The Worcester Red Sox scored five runs in their first-inning at-bats Wednesday night in sweeping a doubleheader from the punchless Buffalo Bisons in Sahlen Field.
Worcester won the opener 3-1 by notching two runs in the first off rehabbing Toronto reliever Tim Mayza. The Red Sox tallied three runs without a hit in the first inning of the nightcap and went on to cruise in that one 9-0.
The double loss on the opening night of the six-game series dropped the Bisons' record to 31-24. Buffalo has lost three straight and six of its last seven.
The Bisons had just four hits in the opener. Second baseman Otto Lopez was the only Herd batter to collect two. Samad Taylor's RBI double in the first drove in Jordan Groshans with the only Buffalo run.
Mayza faced three batters in the first, retiring one before allowing a double and a walk. Rob Refsnyder's two-run double to left off reliever Jake Elliott then gave Worcester the lead for good.
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In the nightcap, Buffalo starter Graham Spraker walked three straight batters to load the bases in the first with one out. Worcester's Christian Stewart then pulled a hard grounder to first that eluded Cullen Large for an error as two runs scored. Refsnyder scored the third run on Ronaldo Hernandez's sacrifice fly.
Worcester had just one hit through six innings, Jaylin Davis' infield chopper in the fourth. The visitors erupted for six runs on five hits in the seventh, with the big blow a three-run homer to left by Stewart.
The teams meet again Thursday night at 7 p.m. as reigning International League Pitcher of the Week Casey Lawrence (7-1) starts for Buffalo. In his last start on Saturday, Lawrence retired 21 of 22 hitters in tossing a one-hit shutout to beat Rochester 13-0.
