CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Salem Red Sox Game Notes

Published on April 25, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


A win tonight would lift Salem above .500 for the first time in 2013.

First pitch at 7:05.

Above Water?: After starting the year 0-3 and dropping four games below .500 at 4-8, the Salem Red Sox can rise above .500 for the first time all season with a win in tonight's series finale against Wilmington. The Sox have won five of their last six game, surging back to the .500 mark at 9-9. There are many reasons for the improved play, but perhaps none is more jarring than Salem's pitching during the past week plus. After compiling a 5.22 team ERA in the first 10 games of the year, the staff has pitched to a 2.34 ERA in the last eight contests. This sterling stretch has risen the Red Sox from worst to fourth in the league ERA rankings.

Returning Thunder: Second-baseman Sean Coyle missed a week with a bone bruise on his thumb, but made a loud impact in his return to the Red Sox lineup on Wednesday night. After striking out in his first two at-bats and flying out in his third chance, Coyle crushed his fourth home run of the season in the seventh inning. He added a single to spark Salem's ninth inning rally that won the game 5-4. On the year, all four of Coyle's homers have been solo shots. He's averaged one round tripper for every 10.5 at-bats, which would be second in the league if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.

Tall Talent: Wilmington's offense experienced little success against the first two lefties it faced this year, and its third try, against Salem's starting southpaw, did not go much better for the visitors. Henry Owens earned his first Carolina League victory with a dominant six-inning performance, surrendering just three hits, all of which were singles. His ERA shrunk to 1.71, now seventh-best in the league, while he enters Thursday with the second-best WHIP (0.86) and the third-best opponent's average (.160). With 22 strikeouts and six walks on the season, his early K:BB ratio is 3.7/1, a solid step above his 2.8/1 ratio from 2012. Owens, who won't turn 21 until July 21, is the youngest member of the Salem Sox, but also the loftiest prospect. Baseball America ranked him fifth in Boston's organization in the preseason.

Blake Can Rake: After reaching base just three times in his first five games, 21-year-old catcher Blake Swihart is finally finding a groove at the dish. With another hit on Tuesday, Salem's backstop has now reached base in eight straight games, recording nine hits and four walks during this stretch. In his last seven contests, Swihart is batting .321 (9-for-28) with a .406 OBP. While Swihart has not doubled or homered yet this year, he has recorded two triples, one from each side of the plate for the switch-hitter.

Garin's Groove: If you discard Garin Cecchini's first two games of the season, he's hitting .386, the second-best batting average in the league since April 7, trailing only a pair of Carolina's Joe Wendle (.487). In his last 15 games, Cecchini has recorded 22 hits and added 10 walks, with five doubles, one triple, two homers, eight RBI, and seven stolen bases. Teammate Felix Sanchez is the only guy in the Carolina League with more steals on the year, having swiped nine bags in his 13 games played.

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Carolina League Stories from April 25, 2013


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