Slim Escape: Sox Salvage Finale 5-4

Myrtle Beach, SC (August 26, 2010) - With four unearned runs, the Salem Sox snuck away from Myrtle Beach with a narrow 5-4 victory in the series finale to avoid being swept in South Carolina. The Pelicans trailed 5-3 with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth, but four straight Birds reached to push the Red Sox to the brink before Kyle Fernandes struck out Gerry Rodriguez with the bases loaded to end the game. The Sox head to Kinston in a virtual tie with the Indians for the final playoff spot, with Myrtle Beach just a half game out heading into the penultimate weekend of the season.

Salem finished 0-9 with runners in scoring position on Thursday night, yet three humungous errors by Myrtle Beach, all with two outs, allowed the Sox to emerge victorious. Tied 3-3 in the eighth, Drew Hedman was plunked by a two-strike, two-out pitch, extending the inning for Ronald Bermudez. With the outfield playing very deep, Bermudez plopped a single down the right field line, which Luis Sumoza misplayed for an error that allowed Hedman to score. As Hedman beat the throw home, Bermudez sprinted to third. Catcher Matt Kennelly fired errantly to third base and Bermudez came all the way around to score on a single with two defensive miscues, giving the Sox a 5-3 lead.

This came after the Pelicans made a pivotal two-out error with the bases loaded in the fifth inning that broke a 1-all tie. With the bags packed, Adalberto Ibarra bounced a chopper in between first and second. Myrtle Beach first-baseman Mike Jones snared it to his right, but skipped a throw past the covering pitcher Angelo Paulino. The ball rung off the front railing of the Pelicans' dugout, allowing two runs to score.

Myrtle's sloppiness allowed the Red Sox to prevail despite only six Salem hits, none with runners in scoring position. Pelican pitchers walked four, plunked four, and endured three defensive shortcomings. Incredibly, the Pelicans remained one hit away from their third straight walk-off victory before the Birds fell just short in the ninth.

Salem wasted another dynamite outing from a starting pitcher. Righthander Miguel Gonzalez delivered five steady innings, allowing just two hits and one run, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Gonzalez left with the Sox leading 3-1, but Mark Holliman entered and quickly coughed up the lead. The Pelicans tied it up with two in the sixth against Holliman, who rebounded to hold the Pelicans scoreless in the seventh and the eighth. Holliman earned the victory, improving to 3-0. Fernandes surrendered one two-out run in the ninth, but earned his 11th save of the season.

Chad Rogers became the tough-luck loser for the Pelicans, dropping his record to 1-8 on the year. He allowed two of the four unearned runs on two hits, with two strikeouts and no walks. Myrtle Beach starter Cory Rasmus was chased with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, and though two of the inherited runners scored, both of those runs went as unearned because of the costly error. Rasmus tossed four and a third, allowing just one earned (three total) on three hits, with four Ks and four walks.

Alex Hassan registered his second-straight multi-hit game to lead the Sox, finishing 2-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Hassan's double was Salem's only extra-base hit of the game.

Salem now ventures to Kinston for a monumental series against the K-Tribe. Currently tied in the games back column and only miniscule percentage points behind the Indians in the chase for the final playoff spot, the Sox send Brock Huntzinger to the mound in game one of the series at Grainger Stadium. Kinston counters with southpaw T.J. House. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to a conflict with Redskins preseason football, Friday's radio broadcast will be heard exclusively on www.salemsox.com and www.milb.com. The action will return to Flagship Station NewsTalk 960 WFIR on Saturday.