CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Head's Homer Surges Sox to 5-4 Victory

September 3, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


Myrtle Beach, SC - Miles Head crushed a three-run homer with one out in the top of the ninth, transforming a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead that would stand up to give Salem a slim one-run triumph over Myrtle Beach on Saturday night at BB&T Coastal Field. Jorge Padron also contributed a clutch RBI double that immediately preceded Head's round-tripper, and Bryce Brentz launched his 30th dinger of the season two innings before to light the spark to the Salem offense. Drake Britton delivered a strong six-inning performance for his second quality start of the season before being abruptly ejected after finishing the sixth, and Pete Ruiz dealt the final three frames to earn his sixth victory of the season.

With Salem trailing 4-1, the pivotal ninth inning began with consecutive hit-batters, as Heiker Meneses and Bryce Brentz both absorbed plunkings in the foot from lefthander Jimmy Reyes. Matt Spring popped up for out number one, but Padron hammered an RBI double into the left-center field gap to inch the Red Sox within two. The tying runs stood in scoring position for Head, who turned on a Reyes offering and smashed his seventh Carolina League homer, his 22nd of the season overall, to hand Salem its first lead of the ballgame.

Salem's offense could not push a runner past second base through the first six innings, as Pelican spot starter Zach Osborne spun five brilliant frames and Ryan Rodebaugh kept the Sox off the board in the sixth. But after a pair of ejections at the conclusion of the sixth inning, the Red Sox offense awakened.

Britton completed the sixth by inducing a grounder to first from Chris McGuiness, and although he had surrendered three earned runs in six innings, his 90 pitch, 57 strike performance certainly registered as one his finer outings of the season. As he was walking off the field, a conversation began with the home plate umpire John Bacon. Tensions gradually elevated, and before long, Britton was tossed. When Salem skipper Bruce Crabbe went to intervene, he also was ejected by Bacon.

But Salem's first batter after the fireworks was Brentz, who clobbered a Rodebaugh fastball over the left-field bleachers for his 19th Carolina League bomb and his 30th overall, becoming just the second Red Sox farmhand since 2004 to belt 30 homers in a minor league season. The solo shot brought Salem back within two, but Pelican third-baseman Mike Olt launched an opposite field dinger in the eighth to make it 4-1. Nonetheless, the Sox rallied for four and emerged with the victory.

Ruiz allowed one run on just one hit and two walks in his three innings on the mound, improving to 6-5. Britton received a no-decision, yielding three runs on six hits, matching a season high with seven strikeouts. Reyes suffered his first Carolina League loss, getting tagged for four runs on two hits and two hit-batters in the ninth.

The Sox and Pelicans reunite on Sunday at 6:05 for the penultimate matchup of the regular season. Anthony Ranaudo is lined up to make the start for Salem, while Kennil Gomez is slated to pitch for Myrtle Beach.

Check out the Salem Red Sox Statistics



Carolina League Stories from September 3, 2011


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