The Salem Red Sox never trailed as they beat the Wilmington Blue Rocks, 10-5, to take the rubber game of a three-game series Friday night at LewisGale Field.
For the second straight night, the Red Sox (54-36, 11-10) scored two runs in the first inning against the Blue Rocks (34-57, 7-15). Joseph Monge led off with a double and scored when Mike Meyers reached safely on an error. Danny Mars laced a double to plate Meyers to make it 2-0.
Salem collected another pair of runs against Wilmington starter Corey Ray (5-3) in the second inning, when Deiner Lopez doubled and Bryan Hudson walked to lead off the frame. A passed ball and a wild pitch escorted Lopez home, and a Reed Gragnani sacrifice fly assisted Hudson in scoring to give the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.
Travis Lakins allowed a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning to Samir Duenez, but pitched one of his best outings of the season. Lakins (6-3) completed 6.0 innings for the first time since May 24, and allowed just the one run on four hits, striking out five and not issuing a walk. It was his third quality start of the campaign.
The Red Sox extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth against Blue Rocks reliever Jake Kalish when Mike Meyers smashed a triple and scored on a wild pitch. The three-bagger was Meyers’ team-leading eighth on the season, and ties him with Andrew Stevenson of Potomac for the Carolina League lead.
Meyers contributed further against Kalish in the bottom of the sixth when his RBI single scored Gragnani to expand Salem’s lead to 6-1. The Salem outfielder finished three hits, including the triple, three runs scored, and an RBI.
Jorge Marban was summoned from the bullpen for the top of the seventh and allowed two runs to score to shave the advantage to 6-3. An Elier Hernandez double and a run-producing double play hit into by Colton Frabasilio plated the runs.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Red Sox got the runs back and took an 8-3 lead when Deiner Lopez cracked a two-run home run off the Budweiser bottle in right field against Jake Newberry. It was Lopez’s third round-tripper of the year.
Newberry allowed two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth when Jordan Betts stroked his second double of the night, scoring Meyers and Mars, and giving Salem a 10-3 lead.
Bobby Poyner recorded the final out in the eighth for Marban, but had a turbulent ninth inning. He allowed a home run to Hernandez after a dropped pop foul, and a pair of hits plated another run, but the Sox held on for the win.
The Red Sox welcome the Potomac Nationals to LewisGale Field to begin a four-game series Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm. Salem will send Daniel McGrath (3-3, 3.99) to the mound, while the Nationals counter with Whit Mayberry (1-1, 4.76). For tickets and more information, call (540) 389-3333, or slide to www.salemsox.com/tickets.
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