CarL1 Salem RidgeYaks

Salem Sweeps Doubleheader in Myrtle Beach

Published on August 12, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release


Myrtle Beach, SC - With the season fading fast after dropping 13 of 14, the Red Sox earned a couple of much-needed victories on Tuesday night at BB&T Coastal Field. Delayed by a brief shower that pushed the first game back by an hour, Salem used a pair of homers and excellent pitching to nip the Pelicans 3-2 in the opener. In the nightcap, the struggling Red Sox offense that had totaled just 35 runs in its previous 15 games erupted for 10 runs on 16 hits.

Impressively, Salem only used four pitchers, two in each game. Armando Zerpa garnered his first Carolina League win in the opener, pitching three scoreless innings in relief of Seth Garrison, who had allowed two runs in four frames in the start. Later on, Jose Capellan wiggled out of a treacherous bases-loaded, nobody-out predicament unscathed and allowed just one run in three and two thirds innings. Josh Papelbon proceeded to retire 10 of the 11 batters he faced over three and a third scoreless frames to earn his fourth win of the year.

Game one was highlighted by Chih-Hsien Chiang's two run homer in the second inning off Erik Cordier. His fifth blast of the season and first since the All-Star Break went out the opposite way and made it 2-0 after one and half innings. Though Cody Johnson belted his league-leading 27th bomb of the season in the bottom of the inning, his solo blast was answered a couple frames later by Tim Federowicz. Fed-Ex drilled his second Carolina-League homer to make it 3-1, and the Red Sox hung on for the 3-2 win. With both the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position for Myrtle Beach, Zerpa induced a Michael Fisher ground ball to short to finish off the Pelicans.

In game two, Federowicz's RBI single to make it 1-0 after half an inning appeared to be a minor roadblock in Myrtle Beach's pursuit of a dynamite first of their own. They loaded the bases with nobody out on a single and two walks from Capellan, but a pop-up to shallow center and a 6-4-3 double play enabled the Red Sox to somehow escape the jam. The Pelicans would only have multiple runners on base simultaneously once more on the night.

Salem took advantage of two Myrtle Beach errors by connecting for four hits in a three-run third inning that made it 4-0. The Pelicans scored their lone tally of the nightcap in the bottom of the frame to make it 4-1, but the Red Sox had a pair of huge offensive innings on the horizon. The Sox sent nine men to the plate in the fifth, using a three-run RBI double from Luis Segovia to break the score open and make it 8-1. In the sixth, Segovia drove in another run to complete his season-best four-RBI performance and the Sox scored two more while leaving the bases loaded to make it 10-1. Federowicz and Mike Jones each went 3-5 in the second game, while five other Red Sox aside from Segovia drove in runs to collaborate in the 10-1 dismissal of the Pelicans.

The pair of victories move the Red Sox a game and a half ahead of Myrtle Beach in the Southern Division standings and inches the Sox within two games of the first place Dash.

Salem and Myrtle Beach reunite on Wednesday for game three of their four-game, three day series at BB&T Coastal Field. Kyle Weiland is expected to start for the Sox against Brandon Beachy for the Pelicans, with first pitch set for 7:05.

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Carolina League Stories from August 12, 2009


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