Salem Red Sox double up Frederick Keys

The Salem Red Sox posted four runs in the first four innings and rode a tremendous bullpen performance to knock off the Frederick Keys, 4-2, on Saturday night at Nymeo Field.

Salem (58-39, 15-13) got started quickly in the first inning by plating a pair of runs. Joseph Monge led the game off with a single, moved to third on a Rafael Devers single, and came in to score on a balk. Devers was driven in by a Mike Meyers single to right with two outs in the inning.

Frederick (51-47, 15-13) battled right back to tie the game with two runs of its own in the first. Michael Kopech struggled with command early in the game, walking the first two hitters and authoring two wild pitches. Wynston Sawyer brought in a run with an RBI groundout and Aderlin Rodriguez evened things with an RBI single.

Kopech would last just four innings in his fourth start with the Red Sox. The righthander yielded the two runs on only two hits, but walked four batters, hit two more and totaled three wild pitches. He was able to strike out four Keys hitters and avoid further damage after the first.

Devers put the Red Sox ahead for good with a solo home run in the top of the third inning. It was Devers’ second homer in as many days and team-leading seventh of the season. Danny Mars added a solo shot of his own in the fourth to put Salem in front 4-2. It was Mars’ second blast of the year.

From there, the Salem bullpen combination of Mario Alcantara and Jamie Callahan kept the Keys at bay. Alcantara (8-1) gave up a hit to the first batter he faced in the fifth, but did not allow a run in his three innings of relief. He struck out one and walked two.

Callahan came on in the eighth and earned his second save of the year. He gave up two singles in the ninth, but coaxed a lineout off the bat of Sawyer that was reigned in by Devers at third to end the game.

Cory Jones (2-4) suffered the defeat for Frederick. The Keys starter allowed all four runs on six hits in five innings while striking out seven without a walk.

The Red Sox will look to win the series on Sunday afternoon at Nymeo Field with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 pm. Matt Kent (8-4, 3.23) is set to start for Salem against Frederick’s Lucas Long (4-5, 4.70) Follow along with all the action on the Salem Red Sox Baseball Network, with pre-game coverage beginning at 1:45 pm.