CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Red Sox Hammer Keys with 13 Unanswered Runs

Published on May 25, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Frederick, MD - The Keys struck first, but a two-run first inning became a quick afterthought when Drake Britton bore down and the Red Sox offense erupted for a dominating 13-2 victory on Friday night at Harry Grove Stadium. Salem put together a five-run second and a four-run fourth to grasp a 9-2 lead, adding a pair each in the sixth and seventh to prevail by 11, the largest margin of victory for the Sox this season. Every single member of the lineup reached base and scored a run, while seven of the nine drove in a run in the laugher.

Xander Bogaerts and Michael Almanzar each belted homers, with Bogaerts' solo shot in the second opening the floodgates of the scoring. At the time, Bogaerts' one-out bomb cut a two-run deficit in half, but the Red Sox second-inning rally had just begun. Immediately after the homer, Christian Vazquez reached on a fielding error by Garabez Rosa. Carson Blair walked, preceding consecutive RBI singles from James Kang and Felix Sanchez. Kang scored on a wild pitch, while Sanchez crossed on a sacrifice fly from Jackie Bradley, Jr., giving the Sox a 5-2 lead.

Four of the first five Keys batters had reached against Britton in the first inning, but the Salem southpaw allowed just a two-run single from Michael Flacco before navigating out of the mess. After the first, Britton allowed just one hit and one walk over the final four innings of his outing. He tossed 46 of his 68 pitches for strikes over five innings, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking one. Having previously gone winless in seven starts against Frederick, Britton finally tasted victory over the Keys on Friday night.

The Sox poured it on with a huge two-out rally in the fourth. With Bradley and Kang on first and second with two away, Matty Johnson laced a two-run double over the head of Johnny Ruettiger in right, giving the Sox a 7-2 lead. Drew Hedman followed with another RBI double, while Almanzar singled home Hedman to make it 9-2.

In the sixth, Almanzar's two-run blast made it 11-2, while a bases loaded walk and hit-by-pitch forced two more runs across in the seventh. Kang led the Red Sox with three runs scored and was one of four Salem Sox with multiple hits. Johnson and Almanzar each drove in three runs. Ironically, Bradley, the league's leading hitter, finished as the only Sock without a knock. However, Bradley walked three times and drove in two runs for Salem.

The Red Sox went 6-for-7 with runners in scoring position, capitalizing on almost every opportunity. Conversely, the Keys went just 1-for-6 in similar situations.

Salem (26-18) remains a half game ahead of Winston-Salem (26-19) in the Southern Division race.

On Saturday, the Red Sox and Keys will reunite at Harry Grove Stadium for a 6 PM start. Salem will send Brandon Workman to the mound, while Frederick counters with Dylan Bundy, the fourth overall pick in last June's draft who was recently named the top overall prospect in all of minor league baseball. It will be Bundy's Carolina League debut after making eight starts for Low-A Delmarva, striking out 40 and walking two without allowing an earned run in 30 innings on the mound.

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Carolina League Stories from May 25, 2012


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