Joey DeMichele reached base six times, Courtney Hawkins launched another home run, and the visiting Dash erupted for 15 runs on 17 hits in a 15-9 triumph over the Salem Red Sox on Sunday night. Scoring in six different innings and drilling the Sox with a seven-run eighth after Salem had narrowed the gap to within two, Winston won its second straight game for just the second time this season.For the third time this year, former Sox prospect J.B. Wendelken got the better of his old teammates. Wendelken, who was traded from Boston to Chicago last July in the Jake Peavy deal, improved to 3-0 against Salem so far in 2014, receiving plenty of run support to bolster his pursuit. While the Sox scored four runs on eight hits against Wendelken over six innings, the Dash righty struck out six and shut the Sox down after a bumpy three-run first.
Winston scored one in the first, one in the second, two in the third, two in the fourth, two in the seventh, and seven more in the eighth, delivering a larger offensive punch than in any other game thus far in 2014. DeMichele, who had just 10 hits in his first 18 games of the season and entered at .167, went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, and a walk, scoring five times. Four other Dash batters drove in multiple runs, with Grant Buckner finishing with three RBI, while Hawkins, Keon Barnum, and Martin Medina each plated a pair. Hawkins also crushed his fifth homer in nine games against the Red Sox this year.
The Sox offense also came to play, connecting for nine runs on 13 hits, but competed from behind for most of the contest. Although Salem led 3-1 after the first inning, the Dash quickly countered, taking a 4-3 lead in the third. Reed Gragnani led the Red Sox with two hits and two RBI, while Mario Martinez belted his second homer of the homestand, a two-run opposite field shot in the eighth inning. Matty Johnson went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.
Luis Diaz suffered the loss, getting knocked around for six runs (five earned) on seven hits over three and two-thirds innings. Austin Maddox, Madison Younginer, and Dayan Diaz all gave up runs in relief, with Younginer struggling over two-thirds of an inning, in which he surrendered six runs.
With Younginer on the mound and men at first and third in the top of the eighth, home plate umpire Ben Levin signaled a balk on the Red Sox righthander. As the runners both advanced, Salem Manager Carlos Febles emerged from the dugout to argue, eventually resulting in his ejection, his first of the season.
Salem and Winston continue their four-game set on Monday night at 7:05, with Sox southpaw Corey Littrell scheduled to start against Dash righty Brad Goldberg.
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Chris Graham
