A stolen base here or there seems like no big thing over 162 baseball games but the post-season is a shorter, and different story.
Ask Dave Roberts about that. While you’re at it, also ask Quintin Berry, whose base stealing acumen helped get him into two World Series and brought him a ring with the 2013 Red Sox.
Speed is likely to be Braiden Ward’s ticket to the major leagues and the playoffs. Both Roberts and Berry were late season additions to the Red Sox roster, Roberts in 2004, Berry in 2013. Both were acquired for that one steal, to score from second base on a hard single to right field, to be that pinch runner on third when there is a fly ball to shallow left and one out.
Ward heads into the WooSox’ upcoming homestand with 50 stolen bases. He should break David Hamilton’s single season record for any and all Boston Triple-A teams through the years.
Hamilton stole 57 for Worcester in 2023.
Ward is merely the fourth Sox Triple-A player to steal as many as 50 since Boston began assembling a farm system in the 1930s. Dave Mann, who played the outfield with Carl Yasrzemski in Minneapolis in 1960, stole exactly 50 that year.
His record stood for 23 years. Lee Graham had 51 for Pawtucket in 1983. Graham held the mark for 20 seasons.
Berry was 5 for 5 stealing bases in his two post-seasons. Roberts was 2 for 3 in four post-seasons. He was 1 for 1 in a Red Sox uniform, an unforgettable perfect record. Both Berry and Roberts are still in baseball, Roberts as the Dodgers’ manager, Berry as the Cubs third base coach.
Ward is not on Boston’s 40-man roster, but if the Sox think he can win a game or two for them down the stretch and in the playoffs, they will find a spot for him.
The WooSox’ homestand that starts Tuesday is their longest of the season at 12 games. They will play Lehigh Valley, then Buffalo. Worcester has a good record at Polar Park. The WooSox are 28-21 there in 2026 and 11-2 in the last 12 games. Worcester begins this homestretch part of the schedule just 2 1/2 games behind the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre RailRiders who have the lead in the overall second half standings.
The promotional schedule for that series looks like this:
- Tuesday — Taco & Tequila Tuesday, presented by Teremana; fans can bring their dogs; AARP tickets; Wepa Night celebrating celebrating Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela
- Wednesday — First responders receive four free general admission tickets; Portuguese Heritage Night; Millbury and Groton Town Takeovers
- Thursday —AbbVie STEM Day; postgame player meet and greet in the DCU Club
- Friday — Post-game UniBank fireworks to the music of the British Invasion
- Saturday — WooSox Free Youth Clinic from 10-11 a.m. (ages 7-14 with registration required); Military Appreciation Day; Seven Hills Ability Day; Catch on the Field and Scout Sleepover, both post-game and weather permitting
- Sunday — Ceddanne Rafaela Gold Glove Bobblehead giveaway for the first 5,000 fans; Boylston and the Brookfields Town Takeovers; post-game bases run
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are 6:45 p.m. starts. Thursday’s first pitch is 12:05 p.m., Saturday at 4:05 and Sunday at 1:05.
The WooSox have experienced their standard roster flexibility as the season heads into its final third. They have lost reliever Tommy Kahnle, who was released. Kahnle was 2-1 with a 1.42 earned run average and converted all six of his save opportunities. Worcester was 17-6 in his 23 appearances.
They have gained John Holobetz, up from Portland. His Triple-A debut was one of the best ever for a WooSox pitcher. He got the win in Norfolk last Thursday going 5 2/3 innings with one run allowed, no walks and six strikeouts.
It says something about team depth as Tyler McDonough is back with Double-A Portland. In 31 Triple-A games he batted .310 McDonough had 23 hits including six doubles and seven home runs. He scored 22 runs and drove in 22.
Kristian Campbell is hot. Since June 25, when his batting average was .209, Campbell is 26 for 74 (.351). He is hitting .419 since July 9. Rookie infielder Franklin Arias takes a five-game hitting streak into the homestand. Since going 0 for 8 in his first two games, Arias is 7 for 33 (.318) with six RBIs in five games. He also had two authentic leadoff home runs (first batter of the game) in Norfolk last week.
Vinny Capra is on a nine-game hitting streak. He has raised his average from .254 to .273. Capra’s 21 doubles to date give him a shot at the team record of 27, set by Ronaldo Hernandez in 2022. Worcester is 48-32 when Capra is in the starting lineup, 8-15 otherwise.
