Red Sox farm watch: Devin Futrell tallies 12 strikeouts as WooSox fall to Toledo

Worcester’s WooSox lost 4-1 to Toledo, and the box score reflected a familiar midweek theme for a rebuilding stretch in the minors: plenty of pitching, but not enough with runners on. The standout on the mound for the visitors was Devin Futrell, who struck out 12 in the win as Worcester managed only six total hits and never led.

Patrick Sandoval made another short rehab outing, continuing his road back while affiliated with the Red Sox organization. According to the game recap, Sandoval gave up a couple of runs and also botched a pickoff attempt during his time on the mound. Even with that blemish, the appearance added another data point for how close he might be to returning to higher-level competition.

Worcester’s offense went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, a rate that largely decided the outcome. The recap described the lack of production as costly, particularly because Toledo’s own pitching was not portrayed as being untouchable beyond the team’s inability to convert key at-bats.

Romy Gonzalez contributed a knock, and the note attached to the game was that he was hoping to return this week. The timing matters for Worcester’s lineup planning, because when a hitter is working his way back, the organization often tries to balance immediate performance with readiness for what follows in the homestand and beyond.

The WooSox’s lone extra-base hit came from Tsung-Che Cheng, who recorded a triple. That kind of power moment can create late-inning opportunities, but in this game it was not enough to offset the broader inability to get runs across when chances arrived.

Toledo, for its part, did not convert every situation into a blowout, and the recap characterized the WooSox as never holding a lead. Still, Worcester’s inability to cash in on scoring-position opportunities meant the game stayed in Toledo’s control from start to finish.

For Red Sox fans following the minors, the takeaway is twofold: the pitching front looked live through Futrell’s strikeout output, and Worcester’s batting let the moment slip in the few key innings that mattered. Sandoval’s rehab progress and Gonzalez’s potential return are also worth watching, since both can affect how quickly the WooSox stabilize their run creation and lineup rhythm.