SALEM, VA (Friday, August 17) - Starting pitcher Darwinzon Hernandez dominated for the Salem Red Sox on Friday in his first start after a stint on the disabled list, racking up nine strikeouts in six innings en route to a 5-0 shutout of the Down East Wood Ducks at Haley
SALEM, VA (Friday, August 17) - Starting pitcher Darwinzon Hernandez dominated for the Salem Red Sox on Friday in his first start after a stint on the disabled list, racking up nine strikeouts in six innings en route to a 5-0 shutout of the Down East Wood Ducks at Haley Toyota Field.
The Sox (26-27, 58-63) scored four of their five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to put the game out of reach. The Wood Ducks (17-37, 52-71) saw their elimination number for the second half slip to just one game, as any combination of a Wood Ducks loss or Buies Creek Astros win would nip Down East's hopes of a Mills Cup repeat in the bud. Hernandez (W, 9-5) and reliever Daniel Gonzalez (S, 3) combined to allow just three hits and three walks while whiffing 14 batters for the Sox
Salem opened up a lead in the bottom of the second against Wood Ducks starting pitcher Steven Bruce (L, 5-8), who walked Michael Osinski with two away before Victor Acosta singled to put runners at the corners. Jagger Rusconi chopped a swinging bunt up the first base line, and Bruce slipped fielding it. His throw to first was a hair too late to get Rusconi, and Osinski crossed the plate on the error to give Salem a 1-0 lead.
The Sox gained some breathing room in the bottom of the seventh inning. Acosta drew a leadoff walk from Bruce, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rusconi. Nick Sciortino earned a walk of his own, putting runners at first and second with one out and chasing Bruce from the game. Reliever Blake Bass entered and ran into trouble, as Tyler Hill and Brett Netzer cracked consecutive RBI singles to score Acosta and Sciortino, giving the Sox a 3-0 lead.
Salem built their margin again in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Josh Tobias and Osinski knocked back-to-back singles, putting runners at first and second. Acosta hit a liner to left, and LeDarious Clark bobbled the ball in left, allowing both Tobias and Osinski to score and giving the Sox their final 5-0 margin.
Hernandez was lights-out in his return from the DL, fanning nine batters against one hit and two walks in a six-inning start. Gonzalez worked around two hits and a walk in his three innings of action, fanning five and earning the save.
The Sox will shoot for a third straight win Saturday night, as righty Kutter Crawford will toe the slab for Salem against Down East right-hander Jason Bahr. First pitch from Haley Toyota Field is scheduled for 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.
