Sox Drown Dash's Hopes 7-6 in 11 Innings Thursday

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (Thursday, July 20, 2017) - Chris Madera collected three hits, including a game-winning single in extra frames, and the Salem Red Sox outlasted the Winston-Salem Dash for a 7-6 win in 11 innings at BB&T Ballpark Thursday night.
The Sox (17-10, 56-38) moved to 7-2 on the season against the Dash, and won their seventh extra-innings game of the year (and fourth since the All-Star Break). Winston-Salem (13-13, 37-59) held the lead going into the ninth inning, but a former Red Sox prospect put the tying run on base, and the Dash didn't have a baserunner from the ninth inning on.

Salem got things going early in the top of the first against Winston-Salem starter Kyle Kubat. Madera led off with a line drive single into left field, and sped to second on a wild pitch by Kubat. Jeremy Rivera flew out to deep center, allowing Madera to make it to third base, and Josh Ockimey lofted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Madera and give Salem the 1-0 lead.
Winston-Salem answered in the bottom of the second against Red Sox starting pitcher Matthew Kent. Eloy Jiménez led off the frame with a rocket of a double to left, and moved to third base on a groundout by Jameson Fisher. Matt Rose worked a walk, and moved up to second on a wild pitch before Kent also walked Seby Zavala, loading the bases with one away. Brady Conlan hit a bouncer to the left side that third baseman Jordan Betts whipped on to second base for one out, but Jose Sermo's throw to first wasn't in time to nip Conlan, and Jimenez scored. Luis Alexander Basabe hit a blooper to right that fell in for a base hit, allowing Rose to score and putting the Dash ahead 2-1.
Salem roared back in the top of the fourth. Ockimey led off with a loud single off the wall in right, but Austin Rei whiffed against Kubat, and new reliever Ian Thompson fanned Sermo for the second out. Betts hit a fly to deep center that was just over the outstretched glove of Basabe; the hit wound up being a double, scoring Ockimey and leaving Betts in scoring position. Mike Meyers got a hold of a fastball and sent it to deep left center for a double of his own, allowing Betts to score. Tyler Spoon then laced a single to right-center that scored Meyers and put Salem in front 4-2. However, the Dash came back immediately, as Jimenez and Zavala crushed solo homers in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the ballgame at 4-4.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kent loaded the bases on three straight singles by Basabe, Bryant Flete and Yeyson Yrizarri, but got Zack Collins to pop out to Rivera for an infield fly. Jimenez then hit a pop fly to shallow center that looked like trouble, but Rivera made a terrific running catch before pivoting to throw to the plate. His throw home beat Basabe, and Rei applied the tag to end the inning with a terrific double play.
The teams traded runs in the seventh inning.  With two outs in the top of the inning, Victor Acosta lashed a two-out double to left off Dash reliever Mike Morrison, and came in to score on a single to left by Madera. Winston-Salem responded in the bottom of the frame against Sox reliever Adam Lau, who hit Basabe with a slider with one away. Flete singled to right, allowing Basabe to zip to third. Yrizarri lifted a fly to right for the second out, and Basabe blitzed home, just beating the throw from Meyers to even things up at 5-5. It remained that way until Zack Collins scorched a solo homer off Lau on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth to put the Dash ahead 6-5.
Salem drew level in the top of the ninth inning against former Sox prospect Victor Diaz, who walked Betts to start the frame. Meyers hit a bouncer to short, with Betts retired at second and Meyers beating the relay to first. Diaz then walked Spoon, and Dash manager Willie Harris yanked him for Jack Charleston. Acosta welcomed the new arm to the game by slicing a single to left, and Meyers raced home, scoring the tying run. Madera bounced into a fielder's choice, and Rivera grounded out to end the inning with the score tied at 6-6. Stephen Nogosek (W, 2-1) retired the Dash in order in the bottom of the ninth, and the game went to extra frames.
In the top of the 11th, Salem pulled ahead against Dash reliever Louie Lechich (L, 1-3), who walked Betts to begin the inning. Meyers flew out to right, and Spoon grounded out to third, with Betts making it to second on the play. Winston-Salem intentionally walked Acosta, and Madera made them pay, slicing a single to center to plate Betts and move Salem in front 7-6. Daniel McGrath (S, 2) set down the Dash in order in the bottom of the 11th to lock down the win for the Sox.
Kent came up short of his sixth straight quality start, surrendering four runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings while fanning two. Lau gave up two runs on three hits in three frames while striking out three. Nogosek fired two perfect innings and struck out two. McGrath whiffed two batters in a perfect frame for the save.
The Sox will look for their third straight win Friday night, with righty Mike Shawaryn making the start for Salem against Dash right-hander Dane Dunning. First pitch from BB&T Ballpark is at 7:00 p.m., and Ben Gellman has the call on the Red Sox Radio Network starting at 6:45 p.m.