CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Wilmington Rocks Sox with Late Surge, Prevailing 9-7 Over Salem

Published on May 19, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Salem, VA (May 19, 2009)- The tables turned on the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday evening. In a season in which the Sox have usually been the team to rally from behind after sustaining an early deficit, the Blue Rocks took advantage of five Salem errors amidst their comeback from a four-run, fourth-inning deficit, garnering the second game of the series 9-7. Wilmington scored four times in the final two innings off often-reliable closer Derrick Loop, who blew his second save and suffered his third loss of the season.

Wilmington pounded out 17 hits, as six different Blue Rocks recorded multiple-hit nights, led by Mike Moustakas and Paulo Orlando who each totaled three base knocks. Ryan Eigsti also went 2-4 with a team-high three RBI for Wilmington. Ben Swaggerty picked up the win with two scoreless frames in relief that included three strikeouts.

Salem scored early and often off Blue Rocks starter Alex Caldera, who survived only four innings while surrendering six runs on seven hits. The three outs he recorded in the first were all by way of the K, but they were accompanied by three Salem doubles by Kris Negron, Jason Place, and Luis Exposito, leading to two runs. Although Wilmington scored two an Eigsti's RBI double in response in the top half of the second, the Sox erupted for four more runs, the final two on Chih-Hsien Chiang's third homer of the season, in the last of the third inning.

The Blue Rocks hung around with a pair in the fifth on Adrian Ortiz's two out, two-run single, cutting the four-run deficit in half, making it 6-4. Although the Sox added one in the sixth to make it 7-4, Salem squandered chances to break it open. With the bases loaded and one out, a deep fly ball to left by Hee was caught, becoming a sacrifice fly in which all three runners tagged up and moved 90 feet forward. With two in scoring position, Jones flew out to center to end the threat, setting the stage for Wilmington's comeback over the final three innings.

Five different players made errors for the Sox, with three of them coming in the final third of the game. Appropriately, Wilmington's go-ahead run came home thanks to an errant throw by Negron, as Eigsti scored on Derrick Robinson's ground-out. If not for two more Derrick Loop pick-offs of Blue Rocks runners at first base in the eighth and the ninth, the Rocks may have poured it on even more.

Every member of the Red Sox lineup recorded a base hit, with Hee, Jones, Exposito, and Chiang each finishing with two. But the normally reliable bullpen faltered, giving up five runs (four earned) over the final four innings, as Ryne Miller and Loop could not finish the job and maintain the lead. Tuesday was the first time this season in which the Red Sox scored seven or more runs and lost the game, ending a streak of 13 straight victories when scoring 7+.

Salem hopes to battle back in four-game set, beginning Wednesday evening at Lewis-Gale Field. Daniel Duffy starts for Wilmington against Salem's Seth Garrison at 7:05.

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Carolina League Stories from May 19, 2009


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