Salem Silences Myrtle to Extend Winning Streak

Myrtle Beach, SC (April 4, 2014) - It's a new season, but Salem has used the same recipe of superb pitching and timely hitting to continue its winning ways. Behind William Cuevas, Austin Maddox, and Dayan Diaz, the Red Sox shut down the Pelicans in a 4-0 triumph on Friday night at TicketReturn.Com Field. Not only has Salem gotten off to a 2-0 start for the first time as a Red Sox affiliate, but the defending Carolina League champs have now won their last 13 games dating back to last August. Since July 30, Salem has gone 32-8.
   A scoreless game through six innings, the Sox finally broke through thanks to some heady baserunning from Ryan Dent in the seventh. One night after belting his first career grand slam, Dent drew a one-out walk and scored without another hit. He stole second, took third on a passed ball, and scurried home on a wild pitch to break the scoring seal.
   Up 1-0, the Sox provided a healthy insurance policy with a three-run eighth. Reed Gragnani's first Carolina League hit was a triple into the right field corner to lead off the frame. Matty Johnson's sacrifice fly doubled the lead to 2-0. Jonathan Roof followed with a double to center, and the overall advantage multiplied to four when Carson Blair clocked a towering two-run homer over the left-field bleachers.
   The late-game offense was more than enough for the trio of righties who joined forces on the six-hit shutout, with all six Pelican knocks being singles. Cuevas authored six scoreless frames, scattering all those hits, while Maddox and Diaz were both perfect out of the bullpen. Maddox, a third round pick in 2012 out of Florida, dominated with five consecutive strikeouts to begin his two-inning outing. Diaz followed by punching out a pair in a 1-2-3 ninth, securing the premier shutout in the Carolina League in 2014.
   Roof, Gragnani and Kevin Heller each registered two hits for the Sox, with Blair's two-run jack in the eighth serving as the offensive exclamation point. Salem drew five more walks on Friday, and the Pelicans pitchers have issued 18 free passes in two games. Conversely, Red Sox hurlers walked nobody on Friday and have given just two free passes in two days.
   Myrtle Beach's Cody Buckel, who endured a nightmare 2013 season with an ERA north of 20.00, pitched around four walks in four scoreless innings in a somewhat encouraging performance for the Rangers' righty prospect. The 2012 Carolina League All-Star served as the Opening Day starter for Double-A Frisco in 2013, but only made eight appearances in the entire season, walking 35 batters in 10.2 innings.
   Salem improved to 2-0 for the first time since the Astros-affiliated Avalanche began 2008 with back-to-back one-run wins over Potomac.
   On paper, Saturday's pitching matchup could be the best in the series, with Luis Diaz (9-4, 1.96 in 2013) taking the ball for the Sox opposite Pelicans righty Chi Chi Gonzalez, a first-rounder in the 2013 draft. The quest for Salem's 14th consecutive victory will begin at 7:05 on Saturday night.