Agonizing Streak Continues as Salem Falls 1-0
May 19, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release
Salem, VA (May 19, 2011) - Deivy Batista's first Carolina League homer was all the Blue Rocks needed to defeat the Red Sox 1-0 on Thursday night, handing Salem perhaps the most excruciating defeat of its current seven-game losing streak. The Red Sox outhit the Blue Rocks 6-1, but Salem never mustered a knock when it really counted, going 0-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding all eight of its runners. Wilmington lefty Justin Marks scattered five hits in seven scoreless innings, earning his second win of the season at Salem's expense.
Chris Balcom-Miller was masterful for the Red Sox, but one costly mistake tagged him with the loss. Having retired seven of the first eight Blue Rocks-the lone man to reach via a walk was promptly picked off-Batista stepped in and unloaded on a first-pitch fastball, launching a towering drive over the wall in left field. Wilmington never again hit the ball out of the infield against CBM, who retired the next 10 he faced to finish his six inning outing.
Balcom-Miller struck out six and walked one, allowing one hit, but suffered his first loss, falling to 3-1 on the season. Out of the bullpen, Tom Ebert retired nine of the ten men he faced, working around one walk to blank the Blue Rocks in three scoreless frames.
But Salem managed nothing outside of four singles, two doubles, and two walks against Marks and reliever Brendan Lafferty, who spun two scoreless innings out of the Wilmington bullpen to earn his first save of the season. Zach Gentile went 2-4 for Salem, while four other Sox recorded one hit apiece.
Mark Wagner gave fans hope by leading off the ninth inning with a sharp line-drive single to left, but the next three Sox went in order against Lafferty to end the game, completing Wilmington's first four-game sweep in Salem since April of 1994 when the Pittsburgh affiliated-Salem Buccaneers dropped four straight.
With a 21-17 record through 38 games, the Salem Sox now hit the road for the next six tilts and 25 of the upcoming 32. Salem's Odyssey begins with trips to Winston Friday thru Sunday and then Myrtle Beach next Tuesday thru Thursday. The action begins on Friday night at 7:05, as the Dash host the Red Sox at BB&T Ballpark.
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Carolina League Stories from May 19, 2011
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