WooSox notes: Right-hander Josh Winckowski makes most of two-inning start

WORCESTER — A game like this one deserves an old-school notebook.

It was nice day for matinee baseball, and 7,476 were in attendance to watch the Worcester Red Sox dropped a 3-2 decision to the Rochester Red Wings Wednesday at Polar Park.

Many thought it would be a normal work day for WooSox starting pitcher Josh Winckowski, who has worked at least five innings in three of his first four starts of the season. However, he worked only two innings and allowed only one hit, with one walk and two strikeouts. He tossed 33 pitches (19 strikes).

It was a planned two-inning outing for the right-hander.

WooSox pitching coach Paul Abbott informed Winckowski before the game of the change, but it didn’t affect the pitcher’s mindset. The parent Red Sox could use some pitching help, and Winckowski could be that guy.

After the game, WooSox manager Chad Tracy said the club is only preparing just in case Boston comes calling.

“Just potential stuff that could happen up top that they don’t know yet, so we want to make sure between (Connor) Seabold, who threw (Tuesday), and then Wink, there are options available. I’ll leave it at that. I don’t know what will happen, but those things happen, and we’ll see where it falls.”

Knowing that he only had two innings to work, Winckowski reached back a bit more in the outing and reached 98 mph on the radar gun.

“I kind of came out a little bit hotter than normal,” he said. “Obviously, when you only have two, it’s a little bit shorter, but relatively it was all the same for me

Winckowski said he’s comfortable throwing two innings, which is something the organization wanted him to focus on during the Arizona Fall League. He’s trying not to think about the fact that he could be called up to Boston, because he’s only focused on the task at hand.

“At different times in my career I’ve gotten ahead of myself before with call-ups at different levels, so I haven’t really thought about it at all. The best thing for me is to keep it day-to-day. If I look forward or backward, that’s when I usually don’t pitch my best.”

Despite the last-minute change, Tracy liked what he saw from Winckowski.

“To see him handle it the way he did, I thought it was great,” Tracy said.

Defense continues to shine

Jeter Downs continues to impress with his glove work. Time and again this season, he has made major league quality plays at shortstop, and it continued Wednesday. He recorded three assists, all of the highlight-reel caliber.

In the top of the sixth inning, the WooSox had the shift on, so Downs was on the second base side of the diamond. The Red Wings’ Josh Palacios drilled a hard ground ball up the middle. Downs ranged to his right, made a diving stop, quickly got to his feet and threw a one-hopper to Casas, who made a sick pick for the out to end the inning.

Casas was clearly excited about the play.

“I was, yeah,” he said. “He left his feet, went almost airborne, caught it midair, so I just wanted to finish that back end.”

The pair of infielders nearly completed a similar play in the game, but Casas couldn’t quite hold on to the pick.

“He takes pride in his defense, and the plays he ends up making on the back end of it fires you up,” Casas said. “Everybody feeds off of it. Pitchers see he’s getting after it, and the other infielders feed off of it, because he’s the captain of the infield. When everyone sees how he’s going hard, it makes everybody a little better.”

Tracy described the overall team defense as “sensational.”

“We made multiple plays that could’ve set up innings for (Rochester), but we squashed it, and it was really, really good,” Tracy said.

Despite dropping one pick attempt, Casas has been magical with the glove at first base this season. It was evident on the play with Downs in the sixth inning.

“That was a challenging pick, and he dug it out with ease,” Tracy said. “We’ve said it 10 times how good he is over there, and I know the infielders feel pretty good about getting the ball airborne, and he’ll probably catch it. Yeah, outstanding ... the whole dugout erupted. On both ends, that was just an awesome play.”

... and including the catcher

Speaking of defense, WooSox catcher Connor Wong had a day behind the plate. Not only did he throw out a potential base stealer in the third inning, he assisted on an impressive out in the fifth inning. The Red Wings’ Lucius Fox dropped a bunt along the third base line that seemed like a base hit, but Wong pounced on the ball, spun and threw a laser to Casas for the out.

“He’s a really good athlete, and a former infielder, so a (sidearm) throw is no problem for him,” said Tracy, who is former catcher turned infielder. “He can throw from any arm slot.”

Wong made a similar play last road trip in Toledo.

Who's coaching third?

For the first time this season, Tracy did not coach third base. It’s normal for the manager at this level to serve as third base coach, but Tracy stayed in the dugout for the entire game, while bench coach Jose Flores took over the duties. Since the WooSox entered Wednesday on a five-game losing skid, Tracy wanted to tweak some things. Unfortunately for the WooSox, it didn’t work.

“We just tried to change it up,” Tracy said. “Just throw a wrinkle out there. We’re obviously struggling right now. We’re in one of those funks where it feels like anything that can happen will.”

It’ll be interesting to see who is coaching third Thursday.

Wings get to Ort

It was unusual to see WooSox closer Kaleb Ort walked off the field with a blown save Thursday. It was his first of the season. In 2021, he finished with 19 saves in 21 opportunities. On Thursday, a one-out walk in the ninth hurt him, before the Red Wings’ Andrew Stevenson delivered a two out, two-run double to tie it at 2-2. Rochester’s Luis Garcia then drove in the would-be winning run.

“Before today, he’s pitched 11 innings and has punched out 16, so he can make them swing and miss,” Tracy said. “They were just able to get him today.”

—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: WooSox notes: Right-hander Josh Winckowski makes most of two-inning start