SALEM, VA (Sunday, August 12) - The Salem Red Sox never got their offense clicking Sunday afternoon, mustering only four hits while their opponents piled up the runs, and they fell 9-0 to the Carolina Mudcats at Haley Toyota Field.The Sox (22-26, 54-62) made plenty of strong contact but couldn't
SALEM, VA (Sunday, August 12) - The Salem Red Sox never got their offense clicking Sunday afternoon, mustering only four hits while their opponents piled up the runs, and they fell 9-0 to the Carolina Mudcats at Haley Toyota Field.
The Sox (22-26, 54-62) made plenty of strong contact but couldn't seem to find the open spaces of the outfield to take advantage. Carolina (23-24, 57-60) got a superb Carolina League debut from Christian Taugner (W, 1-0), who gave up just four hits and a walk over six frames while whiffing two.
The Mudcats blew it wide open right away in the top of the second against Salem starting pitcher Jake Thompson (L, 5-11), who walked leadoff man Cooper Hummer and gave up a single to Ryan Aguilar to put runners at first and second. Robie Rojas hammered a double to right-center field, scoring Hummel, and Aguilar came in on a groundout by Nick Roscetti. Nathan Rodriguez kept the Carolina bats booming, knocking a double to left to score Rojas. Trever Morrison bounced out to short, allowing Rodriguez to advance to third, and Rob Henry laced a single to right to score Rodriguez and run the lead to 4-0.
In the third inning, Demi Orimoloye led off with a double and moved up to third on a single by Hummel. Aguilar cracked an RBI single to left to plate Orimoloye and move Hummel up to third with nobody out. Reliever Daniel Gonzalez entered and retired the side without further damage, but Salem trailed 5-0. A leadoff homer by Trever Morrison in the top of the fourth extended the lead once more, making it 6-0.
In the top of the seventh, reliever Austin Glorius entered for the Sox, and ran into trouble. Hummel led off with a single, and sped to third on a double by Aguilar before Glorius hit Rojas with a pitch to load the bases. Roscetti slashed a triple to left-center field, clearing the bases and running the lead to 9-0. At that moment, heavy rains came washing down on the field, forcing play to halt at 6:06 p.m., and the game was called 31 minutes later.
Thompson was touched up for five runs on seven hits and a walk against two strikeouts, working two innings and pitching into the third. Gonzalez gave up a run on four hits in four innings, whiffing five. Glorius allowed three runs on three hits and a hit-by-pitch before rain put a stop to the game.
The Sox will try to salvage a series split Monday night, with righty Kutter Crawford making the start for Salem against Carolina right-hander Alec Bettinger. First pitch from Haley Toyota Field is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.
