CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Middlebrooks' Slam, 5 RBI Lead Sox to 10-6 Win

Published on July 5, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Myrtle Beach, SC (July 5, 2010) - Will Middlebrooks' towering grand slam to straight-away center in the seventh inning gave the Red Sox a lopsided 10-2 lead, and the Sox hung on for the 10-6 victory on Monday night at BB&T Coastal Field, perpetuating a one-sided Southern Division-rivalry between Salem and Myrtle Beach. The win was Salem's 12th in 13 meetings with the Pelicans in 2010, and it also served as the 11th consecutive victory for the Red Sox at BB&T Coastal Field, dating back to one year ago exactly. In those 11 games, the Red Sox have outscored the Pelicans 84-28.

Middlebrooks finished 3-5 and drove in five more runs after his three-RBI night on Sunday. He also scored three runs and triggered a vital double-play when the Pelicans loaded the bases with nobody out in the third.

Salem jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second, utilizing two singles, two walks, and the craziest wild pitch of the season to score the quartet of tallies. Already up 2-0 thanks to Middlebrooks' infield RBI single and Drew Hedman's sacrifice fly, the Sox had runners at first and second with two outs. With two strikes, Mitch Dening took a ball in the dirt that skipped away from the Pelican catcher Chris Anderson. The catcher, unable to locate where the ball bounced, began spinning around like a dog trying to catch his tail. Middlebrooks was already on his way home from second base when Anderson found the ball near the Pelican dugout. The flip toward home plate dinged off the glove of the pitcher covering, and Tim Federowicz, having moved corner to corner already from first, also scurried home on what was ruled a wild pitch and an error on the pitcher, Paul Clemens.

Salem starter Miguel Gonzalez improved to 2-1 with five solid innings on the mound, surrendering two runs on five hits. Kyle Fernandes and Will Latimer each allowed two runs to score in their two innings of relief.

The biggest highlight of the day for the Birds might have been Cory Harrilchak's dazzling defense in center field. The Pelican outfielder tied a Carolina League record by becoming the sixth player ever to make ten putouts in the outfield of a nine-inning game. Harillchak also went 1-2 with two walks and three RBI for the Pelicans.

Clemens was tagged with the loss as he fell to 0-2. Middlebrooks blasted the seventh inning granny off of Tommy Palica, but three of the four runs were charged to David Francis, who tossed two and two-thirds out of the pen for Myrtle Beach.

With three straight wins under their belt, the Sox will strive to complete the four-game sweep of the Pelicans on Tuesday evening. Stolmy Pimentel will start for Salem opposite Randall Delgao for Myrtle Beach, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05.

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Carolina League Stories from July 5, 2010


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