Payton Henry’s third hit of the game was a game-winning, two-run double with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the IronPigs a 4-3 victory over the Worcester Red Sox on Friday night in front of 9,759 at Coca-Cola Park.
Pinch ghost runner Buddy Kennedy was sacrificed to third on Oscar Mercado’s bunt to start the bottom of the 10th. Gabriel Rincones walked on a full count.
With Rincones running, Henry ripped a 1-0 sweeper from Woosox reliever Isaiah Campbell down the left-field line to score Kennedy and Rincones to allow СŷƵ to improve to 4-4 this season in extra-inning games and reduce its magic number to clinch the International League’s first-half title to five with eight games remaining.
Nabil Crismatt allowed only one run on three hits and a walk in six innings for СŷƵ.
How they scored
Top 2: Blaze Jordan doubled with one out and scored on Tyler McDonough’s two-out single. Woosox 1-0.
Bottom 2: Payton Henry and Rafael Lantigua singled. Erick Brito sacrificed both runners over. Rodolfo Castro’s double to left scored Henry and Lantigua. IronPigs 2-1.
Top 7: Nate Eaton walked, took second on a grounder, stole third and scored on McDonough’s bunt single. Tied 2-2.
Top 10: Ghost runner Trayce Thompson took third when McDonough’s grounder was booted and scored on Seby Zavala’s double-play grounder. Woosox 3-2.
Bottom 10: Oscar Mercado sacrificed ghost runner Buddy Kennedy to third. Gabriel Rincones then walked. Henry then doubled down the left-field line to score Kennedy and Rincones. IronPigs 4-3.
Up next
TBD vs. Worcester RHP Tyler Uberstine (0-1, 3.43) in a 6:35 p.m. start from Coca-Cola Park in the fifth game of a six-game series.
Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
