The Salem Red Sox will look to pick up more ground in the Carolina League’s North Division standings after taking five of six games in Lynchburg last week. With the big series the Sox pulled to within five and a half games of the Carolina Mudcats in the CL second half standings and they’re back home this week to host the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers for six games.
After splitting the first two games in Lynchburg the Sox took the next four in a row. On Thursday they won 4-2 behind seven innings of scoreless relief pitching from Joey Gartrell, P.J. Lobriola and Calvin Bickerstaff. The three combined to pitch seven and a third innings, allowing no runs and four hits. Gartrell picked up the win.
On Friday the Sox got another strong pitching performance as they took a 1-0 shutout win over the Hillcats. Devin Furell pitched the first five innings and picked up the win with relief help from Nicolas De La Cruz, Jay Allmer, who pitched the last inning and a third to pick up his fourth save. The only run of the game came in the sixth when Justin Gonzales brought home Frederik Jimenez with a sacrifice fly.
On Saturday Salem had a 6-0 lead after seven innings and held off a late Lynchburg rally to win 6-3. Yhoiker Fajardo pitched five and two-thirds innings of one-hit ball, fanning eight and walking none, to pick up the win. Gonzales was three-for-four with a home run and double.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, the Sox made it four in a row with a 6-4 win on get-away day. Salem took the lead with four runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a solo homer by recent addition Jack Winnay and a two-run homer by Starlyn Nunez. Andrew Musett blasted his sixth home run of the season in the ninth for some insurance as starter Jesus Travieso picked up his first Carolina League win. He went the first five innings, allowing one run, three hits and striking out eight.
The Sox are hoping to keep the streak alive this week with six home games against Kannapolis, a Chicago White Sox farm team. The big series in Lynchburg lifted the Red Sox to 16-20 in the second half while Kannapolis, a South Division team, is 17-19.
The “Last Inning” Senior high school baseball game scheduled for last Saturday was cancelled due to wet grounds. High School award winners will be recognized tonight during Salem’s game with the Cannon Ballers.
