WORCESTER (Interstat) — Jake Woodford allowed one hit over five innings and combined with Kodi Whitley and Cam Hill on a two-hit shutout as the Durham Bulls beat the Worcester Red Sox 2-0 on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at Polar Park in an International League (AAA) game. Durham, the visiting team, improved to 65-78. Worcester, the home team, fell to 73-65. The announced attendance was 7,143, and the game took 2 hours, 7 minutes. Durham won for the first time in the three-game series after Worcester took the first two meetings.

Woodford (1-3) struck out five and did not allow an earned run. He retired Braiden Ward on a flyout and Franklin Arias on a groundout before Allan Castro doubled with two outs in the first. Romy Gonzalez then flew out to right fielder Jack Suwinski. In the second, Mikey Romero lined out before Vinny Capra walked. Tyler McDonough grounded into a double play to end the inning. Woodford later struck out Nathan Hickey, Tomás Nido, Gonzalez, Capra and McDonough. Kodi Whitley followed with two perfect innings and one strikeout. Cam Hill pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit and striking out one, to earn his fifth save.

Johan Oviedo (0-1) took the loss after giving up one earned run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts. Worcester’s John Holobetz was excellent in relief, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight. Noah Song added 1 1/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout. Tyler Samaniego allowed one run on two hits in one inning. The Red Sox finished with only two hits: Castro’s first-inning double and Nido’s ninth-inning single. Castro went 1-for-3. Worcester did not advance a runner past second base.

Durham scored the game’s first run in the second inning. Xavier Isaac drew a leadoff walk, Carson Williams struck out, and Jack Suwinski doubled on a line drive to right field to score Isaac. Suwinski finished 2-for-3 with one RBI. Tre’ Morgan had two hits for Durham, singling in the first and sixth innings, and finished 2-for-4. In the first, Morgan singled but was erased when Ben Williamson grounded into a double play. The Bulls added an insurance run in the eighth. Caden Bodine singled, Ben Williamson doubled to put runners on second and third, and Isaac lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Bodine. Durham left a runner at third in the ninth after Jack Suwinski walked, moved up on Jared Oliva’s sacrifice bunt and Oliver Dunn’s groundout, but Blake Sabol grounded out.

Durham finished with six hits. Worcester’s defense turned double plays in the first and second innings, and Durham left runners on base in several middle innings. Ben Williamson’s double was Durham’s only extra-base hit besides Suwinski’s double. Caden Bodine and Morgan also singled. The Bulls’ offense did enough against a Worcester staff that otherwise missed bats. Holobetz struck out eight over his 4 1/3 innings, and Oviedo struck out four before leaving. Samaniego was charged with the second run.

The Bulls’ bullpen preserved the lead. Whitley retired all six batters he faced, and Hill worked around Nido’s one-out single in the ninth. Hickey grounded out, Nido singled, Braiden Ward flew out to left fielder Jared Oliva, and Franklin Arias grounded out to third baseman Carson Williams to end the game. Durham snapped a two-game losing streak in the series after Worcester won 8-5 on Wednesday and 2-1 in 10 innings on Tuesday. The teams continue their series at Polar Park on Friday, Sept. 18, followed by games on Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Worcester 6, Durham 4, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Worcester a 56.9 percent probability to win. Durham’s two-run shutout reversed those projections.