CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Red Sox Strand Tying Runner at Third in Four Different Innings

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


Salem, VA (August 19, 2009) - Kris Watts went 4-5 for the Lynchburg Hillcats, helping the visitors to a 6-5 triumph on Wednesday evening at Lewis-Gale Field. Although the Red Sox stormed back from a 6-1 deficit with four runs in the eighth inning, Hillcats' closer RJ Rodriguez earned his league-leading 26th save of the season by striking out Tim Federowicz to end the game with the tying run just 90 feet away. Since Kinston shut out Myrtle Beach 3-0, the Red Sox fall one game behind the Indians in the Southern Division wild card race.

For the third time in the last four games, Salem's 1-0 lead after one inning served more as a curse than a benefit, as the Sox dropped their third straight game when leading 1-0 after one. The unearned tally off Bryan Morris would be all Salem compiled against the Hillcats righthander who improved to 4-6 on the season with six strong innings. Morris only allowed three hits and two walks while striking out a pair. The former Dodger farmhand, who was traded to Pittsburgh in the Manny Ramirez/Jason Bay deal, retired nine of the final ten batters he faced.

Lynchburg broke through off Salem starter Dave McKae with two outs in the second inning. McKae retired the first five hitters he saw, but then the Hillcats teed off for a quartet of base hits that netted a 2-1 lead. McKae lasted four innings, allowing six hits but minimizing the Lynchburg offense to two runs.

In the second and third, as a harbinger of things to come, the Red Sox had opportunities but could not capitalize. With the tying runner at third in both innings, Salem could not score and the score remained 2-1. That changed in the fifth when Lynchburg made it 3-1 on Jamie Romak's single to left off Jose Capellan that was misplayed by Chih-Hsien Chiang, and Jordy Mercer came home to score. An inning later, Josh Harrison's double plated two more runs, with Harrison coming home on another Salem Sox error to make it 6-1 Hillcats. Capellan was tagged for four runs (three earned) on four hits over two innings.

The Red Sox offense remained quiet until the eighth, when a four-run rally reenergized the fans at Lewis-Gale Field. Brad Correll, who went 3-4 with two doubles, drove in a run to make it 6-2 and then scored on Anthony Rizzo's two-run single that made it 6-4. After Chiang doubled to put the tying runs in scoring position with one out, a Jon Hee sac fly made it 6-5. But with two outs, Harrison Bishop struck out Will Vazquez to preserve the slim lead. It was the third time the Red Sox left the tying run at third base.

Thanks to Josh Papelbon's two and two thirds innings of scoreless ball in relief, the Sox still had a shot in the last of the ninth against Rodriguez, particularly when Rodriguez walked the leadoff man in Zach Borowiak. Following a sacrifice bunt, Borowiak was at second base. He moved to third on a wild pitch, but stayed put when pinch-hitter Mike Jones belted a liner right at second-baseman Chase d'Arnoud. Playing in, d'Arnoud knocked it down and fired to first. When Federowicz struck out to end it, it marked the fourth time Salem stranded the tying runner at third on a frustrating Wednesday night.

Salem and Lynchburg will duel in the rubber game of the three-game mid-week set on Thursday night, with Eammon Portice set to face Nate Adcock at 7:05 at Lewis-Gale Field.

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Carolina League Stories from August 19, 2009


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