Rain Dance: Sox win 3-1 in weather-shortened contest

The Salem Red Sox topped the Potomac Nationals 3-1 in a game that ended in the seventh due to inclement weather.

Rain halted the game twice. In the top of sixth, play was suspended when the drops came down at an unbearable pace. Rain ultimately cut the game short with Salem ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh. The Red Sox were on track to pad their lead; play stopped with two runners on base and no outs for Keury De La Cruz.

Perhaps the weather decided De La Cruz had already made his point. The Sox left fielder drove in all three of Salem’s runs. His single in the third plated Tim Roberson and Nick Natoli to give Salem a 2-1 lead. He belted a single in the fifth that scored Deven Marrero.

Potomac began the game with a bang. Billy Burns doubled to lead off the first, followed by a Caleb Ramsey double that scored Burns. Red Sox hurler Williams Cuevas allowed the first four Nationals batters to reach base. But then Cuevas buckled down. He stranded the bases loaded in the first, and then held the Nats offense at bay until his outing was ended prematurely by a long rain delay. Cuevas got the win to improve to 5-6. He allowed one run on seven hits in five innings, striking out five. He had an excellent feel for his curveball, which induced the majority of the strikeouts.

Manny Rivera pitched two scoreless innings for the Sox to pick his first save of the season. Nationals starter Matt Purke gave up three runs in five innings to take the defeat, falling to 0-2.

Salem has now won five of its last six games. Sunday at 4:05 pm, Heri Quevedo will throw for Salem against a starter to be announced for Potomac.