Tanner Houck carried Worcester into the top of the 10th before the go-ahead run finally crossed against Sam McWilliams. By then, the WooSox had already let their best chance slip away: bases loaded, nobody out, three straight strikeouts.
That combination — a blown save from Houck and repeated missed opportunities from the offense — left Worcester with a 4-3 loss to Durham on Saturday at Polar Park.
Franklin Arias supplied every WooSox run, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and three RBIs. Worcester twice moved ahead behind its shortstop and carried a 3-2 lead into the seventh, only for Tatem Levins to drive a Houck offering over the wall in center and tie the game.
Houck was making a rehab appearance after an uneven 2025 season interrupted by injury. His first inning began with a routine flyout, but Levins followed by hammering the tying homer deep into the center-field night. The ball sent the outfielders back to the wall with no chance, wiping away Gage Ziehl’s opportunity for a win.
Houck recovered to retire the next two hitters and worked around a two-out single in the ninth. He took the loss and was charged with a blown save, allowing one earned run with two strikeouts and no walks over 3⅓ innings.
Worcester had opportunities to spare him that result.
Arias walked with one out in the eighth and reached third on Juan Montero’s two-out ground-ball single, but Mikey Romero flew out to end the threat. The WooSox created an even better opening in the ninth against Evan Reifert. Tyler McDonough walked, Vinny Capra singled and Nathan Hickey reached on an error, loading the bases before Worcester had made an out.
Reifert escaped anyway. Tomás Nido, Braiden Ward and Arias each struck out, leaving the winning run 90 feet away and turning the loudest opportunity of the night into a scoreless inning.
Levins began the 10th as Durham’s automatic runner and moved to third on Oliver Dunn’s groundout against Houck. Sam McWilliams entered and struck out Logan Davidson, bringing Worcester within an out of extending the game. Homer Bush Jr. spoiled that possibility, lining a two-out single into left-center to score Levins and put the Bulls ahead.
Worcester brought its own automatic runner, Arias, to third on Allan Castro’s groundout in the bottom half. Owen Wild struck out Montero and Romero to preserve the lead and earn his fourth save.
The stranded runners obscured an otherwise encouraging afternoon from Arias. Worcester trailed 1-0 when Ward lined a two-out double to right in the third. Arias followed by lifting a drive high toward left, where Logan Davidson raced back only to watch it clear the fence. Arias’ sixth homer turned the deficit into a 2-1 lead.
Durham answered in the fourth when Levins’ groundout brought home Kenny Piper. Arias responded again an inning later. Hickey opened the fifth with a double, Ward walked, and Arias lined a single into right to score Hickey standing and restore Worcester’s one-run advantage. A double play ended that threat with Ward stranded at third.
Ziehl kept the lead there. After allowing Durham’s first-inning run, he surrendered only one more, working six innings with three strikeouts and one walk. His final frame was his sharpest: three quick outs on three batters.
The WooSox finished with seven hits, including four for extra bases, but were held scoreless over the final five innings. McDonough reached three times with a double and two walks, yet Worcester could not produce the final hit it needed.
Arias came closest to carrying the offense by himself. In the ninth and 10th, even he was left standing at third.