‘Birds Cap off 2021 Season with Electric Win Over Red Sox

SALEM, VA - In a tense back and forth affair, the Delmarva Shorebirds emerged victorious 9-7 over the Salem Red Sox to wrap their 2021 season on Sunday evening at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The victory by the Shorebirds (68-52) kept the Red Sox (71-49) out of the postseason as Salem needed a win on Sunday to secure their postseason berth.

The Shorebirds got started early in the top of the first. With one away, Darell Hernaiz doubled, moved to third on a Connor Norby infield single, and scored on a Coby Mayo groundout.

Salem tied the game in the bottom half with a two-out RBI single from Tyler Miller.

The Red Sox jumped out in front in the second. With men at the corners, Alex Erro doubled home a run before Ceddanne Rafaela singled to bring in another. A perfectly executed double steal scored another with Rafaela taking third on an errant throw before making a mad dash to the plate to score as well.

Down 5-1 heading into the sixth, the Shorebirds capitalized on Salem miscues to take the lead. Two errors started the inning for Delmarva to put two on and both runners scored on Jacob Teter’s double. After a flyout, John Rhodes walked and Logan Michaels singled to load the bases. After a strikeout, Reed Trimble singled up the middle to score two and advanced to second on the throw in. Darell Hernaiz then put Delmarva ahead 7-6 with an infield single that plated two after Trimble hustled home from second.

Salem tied the score in the bottom of the inning after four straight walks, but Justin Armbruester came on out of the bullpen and punched out back-to-back hitters to escape the jam with the score tied at 7-7.

Still tied in the ninth, Teter doubled with one away before Billy Cook launched a two-run homer, his sixth of the season, to push Delmarva ahead 9-7, the game’s final score.

Alex Pham (2-0) earned his second win of the week out of the bullpen for the Shorebirds. Pham fired two scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out a batter.

Devon Roedahl (7-5) was hung with the loss for Salem. Roehdahl allowed two runs on three hits over two frames.

Cook’s homer was the 113th of the season for the Shorebirds, setting the franchise record for most homers in a season by a Delmarva ballclub.

With the victory, the Shorebirds 2021 campaign comes to a conclusion and all attention turns towards the 2022 season.

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.