Red Sox Rampage Past Dash 10-1

Salem, VA (June 4, 2012) - Matt Barnes enjoyed another sensational outing, Jackie Bradley, Jr. raised his average to .387, and the Red Sox thrashed the Dash 10-1 on Monday night at LewisGale Field to kick off the pivotal four-game series between the two clubs battling for first place. Salem's win brings the Sox within a half game of the Dash heading into Tuesday's matchup. Travis Shaw went deep for the sixth time in his last 11 games, while Matty Johnson crushed his first homer as a pro, providing the exclamation point to Salem's second straight dominant victory.

The Sox scored early and often against Winston-Salem starter Justin Collop, plating three in the first, two in the second, and one more in the third to charge ahead 6-0 after three. Michael Almanzar's RBI double drove in Bradley to break the seal, with Xander Bogaerts and Drew Hedman also recording RBI singles in the first inning. Shaw's solo homer came in the second inning to surge the Sox in front 5-zip, while Bogaerts scored on a double-play in the third to give the Sox a 6-0 lead. If not for Salem grounding into a season high four double plays in the game, the onslaught may have been even more staggering.

Barnes struck out just three, but only allowed four hits, all singles, in his strong six-inning outing, dealing 54 of his 82 pitches for strikes. On the season, Barnes has now made 11 starts, compiling a 5-1 record and a 1.04 ERA with 81 strikeouts and eight walks.

Salem added to its lead in the last of the sixth, with Johnson launching a two-run bomb off the bottom of the scoreboard beyond the right-center field fence. His first round-tripper at any level, Johnson's jack made it 8-0, and the Sox added another run later in the frame on Hedman's third hit of the evening. It became 10-0 in the seventh on Sean Coyle's RBI grounder that brought home Blair.

Salem recorded 14 hits and now owns 65 hits in five June ballgames for a team average of .357 this month. Bradley registered his fourth four-hit game of the season, while Hedman went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Shaw finished 1-for-2 with a homer and three walks, his fourth three-walk game of the year.

Winston scored its lone run off Jeremiah Bayer with two outs in the top of the ninth, with Michael Early singling home Michael Johnson. Bayer allowed one run on two hits in three innings of relief, picking up his first save of the season in the process.

At 32-23, the Sox are a half game behind the Dash, who reside at 33-23.

Salem strives to move ten games above .500 for the first time this season on Tuesday with Brandon Workman on the mound opposite Winston's Spencer Arroyo. First pitch is slated for 7:05.