Salem Red Sox Game Notes
April 23, 2014 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release
The Salem Red Sox kick off a week-long homestand on Wednesday night with Lynchburg in town... First pitch at 7:05...
Road Warriors: The Salem Red Sox return home on Wednesday night, eager to embrace the winning ways they've grown accustomed to on the road. In the first two road trips, the Red Sox swept the Pelicans in four straight games and then went 4-3 through Carolina and Winston-Salem. But while the Sox are 8-3 in 11 road games, Salem is just 2-5 in its first seven home games, pitching to an ERA of 6.43 at LewisGale Field. The Salem Sox have had winning records at home in three of the last four seasons, going 42-28 at home in the regular season in 2013.
Kevin's Revvin': Despite going hitless on Monday, outfielder Kevin Heller drew a walk and scored a run, extending his consecutive games on base streak to 15 in a row. Heller has reached base in every game he's played this season, the only member of the Sox who can claim that achievement. Consequently, Heller is hitting .340 (16-for-47), sixth-best in the league, and his on-base percentage is .466, #1 in the circuit. His ability to get on base has nothing to do with cheap singles; in seven of his last nine games, Heller has recorded an extra-base hit. Consequently, his .596 slugging percentage is second in the league, trailing only Myrtle Beach's Joey Gallo.
Roof Rising: With his in six straight games, Jonathan Roof has increased his average to .313 heading into Wednesday night. The versatile utility-man, who's played seven games in left field, four at third base, two at second base, and two at shortstop, is hitting .375 (9-for-24 during this six-game stretch. Only three other Carolina Leaguers currently have longer hitting streaks. Roof has reached base in 14 of his 16 games played on the season. He's one of five Sox with double-digit walks on the season, with 11.
Walking to Wins: Currently, there are 11 players in the Carolina League with at least 10 walks. Five of those players are on Salem. The Sox lead the league with 82 free passes in 18 games; the other seven clubs have an average of 54.6 walks on the year.
The Pitcher of the Week: While the Sox have enjoyed numerous noteworthy pitching performances so far in 2014, Brian Johnson's masterpiece on Friday night was the first award-winner of the year. On Monday, Johnson was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week, Salem's first weekly award winner of the year. After a couple bumpy starts, Johnson dealt six perfect innings, retiring all 18 he faced.
Monitoring Mookie Madness: With two more hits on Tuesday night, Mookie Betts has now reached base in 15 straight games to begin the season for the Portland Sea Dogs. Considering that Betts reached safely in the final 35 games of 2013, including the playoffs, he has now recorded at least a hit or a walk in 50 consecutive games dating back to last August. In these 50 games between Salem and Portland, Betts is hitting .429 (81-for-189). In 15 games with the Sea Dogs, Betts is hitting .452 (28-for-62) with nine extra-base hits, seven walks, seven steals, and only seven strikeouts. Betts' brilliance has overshadowed Blake Swihart's excellent April, as the former Salem catcher is hitting .346 in 13 games for the Sea Dogs.
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