The Fredericksburg Nationals got a strong outing from Mitchell Parker on Wednesday night, but couldn’t muster up enough offense as they fell 5-2 to the Salem Red Sox.
It marked the 14th consecutive loss for the FredNats (0-14) to start the season, and their second in a row at the hands of the Red Sox (8-6).
After trading zeroes in the first, Salem jumped ahead in the second off Parker (L, 0-2) and the FredNats. Three consecutive singles started the inning to load the bases, and Parker uncorked a wild pitch to push across the game’s first run. With one out, Dean Miller delivered a two-run single to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.
Parker settled down after that, allowing only one more hit and striking out six over 5.0 innings. His starting counterpart, Bradley Blalock, pitched 3.0 innings of two-run ball for the Red Sox before departing.
The FredNats got single runs in the second and third on RBI singles from Jake Randa and Junior Martina, but missed out on a greater opportunity in the second when they left the bases loaded. Martina finished 3-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Solid relief from Amos Willingham and Tanner Driskill kept the game within reach for the FredNats, but Salem’s bullpen wouldn’t budge. Jorge Rodriguez (W, 2-1) pitched 4.0 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, and Devon Roedahl (S, 2) got the final six outs to earn the save.
The FredNats will continue their search for a win as they play game three against the Red Sox on Thursday. First pitch from FredNats Ballpark is scheduled for 7:05, with FredNats On Deck beginning at 6:50 on the FredNats Baseball Network. A video broadcast of every home game is available with a subscription to MiLB.tv.
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Chris Graham
