drove him in with a groundout. It was McDonough’s third RBI of the day and gave Worcester an extra insurance run heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Jose Adames entered on the mound for the WooSox, looking to pick up the save and close out the 2024 season with a win. After retiring the first two batters he faced, a walk and throwing error extended the game and cut the WooSox’ lead to two. Austin Hays continued the late rally with a walk and Carson Taylor added an RBI single to make it a one-run game. Down to their final strike, Buddy Kennedy worked the IronPigs’ third walk of the inning to load the bases for Darick Hall.
Up in the count 3-1, Hall hammered a sinker 114.5 mph over the wall in right––a walk-off grand slam to cap the IronPigs’ ninth inning comeback. Adames (L, 0-1)(BS, 1) was handed the loss and blown save while Lazar (W, 4-3) was awarded the victory. Coincidentally, their 7-4 Sunday afternoon loss ended the WooSox’ season in the same way it began––with a 7-4 walk-off loss to Lehigh Valley.
Worcester ended the 2024 season with a 79-71 record––matching their win total from a year before. The team will resume play in 2025 when they host the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park on March 28.