Adam Abraham bashed two homers and Marty Popham delivered seven dominant innings to ease Kinston past Salem 6-1 on Wednesday night, moving the K-Tribe to within a game and a half of first-place Myrtle Beach in the Southern Division.
Abraham launched a pair of towering solo shots, while Popham was one pitch away from being perfect, retiring 21 of the 22 men he faced over seven overwhelming frames. Dan Butler’s solo homer in the fifth denied Popham perfection, but the Red Sox did little more to prevent the Indians’ righty from earning his first Carolina League win of the year.
The K-Tribe scored a pair in the first, with the top three hitters all recording knocks off Drake Britton in the game’s early moments. Justin Toole doubled home Tyler Holt, then scored on Anthony Gallas’ single to left-center, and the Sox trailed 2-zip before Britton had recorded an out.
Britton pitched two innings before giving way to Will Latimer, who tossed four strong innings, only allowing one hit, a solo homer served to Abraham that made it 3-0 in the fourth.
Meanwhile, Popham was in command, setting down the first 13 men he faced before Butler belted his ninth bomb of the season in the fifth. Alas, Popham retired eight straight after that to complete his seven-inning outing with just one run and one hit allowed.
Tyler Sturdevant followed Popham and dealt two scoreless innings, surrendering just one bloop single to Zach Gentile. The Red Sox mustered just two hits in the game and did not draw a single walk.
The Indians added two more in the seventh off Dennis Neuman to take a 5-1 lead and made it 6-1 with Abraham’s second dinger of the night, his tenth round-tripper of the season.
The Red Sox now venture back to Woodbridge to conclude their 19-game road trip. Salem and Potomac will square off four times beginning on Thursday night, as Junichi Tazawa opposes Evan Bronson beginning at 7:05 at Pfitzner Stadium.
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Chris Graham
