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CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Rizzo, Lin, and Nava Combine for Eight Hits in Salem Victory

July 24, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


Salem, VA (July 24, 2009) - Anthony Rizzo went 4-4 with two doubles, Che-Hsuan Lin cracked his sixth homer of the year, and the Red Sox once again overcame a top-of-the-first deficit to defeat the Nationals 5-1 on Friday night at Lewis-Gale Field. After scoring one on a pair of singles from Danny Espinosa and Michael Burgess in the first inning, Potomac's offense was silenced the rest of the way by Red Sox pitching. Following Burgess' RBI base hit, Seth Garrison set down the next 13 Nationals in order with a dominating performance. Garrison retired 15 of the final 16, facing only 20 batters to complete his six-inning outing, two more than the minimum through that timeframe.

Garrison improved to 5-1 since the All-Star Break and 7-8 overall on the season, lowering his ERA to 3.77, seventh best in the league. With six strikeouts and only one walk, he stymied the Nationals with four consecutive 1-2-3 innings after the run in the first. When he walked Boomer Whiting to start the top of the sixth, it was simply a small bump in the road, for Whiting was picked off just moments after he stole second base. Garrison then struck out the next two batters to end the inning and finish his outing.

The Red Sox had their leadoff hitters on base in five of the first six innings, but until the fourth, Potomac kept Salem off the board. Nationals' starter Terrence Engles had escaped a couple early jams to hold the Sox scoreless, but Engles left the game with an apparent injury after Daniel Nava doubled to begin the fourth. A day after the Nationals went 12 innings against Lynchburg, their tired bullpen would pay a significant price.

Engles was replaced by Patrick McCoy, who was immediately bashed by Sox hitters. Salem scored twice in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead with both runs coming home on sacrifice flies, first from Mike Jones and then from David Mailman. An inning later, Salem scored three more runs on four hits, including a two-run bomb from Lin. Rizzo also contributed an RBI single, one of his season-high four hits to put the Sox on top 5-1. Nava finished with two doubles and a pair of runs scored as the Red Sox plated four runs on six hits in an inning and two-thirds against McCoy.

The Nationals' offense remained silent against Salem reliever Armando Zerpa as the side went in order in the seventh. In the eighth, Michael Martinez jacked a one-out double off the left-center field wall for Potomac's first hit since the first, but Zerpa finagled his way out of the inning unscathed. In the ninth, Josh Papelbon surrendered a single, a double, and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with one away and bring the tying run to the plate. But Papelbon, pitching at the same time as his older brother Jonathan was aiming to save Boston's ballgame against Baltimore at Fenway, induced a chopper back to the mound from Francisco Plasencia that became a game-ending 1-2-3 double-play. Ironically, Jonathan Papelbon also had the bases-loaded against him in Boston before finishing off the Birds to help Boston snap their five-game skid.

Salem improved to two games over .500 for the first time since May 18, when they were 20-18. The Sox currently stand at 49-47 for the full-season and 17-10 since the All-Star Break, two and a half games ahead in the second-half Southern Division standings.

Winners of three straight and six of their last eight, the Red Sox look to keep the momentum rolling on Saturday evening when the host Potomac in the middle-game of the three-game set. Kyle Weiland is set to oppose Will Atwood with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05.

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Carolina League Stories from July 24, 2009


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