Red Sox Win Streak Ends at Five as Kannapolis Sweeps Doubleheader
CarL Salem Red Sox

Red Sox Win Streak Ends at Five as Kannapolis Sweeps Doubleheader

Published on August 8, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Salem Red Sox News Release


SALEM, Va. - The Salem Red Sox (43-60, 17-22) saw their season-best five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday afternoon as they dropped both games of a doubleheader to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (46-54, 19-20) at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Salem entered the day riding the high of their hottest stretch of the season, only to see the momentum halted by a determined Kannapolis squad. A rainout on Wednesday forced a seven-inning doubleheader, and the Cannon Ballers took advantage of the extra day of rest to sweep the twin bill.

Game One: Cannon Ballers 6, Red Sox 3

Kannapolis wasted no time jumping ahead. In the top of the first, Caleb Bonemer and George Wolkow worked back-to-back walks before Arxy Hernandez singled to center to bring in a run, his third RBI of the series.

Salem starter Alex Bouchard, making just his second Single-A appearance since returning from Tommy John surgery, threw two innings. The former Lehigh Mountain Hawk allowed one run on one hit with three walks before handing the ball to right-hander Joey Gartrell.

Gartrell ran into trouble in the third. After two walks and a single loaded the bases, Hernandez brought in another run on a force play, followed by a Grant Magill RBI groundout to make it 3-0 Kannapolis.

Salem showed signs of life in the bottom half. Skylar King, one of the newest Red Sox draftees, ripped a leadoff single, followed by a Gerardo Rodriguez walk. A double steal and a strikeout of Frederik Jimenez set the table for Yoeilin Cespedes, Boston's No. 9 overall prospect. Cespedes jumped on a fastball and shot a two-run single to center, trimming the lead to 3-2.

But Kannapolis pulled away in the fourth. Wolkow crushed his team-leading 11th home run of the year, a three-run bomb to right that gave the visitors a 6-2 lead. Gartrell was charged with five runs (four earned) across 2.2 innings.

The Red Sox had one more highlight: Gerardo Rodriguez, the 19-year-old catcher from Caracas, Venezuela, blasted a solo homer off the left-field foul pole, his first of the season and fifth of his young career. That brought the score to its final mark of 6-3.

Despite outhitting Kannapolis 7-3, Salem couldn't overcome the Cannon Ballers' timely power. Game one evened the series at one win apiece.

Game Two: Cannon Ballers 2, Red Sox 1

In the nightcap, the story was pitching. Brady Tygart, a right-hander from the University of Arkansas, made his return to the mound for Salem after missing over four months with a pectoral injury. Tygart struck out four across two innings and allowed just one unearned run, showing no signs of rust.

That run came in the second inning when Bryce Eblin grounded a ball up the middle. Maximus Martin made a nice stop but overthrew first base, allowing Jordan Sprinkle to score from second.

Tygart handed the ball to Adam Bates, who kept the game close with 4.2 innings of one-run ball. He surrendered a sac fly to Eblin in the fourth but otherwise limited damage.

Salem's lone run came in the bottom of the fourth when Kleyver Salazar belted his fourth homer of the season, a solo shot to left that briefly cut the deficit to one.

That 2-1 score would hold, as the Red Sox couldn't mount another rally. It marked just the second time this season Salem had been swept in a home doubleheader, and the third overall.

The Red Sox now find themselves on a two-game skid and 5.5 games out of first place in the Carolina League North Division, with 27 games to go, 18 of which will be against the top three teams in the standings: Carolina, Fredericksburg, and Fayetteville.

They'll try to bounce back in game four of the series on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week Yhoiker Fajardo set to take the mound.

Check out the Salem Red Sox Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from August 8, 2025


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