CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Salem Red Sox - Game Notes - May 21, 2013

Published on May 21, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


SWEE....: Yes, the Salem Sox have been so close to a pair of sweeps in their last two series, but have fallen short both teams. In each case, the Sox won the first two games of the three-game set and took a lead into the ninth inning in the finale. But on Thursday in Zebulon and Sunday in Salem, the Sox bullpen could not hang on. The Mudcats scored three in the bottom of the ninth to walk-off on the Sox 5-4 last Thursday in North Carolina, while the Keys scored three in the top of the ninth to prevail 6-4 on Sunday afternoon in Virginia. Prior to Thursday, the Red Sox had only lost once when leading after eight innings; now, Salem's 17-3 when ahead after eight. Alas, the Red Sox enter this series with the Dash having won consecutive series for the first time this month. Winston arrives after having pulled off an actual three-game sweep over Potomac.

Race to the Finish Line: Tuesday's action with Winston-Salem commences a grueling stretch of uninterrupted baseball for the Salem Sox. With Monday serving as the final scheduled off day before the All-Star Break, the Red Sox will play 29 games in the next 27 days to finish the first half. This includes a pair of doubleheaders with Lynchburg, one at home and one on the road. The Salem Sox will spend the vast majority of this four-week stretch at home, however, with 18 of the 29 games scheduled for LewisGale Field. In addition, four more games will be in Lynchburg, which is a location that Salem commutes to and back from during the series. The Red Sox begin the day seven games back of the first-place Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Home Cooking: After missing the previous two games following a rolled ankle last Tuesday night, the league's #1 hitter picked up right where he left off. Garin Cecchini went 6-for-12 with two walks, a HBP, and three RBI in the Frederick series, raising his league-best batting average to .381. He also possesses a 12-game home hitting streak, in which he is batting a ridiculous .488 (21-for-43) with nine walks for an OBP of .585. Cecchini has reached base in 25 of his last 26 games, a stretch in which he's hitting .418 with a .535 OBP. Since April 18, Cecchini's on-base percentage is the best in all of minor league baseball, with only three other players joining him with OBPs over .500. In 37 games played, Cecchini has 18 multi-hit efforts.

Da La Cruzin': Salem outfielder Keury De La Cruz went hitless (0-for-9) in the first two games of the road trip last week, but since then he's gone 11-for-28 (.392). He's riding a seven-game hitting streak into Sunday afternoon, his second-longest hitting streak of the season. From April 21-29, De La Cruz recorded an eight-game streak. Like many members of the Salem Sox, he has overcome a slow start and is beginning to heat up. Since starting the season 2-for-16, he has hit .273 in his last 34 games.

Doubling Deven: Shortstop Deven Marrero has been limited to just 19 of Salem's first 41 games because of injury, but he has 11 doubles in those 19 games, only four behind the league leader. If he had played 38 games, a reasonable amount if he'd been healthy, he'd be on pace for 22 doubles. Kevin Plawecki and Ji-Man Choi lead MiLB with 19 doubles.

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Carolina League Stories from May 21, 2013


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