FREDERICK, MD (Monday, May 21) - The Salem Red Sox kept the good times rolling Monday night, as Tanner Houck delivered a quality start and Santiago Espinal hit another homer to lift the team to a 5-1 win over the Frederick Keys at Harry Grove Stadium.Salem (21-20) moved back above
FREDERICK, MD (Monday, May 21) - The Salem Red Sox kept the good times rolling Monday night, as Tanner Houck delivered a quality start and Santiago Espinal hit another homer to lift the team to a 5-1 win over the Frederick Keys at Harry Grove Stadium.
Salem (21-20) moved back above .500 with the win, their fourth in a row after an eight-game skid earlier in the month. Frederick (18-25) left seven runners on base and collectively went 0-5 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox hurlers were able to stifle the Keys without recording a single strikeout, inducing four double plays from their hosts.
Salem got the scoring going in the top of the third against Frederick starter Ofelky Peralta (L, 1-4) , as Santiago Espinal and Brett Netzer cracked consecutive singles to lead off the inning, putting runners on the corners. Roldani Baldwin fanned for the first out, but Netzer was able to avoid being tagged out on an RBI groundout by Jerry Downs, allowing Espinal to score and give Salem a 1-0 lead.
The Sox expanded their edge in the top of the fourth. Ryan Scott worked a two-out walk, and Chris Madera singled him to second. Espinal singled into center, scoring Scott, and Ryan McKenna's throw to third was wild; Madera zipped home on the error to run the lead to 3-0.
The Keys got on the board in the bottom of the sixth against Houck (W, 2-5), who walked Alejandro Juvier to lead off the inning. Chris Clare cracked a double to left, putting runners at second and third, and Cole Billingsley brought Juvier in on a sacrifice fly with one away to cut the lead to 3-1.
That margin was short-lived, though, as the Sox earned it back right away in the top of the seventh frame. With an 0-2 count against reliever Matt Trowbridge, Espinal jumped on a fastball and sent it to deep left. The ball bounced off the top of the wall on the fly and over the fence for a solo homer. The dinger was Espinal's sixth of the season, and it gave the Sox a 4-1 lead.
Salem added an insurance run in the top of the ninth against Frederick reliever Elvis Araujo, who surrendered singles to Jordan Wren and Madera to start the frame. Espinal struck out, but Netzer hit a fly to deep left that one-hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double. The play scored Wren, and gave the Sox their final 5-1 margin.
Houck picked up the win and his first quality start of 2018, allowing one run on five hits and three walks in six innings. Yankory Pimentel (S, 1) threw three innings of shutout relief, surrendering four hits and a walk en route to the save.
The Sox will look to make it five in a row Tuesday night, with righty Bryan Mata making the start for Salem against Frederick righty Jhon Peluffo. First pitch from Harry Grove Stadium is at 7:00 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.
