WooSox sweep doubleheader at Rochester behind three home runs

Worcester won the kind of doubleheader good Triple-A clubs have to win: with depth, quick-strike power and enough lineup flexibility to survive a compressed day. The WooSox swept Rochester 4-3 and 7-3 on Thursday afternoon at ESL Ballpark, a day after weather pushed the twinbill back, and they did it with three home runs, seven extra-base hits and contributions spread across the roster.

The split-day sweep pushed Worcester to 17-12 and dropped Rochester to 14-16. It also extended a useful pattern for the WooSox, who have now swept both of their doubleheaders this season, including a pair from St. Paul on April 5. Worcester has also won 34 of its last 47 games in Rochester, a run that says as much about organizational depth as it does about one afternoon’s box score.

Game one was the more dangerous test, and Worcester passed it by building a lead early and then hanging on. Kristian Campbell drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning, Allan Castro followed with a sacrifice fly, and Matt Thaiss jumped on the first pitch he saw in the second inning for a home run. Vinny Capra added a groundout RBI to make it 4-1, enough cushion for Alec Gamboa to work 5.2 innings and allow two earned runs with six strikeouts. Rochester answered with home runs from Dylan Crews and Andrés Chaparro, plus a Zack Short RBI double, trimming the gap to 4-3, but Jack Anderson closed out his first save of the season.

The opener also carried a roster note that mattered in the margins: former WooSox left-hander Zach Penrod opened for Rochester, and former WooSox right-hander Luis Perales followed him out of the bullpen. In a league built on movement, matchups and evaluation, those familiar names underscored how often the Worcester-Rochester series doubles as a look at future options for both organizations.

Game two turned into a more decisive power display. Capra opened the scoring with a solo homer, Braiden Ward followed with another solo shot, and Anthony Seigler doubled home two runs to push the WooSox ahead 4-0. Mikey Romero, Allan Castro and Jason Delay each added RBI hits as Worcester kept layering on offense through the middle innings. Rochester scraped together a couple of late runs in the sixth, but Angel Bastardo finished with two scoreless innings and earned the win, while Riley Cornelio took the loss after giving up five runs in three innings.

Capra stood out most across the two games, finishing with a homer, two doubles and multiple RBIs. The 29-year-old former Toronto 20th-round pick gave Worcester the kind of veteran thump that can force a conversation, while the 23-year-old Campbell, Boston’s 2023 fourth-round pick, kept adding to a strong 2026 line. On a day when Worcester did not need one dominant star, it got exactly what Triple-A lineups are supposed to provide: enough bats to win two different games in one afternoon.