FREDERICK, MD (Tuesday, May 22) - The Salem Red Sox bent but did not break Tuesday night, leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to withstand a huge comeback and down the Frederick Keys 13-11 at Harry Grove Stadium.Salem (22-20) achieved a five-game winning streak for the
FREDERICK, MD (Tuesday, May 22) - The Salem Red Sox bent but did not break Tuesday night, leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to withstand a huge comeback and down the Frederick Keys 13-11 at Harry Grove Stadium.
Salem (22-20) achieved a five-game winning streak for the second time in 2018, this one coming on the heels of an eight-game skid earlier in the month. Frederick (18-26) trailed by as many as 11 runs before drawing to within two in the final frame, but couldn't complete a majestic comeback effort. C.J. Chatham knocked a third-inning grand slam that was the first hit by a Salem player since Yoán Moncada did it against the Carolina Mudcats on May 3, 2016. The game ran to a whopping 3:50 (230 minutes), a new record in the Red Sox era (2009-present) for a nine-inning game.
Salem cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the second against Frederick starting pitcher Jhon Peluffo (L, 2-2). With a 3-1 count, Roldani Baldwin hammered a fastball high over the video-screen in left field for his third homer of the season. Tyler Hill and Jordan Wren then knocked consecutive singles to put runners on first and second. Chris Madera hit a bounding ball to second that Preston Palmeiro whiffed on, allowing the ball to roll to right field. Hill sped home to score, and Wren reached second safely. The error continued to prove costly, as Jordan Procyshen came up big with an RBI single to right to score Wren and make it a 3-0 lead for the Sox.
Frederick chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the second against Salem starter Bryan Mata (W, 2-2), who walked leadoff man Jomar Reyes before T.J. Nichting singled him to second. Yojhan Quevedo bounced into a double play that left Reyes at third with two outs. Chris Clare looped a flare to right that Hill dove for but couldn't catch. The ball rolled all the way to the wall and Reyes crossed the plate as Clare wound up at third with an RBI triple and trimmed the Salem lead to 3-1.
The Sox broke it wide open in the top of the third, as Jerry Downs and Baldwin started the inning by drawing walks before Hill singled to load the bases with nobody out. Wren fanned, and Madera popped out in foul territory, putting the Sox in danger of squandering the big inning. However, Espinal was able to wrangle a bases-loaded walk to plate Downs and chase Peluffo from the game. New reliever Travis Seabrooke fared little better, walking Brett Netzer to score Baldwin and keep the bases loaded. Chatham pounced on the first-pitch fastball and sent a fly over the wall in left for a grand slam, his second homer of the year. The big blast made it 9-1 in favor of the Sox.
Salem poured on more runs in the top of the fourth. Downs led off with a single and scooted to second on a wild pitch by Seabrooke. With one out, Hill singled to bring Downs in, and moved up on another wild pitch. Wren and Madera both drew walks to load the bases back up, and Procyshen drew his second straight bases-loaded walk to score Wren and extend the lead to 12-1.
The Keys drew a little closer in the bottom of the sixth against new reliever Durin O'Linger, who gave up a two-out single to Quevedo before Clare lifted a fly ball to left that bounced off the top of the wall for a two-run homer. Stuart Levy then singled, and Ryan McKenna cracked a double to right-center, scoring Levy and reducing the margin to 12-4. Frederick got another in the seventh, as Palmeiro earned a leadoff walk and moved up to second on a ground-out by Wilson Garcia. With two away, Nichting hit a sharp grounder that ricocheted off O'Linger toward Downs, who tried to tag Nichting but lost the ball. The miscue allowed Palmeiro to race home, cutting the Sox lead to 12-6.
Frederick made the Sox sweat more in the bottom of the eighth, as new reliever Hunter Smith allowed a leadoff single to Clare before plunking Levy. McKenna hit a grounder to third that looked like it could start a double play, but Bobby Dalbec's throw to second was wild, skittering into right field. Clare came in to score, and Levy moved up to third base on the error. Smith recovered to fan Cole Billingsley, but Palmeiro jumped on a fastball and sent it sailing over the wall in right for a three-run homer to draw the Keys to within three runs at 12-9.
In the top of the ninth, Salem loaded the bases with one out on a single by Netzer, a walk drawn by Chatham, and an infield single by Dalbec. Reliever Tyler Erwin plunked Downs, scoring Netzer and giving the Sox a crucial insurance run to make it 13-9.
The Keys brought the drama in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Quevedo hit a bouncer to short, and Chatham's throw to first was wild, allowing Quevedo to reach safely. Smith walked Clare and surrendered a single to Levy, loading the bases. McKenna slashed a single to right that scored Quevedo and kept the bases full with one out. The Sox turned to Matthew Gorst (S, 6), who had only walked three batters all season. He proceeded to walk Cole Billingsley on four pitches, plating Clare and keeping the bases loaded. However, Gorst recovered to fan Palmeiro, and got Wilson Garcia to pop out to Baldwin to end the game.
Mata gave up one run on four hits and three walks over five frames, striking out four. O'Linger was touched up for four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk, striking out one in his two innings of action. Smith surrendered six runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk over 1.1 innings, hitting a batter and fanning two. Gorst walked one and struck out one among his two outs recorded, earning the save.
The Sox will look to add another tally to the win column Wednesday night, with southpaw Enmanuel De Jesus making the start for Salem against Frederick lefty Alex Wells. 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.
