Negron Blast Propels Sox Over Nats 7-6
May 14, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release
Woodbridge, VA (May 14, 2009)- In a game full of missed opportunities, the Red Sox rode Kris Negron's clutch two-out homer to a 7-6 win over the Nationals which moved Salem into first place in the Carolina League South. The Sox led 3-0, then trailed 5-3 before Negron's two-out, three-run homer in the top of the seventh gave Salem the 7-5 lead. The Nationals scored once in the ninth, but closer Derrick Loop struck out Stephen King to end the game and give Salem two wins in the three-game set in Woodbridge.
The Red Sox and Nationals each threatened to put big numbers on the board in the early stages, with Salem loading the bases in each of the first two innings and Potomac putting two in scoring position in both frames. But after two, the Red Sox led by a small 2-0 margin thanks to a Ryan Kalish RBI triple and a Jason Place run-scoring single. Salem starter Jose Capellan finagled his way out of trouble and somehow the Sox were winning 3-0 after another tally in the third.
The potent Nationals offense came alive, however, when Chris Marrero drilled his fourth homer of the season, a solo shot in the third to make it 3-1 Salem. An inning later, the Nats knotted the score at three thanks to an RBI single by Boomer Whiting and a double-steal of second and home to tie the game. The Nationals ran wild throughout the evening, swiping eight bases on the night in the losing effort.
Capellan was removed after the first two runners reached to begin the last of the sixth. With the 3-3 score, the Nationals leapt ahead with a sacrifice fly and a suicide squeeze bunt executed perfectly by Dan Lyons. Up 5-3, the Nats held the edge when the rain arrived at the end of the sixth.
Continuing through the precipitation, the Sox rallied for four in the top of the seventh off the P-Nats bullpen. Ty Weeden's RBI double scored Che-Hsuan Lin and set the stage for Negron's heroics later in the inning. After a Jered Stanley walk and a Zak Farkes pop-up, Negron crushed a first-pitch offering from Cole Kimball over the left-field wall for his third-homer of the season, a three-run shot that put Salem up by two. Although the Nationals threatened in the ninth, Derrick Loop earned his fourth save of the season by hanging on over the final inning and a third.
Robert Coello picked up the win, his first as a member of the Red Sox organization, with two and two-thirds scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Kimball suffered the loss, his first of the year. Offensively, Salem pounded 15 hits, with Jon Hee, Ryan Kalish, and Che-Hsuan Lin each tallying three base knocks apiece. Despite all the offense, both teams left 10 runners on base over the course of the evening.
At 18-16 and in first place in the Southern Division, the Sox return back to Lewis-Gale Field for a seven-game homestand, beginning Friday night against the Winston-Salem Dash. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05, with Salem's Seth Garrison taking on Winston's Charlie Shirek.
• Discuss this story on the Carolina League message board...
Carolina League Stories from May 14, 2009
- Second Straight One-Run Win Finishes Homestand in Style - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Negron Blast Propels Sox Over Nats 7-6 - Salem Red Sox
- Meyers Stumbles as Nats Drop Finale with Sox - Potomac Nationals
- Blue Rocks Beat Kinston 3-2 - Kinston Indians
- Pelicans Drop Another Close One - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Florimon's 11th Inning Homer Beats Myrtle Beach - Frederick Keys
- Comeback Cats Dispatch Dash - Lynchburg Hillcats
- The K-Tribe Starts a Seven Game Homestand This Friday! - Kinston Indians
- Dash Waste Late Lead, Fall to Hillcats in Extras - Winston-Salem Dash
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
