CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Kelly earns first Advanced-A win

Published on June 15, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Salem, VA (June 15, 2009) - Salem used a combination of good hitting and steady pitching to take down Kinston 8-1 on Monday evening, giving the Red Sox three wins in four games to start the homestand. Casey Kelly tossed six strong innings, allowing just a single run in the sixth, and picked up his first victory in four starts with Salem. Yielding just four hits while compiling five strikeouts, Kelly kept the Indians offense guessing and the Sox eventually broke open a 2-1 contest with six runs in the sixth inning.

With the game scoreless through three innings and a pitchers' duel seemingly brewing between Kelly and Kinston starter Eric Berger, the Sox struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Following back-to-back singles from Mike Jones and Luis Exposito to open the inning, Salem had runners at the corners with nobody out. Jered Stanley proceeded to pop up in foul territory, which amazingly led to a run when Kinston first baseman Nate Recknagel made a sensational catch as he was falling over the dugout railing. Though the out was recorded, Recknagel finished the effort in the dugout, and hence, out of play, which technically went as an error that allowed Jones to score and Exposito to advance to second. With a 1-0 lead thanks to the wacky ruling, Luis Segovia, who went 2-4, pounded an RBI single to score Exposito and make it 2-0.

Kinston used a Lucas Montero triple and ensuing RBI grounder from Cord Phelps to cut the deficit to one in the top half of the sixth, but the one-run margin would not last long. Jones once again led off the next inning with a single and Exposito walked to put a pair aboard. Although Stanley struck out, Jon Hee's walk loaded the bases with one away. At this point, a Segovia chopper to second might have been the inning-ending double play, however Ron Rivas tossed the throw past the second baseman and into shallow right field, allowing two runs to score and Segovia to advance up to second. Salem made Kinston pay for the miscue, as Zach Borowiak singled in a run, Che-Hsuan Lin ripped an RBI double off the left-field wall, and Jason Place capitalized with a two-out, two-run single to extend the lead to 8-1. Salem scored six runs on four hits, two walks, and the one fielding error, their tenth inning of five or more runs on the season.

Kelly did not walk a batter for his third straight start, and in his four Salem outings, he has compiled 19 strikeouts to one walk in 22.2 innings. He turned the game over the bullpen in the seventh, letting Kyle Fernandes and Josh Papelbon complete the contest with three scoreless innings. Berger was tagged with the loss despite allowing just one earned run over five innings, as his ERA shrunk to 2.33 in defeat.

The Red Sox and Indians continue their three-game set on Tuesday evening, with Salem's Seth Garrison taking on Kinston's Russell Young, a 7:05 start at Lewis-Gale Field.

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Carolina League Stories from June 15, 2009


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