Pelicans jump out early, hang on for 6-5 win
Myrtle Beach got on the board in the first inning once again as Santiago Chirino doubled home Jared Bolden for a 1-0 lead against starter Drake Britton (1-8). The lefty lasted only three innings and allowed one run on five hits, but did strike out six.
Wilfredo Boscan (3-6) was much improved tonight after losing his last four starts while posting a 6.97 ERA. The Venezuelan right-hander held the Red Sox to one hit in five scoreless innings before allowing a run in the sixth and seventh. Boscan lasted six and two-thirds innings, allowing only two runs on five hits, walking two and striking out three.
Against reliever Pete Ruiz the Birds plated three in the fifth and one in the sixth to open up a 5-1 advantage. That included a seventh-inning, opposite-field home run to right field from Jared Prince. The Pelicans loaded the bases against Ruiz and added one more run in the seventh against Kendal Volz that would turn out to be an important insurance run.
That was because the Red Sox made it close in the next half-inning against Trevor Hurley. Kolbrin Vitek scored from third on a wild pitch to make it a 6-3 game before Miles Head belted a two-run home run to trim the Myrtle Beach lead to one. Joe Ortiz came on and picked up the final out of the eighth and struck out David Mailman to start the ninth before handing the game over to Yan.
The side-winding righty gave up an infield single to Derrik Gibson, who got into scoring position when Yan's throw to first bounced into the camera well to give the runner an extra base. Yan (S, 10) buckled down with the tying run at second, striking out pinch-hitter Vladimir Frias and third baseman Kolbrin Vitek to end the game.
The Pelicans have bounced back from their 3-7 road trip with a pair of wins to open up their eight-game homestand. With 12 hits, Myrtle Beach reached double-digits for the second straight night. Prince had three hits to go along with his homer and David Paisano had three hits as well. Jared Bolden and Santiago Chirino both singled, doubled and scored twice.
The third game of the four-game set is set for Friday night as righty Justin Grimm (2-2, 3.40) goes for the Birds against Salem right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (1-4, 4.46). First pitch at BB&T Coastal Field is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tickets for all Pelicans home games are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, and by phone at 843-918-6000 or 877-918-TIXX.