The Salem Red Sox are coming home. The Sox will host the Fayetteville Woodpeckers for three games this weekend then, after an off day Monday, the Charleston RiverDogs will come to town for a six game series next Tuesday, July 22.
The Red Sox have not had a home game in the month of July. They wrapped up a home series with Hickory on June 29, then were on the road for six games with Lynchburg and six with Augusta while the Salem Fair was in town. This week everyone in the Carolina League is off for the four-day Major League Baseball All-Star break.
The Sox return with some exciting promotions. Friday is “Faith and Family Night” with post-game fireworks. Saturday is “Mutts Gone Nuts” night and Sunday afternoon is a 1:05 pm matinee. The first bobblehead giveaway of the season is July 25 with a bobble of current Boston and former Salem standout Jarren Duren. Then, on July 26, it’s “Bluey Night” with a special appearance by the kids’ TV star.
The Sox also hope to win some games with the home fans behind them. Salem went into the all-star break with an 8-15 record in the second half of the Carolina League split season. That put them five games behind the Carolina Mudcats in the North Division standings with plenty of time to catch up.
In last week’s six game series in Augusta the Sox won two and lost four to the Greenjackets, an Atlanta Braves farm team. The highlight of the series for Salem was a 1-0 win in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader after Wednesday’s game was rained out. The game was scheduled for seven innings but there was no score at that point after Yhoiker Fajardo pitched five scoreless innings and Calvin Bickerstaff followed with two shutout frames. Salem scored in the top of the eighth when Andrew Musett singled home Yohander Linerez and Bickerstaff got the win when he completed the shutout in the bottom of the inning.
The worm turned against Salem on Friday with a 2-0 Augusta shutout win but on Saturday the Sox used a five run fifth for a 12-2 victory. Enddy Azocar had the big hit in that inning, a three run homer with two outs. Luis Cohen started and picked up the win, allowing one earned run in five innings.
Salem dropped Sunday’s getaway game, 5-4. Augusta scored three runs in the first inning and two in the second and that was enough for the win. Yohander Linarez had his first Salem home run in the fourth inning, a two-run shot.
Next Tuesday’s game is a 12:05 pm start followed by four night games and a 1:05 pm game on Sunday, July 27.
