Home Salem shuts down FredNats, 5-0
Sports

Salem shuts down FredNats, 5-0

Chris Graham

Fredericksburg Nationals The Salem Red Sox held Fredericksburg to just two base hits in a 5-0 victory on Saturday night.

The Sox, the Low-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, worked the bases loaded against Mikey Tepper in the second inning with a walk, a single, and a hit-by-pitch. Yorberto Mejicano was then plunked to force in the first run of the evening. Claudio Simon followed Mejicano and rolled over into a double play, but Natanael Yuten scored to make it 2-0 Salem.

Noah Dean began the third for the Red Sox, and retired the FredNats, the Low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in order. From there, Dean did walk three men in the fourth but escaped any damage. The southpaw retired nine straight Nationals at one point, en route to 4.2 innings of shutout ball.

In the home half of the sixth, Salem extended their lead. Johanfran Garcia walked with one out, then stole second base as Luis Ravelo struck out. Yuten then singled down the right field line to plate Garcia to make it 3-0 Sox.

Marvin Alcantara kept the frame alive with a single to put runners on the corners, and Mejicano brought both men home with a double to make it 5-0 Red Sox.

Michael Valera retired Fredericksburg in order in the eighth inning, but did allow a single and a walk to begin the top of the ninth. But the right-hander induced a 4-6-3 double play, then got Roismar Quintana to strike out and end the ballgame.

Dean earned his second win of the season, while Mikey Tepper suffered the loss.

In the series finale, Luke Young goes up against Jedixson Paez.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].