Salem Splits Doubleheader with Carolina, Taking Game One and Dropping Game Two
CarL Salem Red Sox

Salem Splits Doubleheader with Carolina, Taking Game One and Dropping Game Two

Published on August 24, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Salem Red Sox News Release


SALEM, V.a. - In a tale of two doubleheader games, the Salem Red Sox (50-67, 24-29) beat the Carolina Mudcats (64-50, 28-23) 2-0 in game one before dropping game two, 11-6, Saturday night at Carillion Clinic Field.

With the first win, Salem wins at least a share of the week-long series against Carolina.

The first seven-inning matchup featured Salem capitalizing on shutout pitching while garnering just enough run support.

On the Sox's very first batter, outfielder Justin Gonzales roped a leadoff single and again set the expectation for Salem. Gonzales would later leadoff game two with a double, giving him three consecutive games with a leadoff hit, the most by a Sox lineup starter this season.

Even when Gonzales was caught stealing in the first, starting right-handed pitcher Joey Gartrell backed up the offense. The former University of Portland Pilot gave Salem three scoreless innings out of the gate, only allowing a pair of singles while striking out four and walking one.

Soon after Gartrell was replaced by RHP Griffin Kilander, Salem scored each of the game's two runs in the fourth inning.

Shortstop Starlyn Nunez leadoff the home half with a double, the first extra-base hit of the game, putting himself in scoring position for designated hitter Yoeilin Cespedes. The sixteenth ranked prospect in Boston's system then knocked a matching double to score Nunez as the game's first run. Cespedes' first of two hits in game one gave his 24th double and 49th run batted in of the season, both the most by a Sox hitter this season.

Cespedes came around to score from second, enough support for Kilander to earn his team-high fifth win of the season while pitching four scoreless innings.

Just like game one, Salem's third consecutive win by two runs, a pair of early runs from the Red Sox gave the hosts the first lead.

The nightcap included Salem scoring a run in each of the first two innings - first basemen Frederik Jimenez poked a one-run single, his 28th RBI this season that scored Cespedes during Salem's first time up.

An inning later and it was Skylar King doing Skylar King things. After hitting triples on back-to-back plate appearances Wednesday for his first two professional extra-base hits, the former West Virginia Mountaineer slapped a leadoff triple to start the third. Yohander Linarez plated King two batters later, giving Salem another two run lead.

Salem's advantage lasted less than a half inning. After Carolina scored six runs across the opening four games of the series, the Mudcats scored seven runs across the third and fourth innings to go up 7-2 and take their lone lead in game two.

Then down five, the Sox showed resiliency by plating four unanswered runs in response to make cut the deficit to a single run. Carolina was only up 7-6 after six innings because of contributions by catcher Caleb Berry.

The Michigan State product stole home in the fifth for his first professional stolen base. An inning later, Berry ripped a scorcher off of Carolina shortstop Brady Ebel's glove, earning a two-run single as designated hitter Gerardo Rodriguez and King scored.

Carolina put the game out of reach by adding four runs in the top of the seventh inning to win game two, 11-6.

By splitting the doubleheader, Salem made up a half game behind the Carolina League North-leading Fredericksburg Nationals and remain 6.0 games back of the division leaders. Carolina came into the day a game back but exits Saturday just 0.5 games back with 13 games left to be played in the regular season.

Sunday's series finale between Carolina and Salem is set for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. First-year Red Sox manager Ozzie Chavez has yet to name a starting pitcher while Carolina is expected to start right-hander Melvin Hernandez for the second time this week.

Check out the Salem Red Sox Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from August 24, 2025


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