SALEM, VA (Saturday, May 19) - The Salem Red Sox put to rest an eight-game losing streak and four consecutive rainouts, scoring a 6-5 win Saturday night over the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Haley Toyota Field.Salem (18-20) won for the first time in two weeks, though not without allowing their
SALEM, VA (Saturday, May 19) - The Salem Red Sox put to rest an eight-game losing streak and four consecutive rainouts, scoring a 6-5 win Saturday night over the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Haley Toyota Field.
Salem (18-20) won for the first time in two weeks, though not without allowing their opponents to close to within one run twice in the final three innings. Wilmington (17-23) took a lead in the top of the first inning before recording a single out, but couldn't hang onto it, and never moved back in front. Salem hadn't played since Sunday, when they lost 6-2 to the Lynchburg Hillcats. The win snapped not only a standard eight-game losing streak, but also a nine-game home losing streak.
Wilmington got on the board before recording a single out, as Nick Heath led off the game with a single off Sox starting pitcher Jake Thompson (W, 2-2). Heath swiped second, and Thompson walked D.J. Burt to put runners at first and second. Khalil Lee and Emmanuel Rivera cracked consecutive RBI singles to put the Blue Rocks ahead 2-0.
Salem jumped in front in the bottom of the third against Wilmington starter Gerson Garabito (L, 1-3), as leadoff man Carlos Tovar smoked a triple to deep center field and Chris Madera worked a walk to put runners on the corners before Santiago Espinal brought Tovar home on a sacrifice fly to center. Ryan Scott hit a bouncer to short that looked like it could start a double play, but second baseman Gabriel Cancel muffed the catch when receiving the toss, and everyone was safe. C.J. Chatham made the Blue Rocks pay for the mistake, smashing his first homer of the year over the left field wall to put Salem ahead 4-2.
The Sox tacked on another in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tyler Hill drew a leadoff walk, and stole second base to reach scoring position. With two away, Chris Madera knocked a double into the gap in left center to plate Hill, running the lead to 5-2.
The Blue Rocks drew closer in the top of the seventh against new reliever Algenis Martinez, who surrendered back-to-back doubles to Cancel and Chris DeVito to bring home a run. With one away, Heath smacked a double of his own to score DeVito, and stole third to put the tying run just 90 feet from the plate. However, Martinez recovered to fan Burt and induce a groundout from Lee to retire the side with Salem ahead 5-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Salem added a critical insurance run against Blue Rocks reliever Carter Hope. Bobby Dalbec worked the count full against hope, and then belted a fastball over the wall in left for his league-leading eighth homer. The solo shot extended Salem's lead to 6-4.
That run proved crucial in the top of the ninth, as DeVito pounced on the first-pitch fastball from Martinez and homered to right to lead off the frame. Martinez got Angelo Castellano to fly out to left, and reliever Matthew Gorst (S, 5) struck Heath out looking and got Burt to fly out to right to end the game.
Thompson earned the win with a career-high six innings pitched, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks while fanning three. Martinez was touched up for three runs on five hits in 2.1 frames while whiffing two. Gorst retired both batters he faced and recorded one strikeout.
The Sox and Blue Rocks will close the series with a doubleheader on Sunday. Southpaw Darwinzon Hernandez will make the start for Salem in Game 1 against Blue Rocks righty Arnaldo Hernandez. In the nightcap, right-hander Daniel Gonzalez will get the ball for the Sox against Wilmington lefty Daniel Tillo. First pitch from Haley Toyota Field is at 2:05 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 1:45 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.
