The Salem Sox simply found a way to win on Monday night, shrinking their magic number to two and positioning themselves to clinch their first playoff berth since 2009 on Wednesday evening at LewisGale Field. Stefan Welch knocked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th to help the Sox beat the Mudcats 6-4, sweeping the three-game set and virtually ending Carolina’s chance to make a run toward the postseason. With seven games left, the Red Sox now lead the Mudcats by six games in the Southern Division chase. In addition, the Sox improved their lead to three and a half games over Myrtle Beach to win the second half title outright.
The climactic rally with Salem’s most free-swinging hitter getting a better pitch to hit than he deserved. With two outs and an 0-2 count in the top of the 12th, Keury De La Cruz lined a single to left off Mudcats righty Francisco Valera. Bizarrely, a balk moved him to second, and after Welch fouled off a plethora off two-strike pitches, he laced an RBI single to right field to break the 4-all tie and lift the Sox ahead. A bad overthrow to the plate allowed Welch to take second, and after he moved to third on a wild pitch, he scored an insurance run on Blake Swihart’s rocket at first-baseman Jerrud Sabourin that skipped under his glove. Scored an error on Sabourin, the Red Sox stretched their lead to two, and Matty Ott worked around a leadoff single in the last of the 12th to preserve Salem’s 70th win on the year.
The Red Sox improved to 37-26 in the second half and 70-63 on the season, having won five straight and eight of their last nine. Since July 30, the Sox have gone 19-7. In addition, Salem finished its regular season road schedule with eight victories in their last nine contests away from LewisGale Field, including five straight.
Mike Augliera delivered his team-best 10th quality start by working into the seventh inning and holding the Mudcats to three runs on eight hits. While he was denied a win since the bullpen lost the lead, the Sox improved to 14-11 in games that Augliera has started this year.
Batting ninth, Matty Johnson led the way with three hits on Monday night. De La Cruz added two hits, while Mookie Betts registered a hit and a walk to extend his consecutive games on base streak to 24. David Chester got Salem’s scoring started by blasting the first pitch of the third inning over the fence for a solo homer. Chester now owns 16 round-trippers on the year, the last three of which have come in a Salem jersey.
Nate Striz tossed two scoreless frames out of the pen, blanking the Mudcats in the ninth and tenth innings. Ott tossed the final two frames, earning the victory to move to 4-5 on the year.
Following an off-day on Tuesday, the Salem Sox will host Frederick in a doubleheader at LewisGale Field on Wednesday night, starting at 5:30 PM. Regardless of how any other team fares, the Red Sox will guarantee themselves a playoff berth by sweeping the twin-bill.
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