The Salem Red Sox will conclude a seven game homestand tonight when the Sox play host to the Carolina Mudcats at 7:05 pm at Haley Toyota Field.

Salem was 3-2 through the first five games of the homestand. The Sox swept Myrtle Beach over the weekend to open the stand in style.
Last Friday Salem scored three runs in the sixth inning to break open a close game in a 7-5 win. Red hot leadoff hitter Jarren Duran was four-for-five with a double and number two hitter Marco Hernandez was three for five as the top two hitters in the lineup combined to go seven-for-10 with four runs scored. Duran also stole two bases.
Emmanuel De Jesus picked up his first win of the season, going five innings. Jake Cosart went the final inning and a third for his fourth save.
On Saturday Pedro Castellanos and Victor Acosta had three hits each as Salem won 7-1. Acosta drove in three runs and Duran had two more hits and two stolen bases. Kutter Crawford started on the mound and pitched five innings, allowing one run as he lowered his ERA to 1.96.
On Sunday the Sox completed the sweep with a 15-3 win, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Salem had nine hits in the first inning alone as the Sox sent 12 men to the plate.
Salem banged out 18 hits in the win. Ryan Fitzgerald had four hits in six at bats and Joseph Monge and Jonathan Ortega had three each. Ironically Duran, who is hitting a shade under .400, was the only Sox player in the lineup who did not have a hit, although he did walk three times. Jhonathan Diaz picked up his second win against one loss, pitching the first five innings and fanning six.
On Monday Salem opened a four game series with Carolina and the Sox dropped the opener, 5-3. That snapped a six game winning streak that saw the Sox go from last place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division to third, just two and a half games behind first place Wilmington.
On Tuesday the Sox fell to Carolina again, this time 3-2 in 10 innings.
Salem will visit Myrtle Beach for three games this weekend. Then, after an off day Monday, the Sox will host first place Wilmington for three games next week, on May 7-9.