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Rehabbing Red Sox starter has solid first appearance in Worcester
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- Rehabbing Red Sox starter has solid first appearance in Worcester
WORCESTER — The combination of some shaky defense behind him and control that hasn’t quite returned yet meant Patrick Sandoval didn’t reach his four-inning goal.
The rehabbing Red Sox pitcher allowed three hits, three walks and three unearned runs for Triple A Worcester on Wednesday in his first competitive outing since June 21, 2024.
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Sandoval threw 63 pitches, 35 for strikes in 3⅓ innings for the WooSox against the Columbus Clippers at Polar Park. Sandoval was supposed to pitch Sunday for Double A Portland, but the Sea Dogs’ game was rained out.
Sandoval, who missed all of last year, is coming off of left ulnar collateral ligament surgery (internal brace) that he underwent during the first half of the 2024 season. The 29-year-old former Angel signed a two-year, $18.25 million contract with the Red Sox in December 2024. As expected he missed all of last year.
When Sandoval is sharp, he’ll often pitch to weak contact and he did that early. But he was plagued by Worcester defense, including his own, in the first inning.
He got Kahlil Watson to bounce to second leading off the first. George Valera followed with a check swing between the mound and the third baseline.
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Sandoval bounded off the rubber to field it. He grabbed it barehanded and hurried the throw, which sailed wide of the bag allowing Valera to scoot up to second.
After top Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana bounced out to short, Stuart Fairchild walked.
Nolan Jones followed with a single to left that brought in one run. Allen Castro misplayed the ball allowing Jones to reach second.
Sandoval could have been out of the inning on Kody Huff’s pop-up to shallow right, but Tsung-Che Cheng overran it. The ball dropped in and two more unearned runs scored.
Sandoval settled down in the second. He worked around a single and a walk without allowing a run.
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He allowed a walk leading off the third, but got a force out and struck out the next two batters.
He returned for the start of the fourth to give him the extra up and down and got Milan Tolentino to pop out.
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