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CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Salem Strides To Playoffs with 6-5 Comeback Win

September 7, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


Lynchburg, VA (September 7, 2009) - Brad Correll's RBI double in the top of the ninth capped a remarkable comeback that allowed Salem to march into the postseason through the front door on Monday at City Stadium in Lynchburg. Trailing 5-1 after six innings, the Red Sox scored twice each in the seventh and eighth to tie it at five, setting the stage for Correll's go-ahead RBI in the top of the ninth. Although Salem learned in the ninth inning that Kinston fell 9-4 to Potomac, the Sox came through in the clutch once again and now will proceed into the playoffs, beginning Wednesday night in Winston-Salem. Boston Red Sox righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka will start on the mound in game one for Salem in a rehab appearance. The Sox will return to Lewis-Gale Field for game three of the series on Friday night.

Zach Borowiak drove in two with an RBI double in the seventh to cut a 5-1 deficit in half, and Tim Federowicz crushed a two-run double in the eighth that evened the score at five. The timely offense emerged after Salem had been limited to just one run in the previous 15 innings in Lynchburg. Salem began the day with a magic number of one, but finished the afternoon two games ahead of Kinston to take the final playoff spot in the Southern Division. If Winston-Salem falls in their final game of the season in Myrtle Beach, the Red Sox would claim the second-half title outright.

Kris Watts gave Lynchburg an early lead with a solo homer off Stephen Fife to open the second inning, and the Hillcats led 2-0 after Tony Sanchez doubled and later scored with two outs when the Red Sox erred on a Jose De Los Santos grounder to first. Fife dropped the toss from Anthony Rizzo, allowing Sanchez to cross the plate. An inning later, back-to-back doubles from Jordy Mercer and Matt Hague gave the Hillcats a 3-0 edge.

Rizzo blasted a leadoff homer to open the fourth inning against Hillcats reliever Tom Boleska, cutting the score to 3-1, but Lynchburg added two more off Fife in the bottom of the sixth to jump ahead by four.

While Salem trailed 5-1, the Sox' primary competitor for the finally playoff position, the Kinston Indians, held a 4-1 lead after six innings in Potomac. But the Nationals helped the Sox by scoring four in the seventh and four in the eighth off the Indians bullpen, garnering their season finale 9-4. Meanwhile, the Red Sox rallied for the third time in the last four days to come-from-behind and prevail against the Hillcats.

Robert Coello tossed two scoreless frames out of the Red Sox bullpen, and Derrick Loop entered in the ninth to earn his 18th save and ignite the celebration by recording the final three outs. Although Chase d'Arnoud reached on a Jon Hee fielding error with two outs in the ninth, Loop induced a Josh Harrison grounder to second, which Borowiak flipped to first to end the ballgame. When Rizzo's glove closed on the ball, the Salem Red Sox poured out of the dugout and rejoiced their playoff spot.

Salem finishes the second half 35-35 and concludes the 2009 regular season 67-72. The Southern Division Championship Series opens at 7:00PM on Wednesday with a major league flavor, as Matsuzaka continues his quest back to Boston by making a rehab start for the Salem Sox opposite Justin Edwards for Winston-Salem.

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