Fraymi De Leon’s Late Home Run Lifts Salem Past Fredericksburg, 4-2

SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox (9-14) got a much-needed lift on Wednesday night thanks to one of their newest players. Fraymi De Leon, assigned to Salem just one day prior, delivered the biggest swing of the game with a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, helping the Red Sox snap a short skid with a 4-2 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals (13-10) at Carilion Clinic Field.

Salem opened the scoring in the second inning after Starlyn Nunez reached base on a fielding error by Fredericksburg second baseman Yoander Rivero. The speedy infielder stole second—his second stolen base of the season—and came around to score two batters later on a single by Yosander Asencio.

The Nationals responded quickly. In the top of the third, Nick Peoples turned around a fastball from right-hander Ben Hansen and drove it over the left-field wall for his third home run of the season, tying the game at 1-1. One inning later, Jorgelys Mota made it 2-1 with an RBI knock through that plated Jackson Ross, who had doubled a batter before.

Hansen, made his professional debut after being selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, showed promise in a short outing. The 23-year-old threw 3.1 innings, allowing just two hits and two runs (only one earned), while striking out three and walking one. He left the game in the fourth inning with one on and one out.

That’s when Luis Cohen took over, and completely changed the tone of the game.

The right-hander from Venezuela turned in his best outing of the season. Cohen pitched 5.1 shutout innings, giving up only one hit and striking out five. He earned the win in dominant fashion, keeping the Nationals off-balance with a mix of breaking balls and well-located fastballs.

Cohen’s effort gave the Red Sox a chance to come back. In the bottom of the fourth, Andruw Musett led off with a single and advanced to second when Kleyver Salazar drew a walk. After Nunez flied out, Frederik Jimenez brought home the tying run with a sacrifice fly to center field, knotting the game at 2-2.

Both bullpens traded zeroes in the fifth and sixth, but the deadlock was finally broken in the seventh. Natanael Yuten lined a one-out single into the outfield, setting the stage for De Leon.

Batting from the right side, De Leon worked a 1-1 count against Fredericksburg reliever Austin Amaral. On the third pitch of the at-bat, De Leon crushed a hanging slider that cleared the 26-foot-high left-field fence, providing the spark that Salem was looking for all game. The two-run blast was his first home run of the season.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it out of there when I first made contact,” De Leon said postgame. “I was sitting on the fastball and I ended up getting a slider but I was able to get a hold of it.”

The Nationals threatened in the ninth. Cohen returned to the mound and hit Mota with a pitch before Nate Rombach reached on an error, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with no outs. But Cohen locked in, retiring Randal Diaz on a shallow flyout to center before striking out Peoples.

With two on and two out, manager Ozzie Chavez would go to the bullpen. The southpaw Michael Sansone was called on to close the game out and retire Moises Gallardo for the 27th out.

Sansone fired the first pitch and got a swing and miss. Gallardo than stepped out of the batter’s box and adjusted his batting gloves before digging back in.

The second pitch was a swing and a miss to bring the count to 0-2. Gallardo once again departed the batter’s box and adjusted his batting helmet. This time the home plate umpire Derek Gibson would call time, point to his right wrist and issue a pitch clock violation on Gallardo for strike three.

Sansone recorded the strikeout on just two pitches and earned the save on a 4-2 Salem win.

The victory evens the series at one game apiece. Game three is set for Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. back at Carilion Clinic Field. Right-hander Blake Aita is scheduled to take the mound for his fifth start of the season as the Red Sox are in search of back-to-back wins.