Blue Rocks take 5-4 extra inning win over Red Sox

Diaz twirls third-straight shutout start

Jhonathan Diaz tossed his third-straight shutout start Saturday night. (John Wacher)

September 7, 2019

WILMINGTON, Delaware (September 7, 2019) - The Salem Red Sox rallied to force extra innings but the Wilmington Blue Rocks walked-off 5-4 in ten innings in Game Four of the Carolina League North Division Championship Saturday night at Frawley Stadium.How it Happened * Jhonathan Diaz dueled for six straight shutout

WILMINGTON, Delaware (September 7, 2019) - The Salem Red Sox rallied to force extra innings but the Wilmington Blue Rocks walked-off 5-4 in ten innings in Game Four of the Carolina League North Division Championship Saturday night at Frawley Stadium.

How it Happened
* Jhonathan Diaz dueled for six straight shutout innings against Austin Cox. The lefty permitted just two hits and struck out eight.
* Ryan Fitzgerald was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning and pushed to third on a single from Victor Acosta. The shortstop scrambled home on a wild pitch for Salem to break the silence and take a 1-0 lead.
* Wilmington struck with a vengeance in the bottom of the frame as four Blue Rocks scored across five hits to move ahead 4-1.
* Tyler Esplin doubled with one out in the ninth and moved to third after a single by Tanner Nishioka. Jerry Downs hit a pinch-hit groundout to cut the lead 4-2. Grant Williams and Garrett Benge drilled back-to-back doubles with two outs to draw even once more, 4-4.
* Former Salem Red Sox Tyler Hill drilled a single in the tenth inning to score the placed runner and take a 5-4 win.
Standout Sox
Jhonathan Diaz: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Grant Williams: 3-for-4, RBI, R, 2B

Noteworthy
* Diaz has not permitted a run in his last three starts.
* The win forces a decisive Game Five between Salem and Wilmington. The teams are 12-12 in the season's entirety.
* The loss is the first time Salem has been dealt back-to-back in walk-off fashion.
What's Next
Salem Red Sox at Wilmington Blue Rocks, September 8, 2019. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 PM EST.
TBA v TBA
Listen: SalemSox.com, TuneIn Radio, ESPN Blacksburg WKEX 1430 AM/94.1 FM, WGMN 1240 AM/93.3 FM
The Salem Red Sox are the Advanced-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and call Haley Toyota Field in Salem, Virginia home. The team was founded in 1968 and purchased by Fenway Sports Management in December of 2007. For more information on the Salem Red Sox, please visit SalemRedSox.com or contact Melanie Newman at [email protected].