The Salem Red Sox opened the 2024
Carolina League season with a three
game series against the Milwaukee
Brewers affiliated Carolina Mudcats
last weekend. One game was wet and
cold, one game was bright and sunny
and one was right in between, but
all three were losses to the visiting
Mudcats at Salem Memorial Ballpark.
Salem debuted the ’24 version of
the Boston affiliate on Friday night
before an announced crowd of 2,296.
Salem took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of
the first inning before a light rain set
in, and then the Mudcats dampened
spirits even more with a run in the
ninth to tie the game and three in the
10th to win it, 6-4. Salem had a great
opportunity to win the game with the
bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth,
but the Sox couldn’t
get the winning run home. Catcher
Johanfran Garcia led Salem with three
hits and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia
had two.
On Saturday the Salem offense was
held to four singles in a 6-2 loss while
the Mudcats had a dozen. Then, on
Sunday, the visitors from Zebulon won
a slugfest on a sunny afternoon, 10-7.
Albert Feliz hit the first home run of
the season for Salem and Miguel Bleis
stroked a double but the Sox couldn’t
catch up after falling behind 10-2 after
five innings. Salem put a crooked five
on the Salem Memorial scoreboard in
the bottom of the eighth but it was too
little, too late.
The Sox are hoping to rebound this
week with a six game series against
the Delmarva Shorebirds in Maryland,
a Baltimore Orioles franchise. They
return home next Tuesday, April 16,
to host the Lynchburg Hillcats for
six games. Next Wednesday’s game
is an 11:05 am start against the ‘cats,
who are a Cleveland Guardians minor
league team.
