The three-day saga between the Salem Red Sox and Frederick Keys that began Thursday night finally completed Saturday evening with the Keys defeating the Red Sox 5-1. The game was suspended owing to weather twice – once Thursday night and once Friday night.
The game resumed Saturday with Frederick leading 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning with Joseph Monge on first base for Salem. Keys reliever Garrett Cleavinger escaped the jam by inducing an inning-ending lineout from Wendell Rijo.
German Taveras was the new pitcher in the game for the Red Sox, and lasted the final 4.0 innings of the game. The righty reliever allowed a single run on just one hit, while walking one and striking out four in his first outing of the second half.
In the bottom of the seventh, Deiner Lopez stroked a solo home run against Cleavinger to tighten the score to 4-1, but Tanner Scott avoided further trouble in the frame and the game.
The Keys got an insurance run in the ninth against Taveras without a hit, thanks to a walk, sacrifice bunt and wild pitch scoring pinch-hitter Steve Wilkerson to expand the lead to 5-1.
Yankory Pimentel (5-3) was the pitcher of record on the short side for the Red Sox, having started the game Thursday. He lasted 2.0 innings and surrendered one run on two hits – a solo home run by Aderlin Rodriguez.
Jeff Beliveau (1-0) earned the win for Frederick, lasting 3.1 shutout relief innings Friday night, striking out seven and allowing a single hit. Scott tossed the final three innings to record his third save of the season.
Saturday’s regularly scheduled game will begin at 6:05 pm at LewisGale Field, and will last seven innings. The Red Sox will send Daniel McGrath (1-3, 5.59) to the mound, while the Keys counter with Mitch Horacek (3-7, 5.26).
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Chris Graham
