WILMINGTON, DE (Friday, May 25) - The Salem Red Sox got a league-best ninth homer from slugger Bobby Dalbec and got the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth inning, but couldn't complete their comeback and fell 4-3 to the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium.Salem (22-23) sagged
WILMINGTON, DE (Friday, May 25) - The Salem Red Sox got a league-best ninth homer from slugger Bobby Dalbec and got the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth inning, but couldn't complete their comeback and fell 4-3 to the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium.
Salem (22-23) sagged back under .500 as they fell for the third day in a row, and they mustered only four hits for the second straight game. Wilmington (19-28) broke out of their own two-game skid and scored their first win against the Sox of 2018. The Sox have only 18 hits in their last three games, batting .182 in that time.
Salem opened the scoring in the top of the second against Wilmington starting pitcher Arnaldo Hernandez (W, 5-2). Jerry Downs cracked a leadoff double to left-center, putting himself in scoring position for Bobby Dalbec. The Red Sox slugger worked the count full before lifting a fly ball over the wall in right for a two-run homer that put the Sox ahead 2-0.
The Blue Rocks roared back in the bottom of the third against Salem starter Darwinzon Hernandez (L, 3-2), who surrendered a leadoff single to Chris DeVito before Xavier Fernández doubled to put runners at second and third. Oliver Nunez hit a soft flare up the right field line for a two-run double, scoring both runners for Wilmington. Nick Heath dropped a sacrifice bunt to advance Nunez to third, and Khalil Lee knifed a two-out single to left to score Nunez and give the Blue Rocks a 3-2 lead.
Wilmington tacked on another run in the seventh, as DeVito led off the frame with a double. With Fernandez at the plate, Darwinzon Hernandez uncorked a wild pitch, inducing DeVito to run to third. Catcher Roldani Baldwin fired wildly to third and the throw rolled into left field, allowing DeVito to score and extend the lead to 4-2.
The Sox made the Blue Rocks sweat in the top of the ninth. Jordan Procyshen worked a one-out walk off reliever Bryan Brickhouse (S, 8), and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Jordan Wren struck out, but Chris Madera hit a soft single into right field that plated Procyshen. Madera stole second, and Tyler Hill earned a walk, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs, but Brett Netzer struck out looking to end the game.
Darwinzon Hernandez surrendered four runs on six hits and two walks in six innings, fanning four. Matthew Gorst tossed two shutout frames of relief, recording one strikeout against a walk and a hit.
The Sox will try to snap out of their three-game skid Saturday night. Righty Tanner Houck will toe the slab for Salem against Wilmington southpaw Daniel Tillo. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is at 6:05 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 5:45 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.
