Dash edge Salem, even series

Winston-Salem scored three runs early and three more late to sneak away with a 6-4 victory over Salem on Tuesday night at LewisGale Field, evening the pivotal four-game series at one game apiece.

Dan Black and Trayce Thompson led the Dash with two hits apiece, while Thompson’s three-run homer in the top of the eighth provided the separation that Winston required to prevail. Dash starter Spencer Arroyo allowed just one run on two hits over five and two-thirds innings, picking up his third win of the year and moving Winston back to a game and a half ahead of Salem in the Southern Division standings.

The Red Sox began inauspiciously by making an error on the first play of the game. Brandon Workman induced a grounder to short from Marcus Semien, but Xander Bogaerts bobbled the ball and Semien reached. A flustered Workman walked consecutive hitters, and the Dash led 2-zip when Black doubled with the bases loaded to drive in a pair. Thompson followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

Workman settled down and did not allow a run in the final four innings of his five-inning performance, but the early deficit tagged him with his third loss of the season. Workman allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits over five innings, striking out four and walking two.

The Red Sox only got to Arroyo in the second, with Brandon Jacobs doubling to begin the frame and Xander Bogaerts driving him in with a grounder to first. The score remained 3-1 into the seventh when Bogaerts led off with a single and scored three batters later on Adalberto Ibarra’s RBI single to right. Back within a run, the Sox stranded the tying run in scoring position and trailed 3-2 after seven.

In the eighth, Salem reliever Michael Gleason walked the leadoff man, allowed another single to Black, and then gave up a three-run jack to Thompson that stretched Winston’s lead to four. Gleason had retired the first six men he faced through the sixth and seventh innings, but the Thompson dinger stung the Sox and gave the Dash a cushion.

Salem responded with a pair in the home half of the frame, as Bogaerts picked up another RBI and Michael Almanzar lifted a sac fly to deep center, cutting the deficit to two at 6-4. In the ninth, Jackie Bradley, Jr. doubled with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate, but Sean Coyle struck out against Nick McCully, ending the game and earning McCully his fourth save.

Salem and Winston reunite on Wednesday for a 7:05 start at LewisGale Field, with Miguel Celestino set to oppose Jon Bachanov in a matchup of righthanders.