The Salem Red Sox will wrap up a three game series in Lynchburg tonight, then head to Zebulon, NC for three with the Carolina Mudcats this weekend. The Sox won’t be back home until they open a seven game stand against Wilmington and Carolina next Tuesday, August 7.

Salem was six and a half games behind Wilmington as of Tuesday in the Carolina League’s second half Northern Division standings. The Sox were two games behind second place Lynchburg and tied with Potomac for third.

Last week the Sox missed out on a chance to make up some ground on Wilmington when the Blue Rocks swept a three game series by scores of 8-6, 8-4 and 5-4. The losing streak hit four when Salem returned home and dropped a 6-5 decision to Winston-Salem on Friday, but Salem got back on the right track with a 7-2 win over the Dash on Saturday and a 5-2 win on Sunday.

Darwinzon Hernandez struck out seven batters en route to his fifth win of the month in Sunday’s win, and Jerry Downs and Chris Madera both homered for the Sox. Winston-Salem (22-15, 63-44) bounced into three double plays for the second consecutive game, and didn’t score any runs after the fifth inning.

Hernandez allowed two runs on five hits and two walks in five frames, whiffing seven. Hunter Smith dealt two scoreless frames, whiffing one and allowing a runner aboard only on an error. Algenis Martinez allowed two hits and struck out one in two shutout innings of relief to notch the save.