Dash rally stuns Red Sox, 9-8

The Winston-Salem Dash scored the final seven runs of the game, including four runs in the last of the eighth, to knock off the Salem Red Sox 9-8 on Monday night at BB&T Ballpark.

The Dash began their comeback in the sixth inning. Trailing 8-2, Omar Narvaez crushed a two-out RBI double to right-center, scoring Jake Peter. Keenyn Walker drove him in one batter later, ending the evening of Salem starter Denny Bautista, who was replaced by Mike Adams after 5.2 innings and four runs on seven hits against him. Adams ended the inning with a strikeout but Winston-Salem had cut the deficit to 8-4.

One more crossed in the last of the seventh for the Dash. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Adams got Peter to bounce into a double play. Michael Suiter scored on the play, but the Sox held an 8-5 lead heading to the eighth.

In the eighth, though, Winston-Salem had the first nine batters reach, scoring four times to take the lead. With runners at first and third and one down, Cleuluis Rondon drove home a run with an RBI single to left, slicing the deficit to 8-6. Suiter then lined a ball to center field that Manuel Margot dropped, allowing another run to score. T.J. Williams then tied the game with an RBI single to left-center.

With runners at first and second, Adam Engel blooped a single to right field, but Cole Sturgeon gunned down Suiter at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run. After a walk and a pitching change, Kuehl McEachern plunked Trey Michalczewski on a 2-2 pitch with the bases loaded to complete the Winston-Salem comeback.

Salem had a runner reach on an error in the ninth, but Jake Romanski grounded into a double play to end the game.

Winston-Salem took the early lead in the game thanks to a Michalczewski solo homer and a Narvaez RBI double in the first inning. However, Salem would score the next eight runs over their next four at-bats against Dash starter Robinson Leyer.

Wendell Rijo blasted his third homer of the year in the second to tie the game and was followed three batters later by Jordan Betts, who mashed a solo round-tripper to give Salem a 3-2 advantage. In the third inning, Sam Travis doubled home two more runs for his team-leading 27^th and 28^th runs batted in of the year.

After a scoreless fourth, Kevin Heller added to the Red Sox lead with an RBI double scoring Tzu-Wei Lin and Sturgeon provided extra cushion with a two-run single against reliever Brian Clark. However, Salem would have just two hits the rest of the way and was unable to hold onto the 8-2 advantage.

Jose Brito (2-3) took the win in relief for the Dash, firing 2.1 scoreless and hitless innings, including the ninth. Adams (1-3) was dealt the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in two innings of relief.

Salem wraps up its seven-game road trip with the finale of the four-game series at BB&T Ballpark on Tuesday night. Ty Buttrey (4-0, 2.40) will for Salem against Winston-Salem’s Jake Cose (2-1, 2.10). Fans can listen to the game on 1240 AM ESPN Roanoke, online at salemsox.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.