The Salem Red Sox gave up a season-high 19 hits to the Potomac Nationals and dropped a 10-6 decision on Friday night at LewisGale Field, evening the four-game series at a game apiece.
Potomac drew first blood in the third inning, as Brandon Miller tripled to lead things off. He scored two batters later on a double-play ball bounced into by Narciso Mesa. Christopher Bostick then launched a solo homer to left, giving the Nationals a 2-0 lead.
Salem got one back in the home half of the third, beginning with a two-out walk from Forrestt Allday. Manuel Margot followed with a RBI triple to the gap in right-center allowing Allday to score from first, cutting the lead to 2-1.
The Nationals wasted no time getting more runs in the fourth inning. With one out, the P-Nats recorded three consecutive base hits, culminating in a John Wooten RBI double. Brandon Miller then lofted a sacrifice fly to center, pushing the Potomac lead to 4-1.
The Sox got some fireworks from Sam Travis in the bottom of the fourth as he clobbered a leadoff home run to left field, his third of the season, to cut into the Nationals lead at 4-2.
Salem starter Teddy Stankiewicz pitched into the sixth inning before having his night cut short. He recorded two quick outs in the frame but then ran into trouble. Drew Ward homered off the scoreboard in right-center, Wooten singled and Miller went the opposite way for a double to score Wooten, ending the righthander’s night. Stankiewicz (1-6) exited the game after 5.2 innings with six runs allowed on 12 hits and his team trailing 6-2.
Potomac’s lead swelled with four more runs in the eighth inning. With runners on second and third and two outs against Aaron Wilkerson, Miller poked a single to score Kieboom. Jimmy Yezzo then drove a double deep to right-center that allowed Ward to score and moved Miller to third. Mesa plated both men with a single in the next at bat to make it 10-2 Nationals.
The Red Sox got two back in the bottom of the eighth thanks to Tzu-Wei Lin, who crushed his second homer of the season, a two-run job over the right field wall. Travis also singled in the inning, completing a 3-for-4 effort highlighted by his home run.
Salem kept pushing in the ninth, starting with a double from Cole Sturgeon that extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Franklin Guzman drove Sturgeon home with a single and Margot singled home Jake Romanski to cut the deficit to 10-6, but Salem would get no closer.
Potomac starter Reynaldo Lopez was impressive over seven innings, allowing only three hits. Lopez (3-2) surrendered two runs and struck out four in his longest start of the year.
Salem lost for the first time against the Nationals in 2015 and dropped its overall record to 27-26, while Potomac improved to 24-30. The series continueson Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. Salem will send Kevin McAvoy (4-3, 3.40) out to face Potomac’s Nick Pivetta (3-4, 2.28). The annual Guns and Hoses event, a pregame softball game between local firefighters and policemen will take place at 3:30 p.m. Fans unable to attend can listen to the game on 1240 AM ESPN Roanoke, online at salemsox.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.
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