George Valera powers Columbus past Worcester in 14-10 slugfest

George Valera turned a wild Triple-A opener into a Cleveland decision point. Playing on a major league rehab assignment, he went 4-for-5 with six RBIs and drove the Columbus Clippers past the Worcester Red Sox, 14-10, in front of 3,483 at Polar Park.

The game had been a track meet from the start. Columbus scored four times in the first inning, with Kody Huff delivering the biggest blow right away on a three-run triple, and the Clippers still led 8-7 after seven. Worcester answered repeatedly and briefly grabbed control in the seventh, but Columbus kept finding another hit, finishing with 16 against Worcester’s 14.

Valera was the difference when the game got tight. He tied it at 10-10 in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, then drove in two more runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach. For Cleveland, that mattered beyond the final score. Valera had been placed on the injured list retroactive to March 22 with a left calf strain, and his first rehab appearance with Columbus came in this game as he built back toward five to six games per week.

The Clippers also got an important start from Trenton Denholm, who worked 5.0 innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out six. That line gave Columbus a base before the game broke open late and turned into a test of depth, bullpen management and contact under pressure.

Cooper Ingle was another steady presence in the middle of the storm, scoring four times as Columbus kept stacking traffic on the bases. The win lifted the Clippers to 7-3 through their first 10 games, a fast start powered by both prospect value and immediate production from players trying to force their way into bigger roles.

For Worcester, the loss was more than a rough night at the plate. The WooSox had already seen Columbus’s lineup challenge their pitching before the final inning surge, and the 16-hit, 14-run showing underscored how quickly a Triple-A game can expose depth questions. Worcester fell to 6-3 with the defeat, while Columbus left Worcester with one of the early-season’s loudest offensive statements and a reminder that Valera’s path back to Cleveland could shape more than just one rehab assignment.