Red Sox Salvage Series Split with Shorebirds

SALISBURY, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds fell in their series finale against the Salem Red Sox 8-5 on Sunday afternoon at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

The Red Sox (3-3) managed to salvage a series split over the Shorebirds (3-3) by plating runs in each of the final five innings.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Delmarva struck first. Thanks to the wind, Trevor Kehe dropped in a double to right field to begin the inning. JC Encarnacion then sent him to third with a single through the hole on the right side. Darell Hernaiz plated Kehe when he bounced into a fielder’s choice at second, putting the Shorebirds ahead 1-0.

Salem jumped ahead in the top of the fifth. Gilberto Jimenez singled with one away and after a pop out, Stephen Scott yanked a homer down the right field line, his second of the season, to vault the Red Sox up 2-1.

The Shorebirds answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame. With one away, Hernaiz lined a single to left and was followed by Hudson Haskin who did the exact same. Anthony Servideo then drew a walk to load the bases. Jordan Westburg then punched a single to right, scoring Hernaiz, but Haskin was thrown out at the plate trying to score. With Servideo now at third and Westburg at first, JD Mundy ripped a single the other way to left, scoring Servideo and putting Delmarva back in front 3-2.

Thanks to some small ball the Red Sox tied the game in the top of the sixth. Matthew Lugo singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ceddanne Rafaela dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance Lugo to third before Jaxx Groshans brought Lugo in with a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the inning, Delmarva responded again with two runs of their own. Dylan Harris beat out an infield single to begin the frame and then advanced to second on a balk. Two outs later, Hernaiz slid a single through the hole in the left side to score Harris and put the Shorebirds up 4-3. Hernaiz then advanced to second on a wild pitch before Haskin bounced a single to left to score Hernaiz to give Delmarva a 5-3 advantage.

The Red Sox cut the deficit to one in the seventh as Scott hammered his second homer of the game, his third of the season, a solo shot to left to make it a 5-4 contest.

In the eighth, Salem took the lead for good. Rafaela reached on an error to start the frame and after a strikeout Jecorrah Arnold worked a walk to put two aboard. Jimenez tied the game at 5-5 as he roped a double to right center, scoring Rafaela and pushing Arnold to third. Nick Yorke broke the tie a batter later with a double down the right field line, scoring both Jimenez and Arnold to put Salem ahead 7-5.

The Red Sox added an insurance run on a Groshans solo homer in the top of the ninth, putting the game to bed at 8-5.

Jordan DiValerio (2-0) earned his second win of the series for Salem, tossing two shutout frames, allowing just three hits while striking out five.

Ryan Conroy (1-1) takes the loss for Delmarva after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out five in 1.1 innings out of the bullpen.

Devon Roedahl picked up his first save of the season for the Red Sox with a scoreless ninth, allowing two hits while striking out one.

Scott led the offense for Salem, going 3-for-4 with two homers and three driven in. Every player in the Red Sox lineup recorded a hit, with Jimenez also picking up three hits in a 3-for-4 performance, adding a double, two runs scored, a run driven in and a stolen base.

Mundy went 4-for-5 for Delmarva with a run driven in while Hernaiz also had a multi-hit performance, going 3-for-4 with two runs driven in and two runs scored. Haskin and Kehe added two hits apiece as well.

The Shorebirds are off Monday before hitting the road for the first time this season to take on the Fredericksburg Nationals. First pitch on Tuesday is slated for 7:05 p.m. from the New Fredericksburg Ballpark with the starters to be announced for the contest. The Shorebirds return home to Perdue Stadium for a 12-game homestand beginning on May 18 at 7:05 p.m. against the Carolina Mudcats.

ABOUT THE DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS
The Delmarva Shorebirds were founded in 1996 and have been the Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles since 1997. The Shorebirds have won two South Atlantic League championships in 1997 and 2000 and were named the MiLB.com Minor League Team of the Year in 2019 after going 90-48 in the regular season. Based in Salisbury, Maryland, the Shorebirds are proud to represent the entire Delmarva Peninsula and have hosted two SAL All-Star Games in 1999 and 2011. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, LP, based in Stockton, California headed by Chairman Tom Volpe and President Pat Filippone.