Sox Clinch Series with Late 3-2 Win over Carolina
CarL Salem Red Sox

Sox Clinch Series with Late 3-2 Win over Carolina

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


SALEM, V.a. - In the Sunday series finale, the Salem Red Sox (51-67, 25-29) found ways to capitalize on the Mudcats' errors in a 3-2 win over Carolina (64-51, 28-23), claiming the 4-2 series victory at Carilion Clinic Field.

The Red Sox win, which featured six Carolina errors, represents Salem's second series win earned in 2025 and first since claiming five of six games at Lynchburg to begin August. The Red Sox also moved within 5.5 games back of first place Fredericksburg with 12 games left in the Carolina League season.

After the Mudcats plated a pair of runs in the seventh inning to earn a 2-2 tie, Salem won the game with heads-up baserunning in the eighth. With one out and Yoeilin Cespedes at third and Natanael Yuten at first, manager Ozzie Chavez tested Carolina catcher Kevin Garcia.

Chavez put Yuten in motion towards second base, causing a throw down from Garcia. When Garcia's throw went errant for the final of Carolina's six errors, Cespedes scored from third as the game-winning run.

The late game dramatics happened after Sunday marked a fourth consecutive game that Salem earned a multi-run lead when it scored its first two runs in the third inning. After back-to-back one-out singles by the middle infield pairing of Starlyn Nunez and Cespedes, Yuten leveled a fastball to deep centerfield. The drive was deep enough to allow Nunez to tag up from third base easily, and when a throwing error from center got away from third basemen Gery Holguin, Cespedes followed Nunez and scored to make it 2-0 Salem.

The winning run in the eighth also succeeded what was a near perfect start from Salem's Yhoiker Fajardo.

The 25th ranked prospect in Boston's system pitched a career-long six innings, preserving a no-hit bid through the first five and a third. In a no decision, the righty also tied a season-high with eight strikeouts. Five of Fajardo's eight strikeouts came against the first five Mudcat batters he faced, the most to start a game by a Salem starter this season.

The impressive line for Fajardo came with unexpected time in the dugout. With an active no-hit bit after five innings, Sunday's game went into a 38-minute rain delay at Carillion Clinic Field.

Fajardo went to the bullpen with Salem pitching coach Alex Reynold to keep his arm loose during the stoppage, and when the tarp was pulled off, it was nearly the same Yhoiker on the mound.

"I was just focused on not getting rattled," Fajardo said postgame of his success amidst the delay. "I just wanted to stay on task with what my plan was pregame."

Salem will now have Monday off before traveling to Kannapolis, the Carolina League South's fifth place team, for its final road series of the season. Salem manager Ozzie Chavez has yet to announce the Sox's probable starting pitcher for game one against the Cannonballers, scheduled for Tuesday, August 30th at 6:30 PM.

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Carolina League Stories from August 24, 2025


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