WORCESTER—Perhaps a return to the Dog Days warms things up at Polar Park this week as a chilly April gives way to what might be better baseball weather.
The Scranton-Wilkes-Barre RailRiders provide the opposition for the WooSox homestand that commences at 6:05 Tuesday night. As per usual, fans can bring their well-behaved pooches to the park. Later in the homestand, on Saturday afternoon, hot dogs are on sale for $2.
Water as well as Coors Light and Masshole Light drafts are also be available for same price that day, with limits.
In fact, there’s something going on every game including baseball as the WooSox take on the New York Yankees Triple-A affiliate from Eastern Pennsylvania.
Worcester owes S-W-B payback from last season. The WooSox were just 6-15 versus the RailRiders including a miserable 2-7 record at Polar Park. Worcester went 70-58 against the rest of the league in 2025. The teams head into the series with identical18-14 records. They are engaged in a battle for first place in the International League East. It includes Syracuse, which is also 18-14.
The RailRiders roster is in a state of flux as is the general state of affairs in Triple-A. Sunday’s lineup in a 7-1 victory over Buffalo included center fielder Spencer Jones, one of the best players in the minor leagues. Jones was 2 for 4 with five RBIs. He hit two home runs, a solo shot and a grand slam and has 10 homers and 37 RBIs already in 2026.
Two familiar Yankees names were also on the S-W-B roster as of Sunday, shortstop Anthony Volpe and pitcher Luis Gil.
The WooSox come home after splitting a six-game series in Rochester. While the Boston variety of Sox is having a hard time offensively, the Worcester lineup has some hot hitters.
The hottest is infielder Vinny Capra. He was two-for-four with a double and a run scored on Sunday. Capra has four consecutive multi-hit games. He went 9-for-19 in the Rochester series with seven extra-base hits. Capra has 27 hits and 22 bases on balls and has the best on-base percentage in the league at .476.
More than half of hits have been for extra bases. That includes 10 doubles and four home runs. Worcester is 16-8 with Capra in the starting lineup. He turns 30 in July and has played for four different major league teams.
Capra was with the Brewers and White Sox last season and batted .125 in 47 games.
Other highlights as the WooSox settle in for a week at Polar Park:
Jake Bennett made his Major League debut while Worcester was in Rochester. He is the fifth player already this season to graduated to the big leagues after playing for the WooSox and the 53rd over. Tyler Uberstine, Shane Drohan (Brewers), Tyler Samiego and Jack Anderson are the others.
Rookie Allan Castro has an RBI in five straight games, seven total in the streak, on merely three hits. Anthony Seigler is 10 for 26 (.385) in his last eight games. He has seven RBIs and seven walks in the same span.
Nathan Hickey homered in Rochester, his first of the season. He has 31 career homers in a Worcester uniform, tied for third on the team’s all-time list along with Ryan Fitzgerald. They are behind Bobby Dalbec (58) and Ronaldo Hernandez (34).
Hickey’s home run came off lefty Andrew Alvarez. He hit 28 of his first 29 WooSox home runs off right-handed pitching, the last two off southpaws.
Some promotional highlights at the park during the week include:
Wednesday is an 11:05 a.m. start that allows kids from the area to take in the game as part of a field trip.
Friday is “508 Day,” when Worcester’s area code is also the date, Grateful Dead UniBank Fireworks cap a Friday evening on which the WooSox transform into “The Art of the Woo,” with colorful uniforms depicting Worcester’s artistic culture.
Sunday features a Mother’s Day brunch at the Hanover Deck attended by two WooSox players to be named later and the Central MASScots. Also, the National Baseball Poetry Festival is at Polar Park for the weekend and Saturday is the second edition of the 2026 Larry Lucchino Writers Series, a free luncheon at 12:30 p.m. for fans who have a ticket to the 4:05 p.m. game.
Justine Siegal discusses her new role as the first commissioner of the Women’s Professional Baseball League, which comprises four teams (Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) and begins play in August in Springfield, IL.
Bill Ballou can be reached at vetgoalie@aol.com
