Sox Clinch Share Of Series With 3-1 Victory Over Nationals
CarL Salem Red Sox

Sox Clinch Share Of Series With 3-1 Victory Over Nationals

Published on June 21, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Salem Red Sox News Release


SALEM, Va. - After the fastest game of the season a night ago, the Salem Red Sox (27 ‚¬â€˜39, 1 ‚¬â€˜1) picked up their first win of the second half with a 3-1 triumph over the Fredericksburg Nationals (31 ‚¬â€˜36, 1 ‚¬â€˜1) on Saturday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

After the FredNats piled on runs in the first two innings the previous two nights, Sox starter Ben Hansen had other plans. The 23-year-old from Mountain View, California sat down the first eight batters he faced in order.

Salem had its share of chances early, getting the leadoff man aboard in each of the first four innings, but couldn't cash in.

That changed when Natanael Yuten stepped into the left-handed batter's box to lead off the bottom of the fifth. FredNats starter Yoel Tejeda Jr. had been cruising to that point, racking up seven strikeouts through four innings.

Yuten jumped on a first-pitch fastball and launched it into the Salem night sky, clearing the right-center field wall for his third home run of the season. The solo shot gave Salem a 1-0 lead and continued a torrid offensive stretch for the 20-year-old. Over his last 19 games, Yuten is putting up video game numbers: a .394 batting average, a 1.067 OPS, 16 runs scored, 12 RBI, and a pair of homers.

But the lead wouldn't last long.

In the top of the sixth, Fredericksburg got to Sox reliever Austin Ehrlicher. A leadoff double by Cristhian Vaquero, followed by a walk to Luke Dickerson and a wild pitch, put runners on the corners with no outs.

Ehrlicher responded by inducing a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Nate Rombach. Vaquero came home to tie the game, but the Sox avoided a bigger inning.

Salem wasted little time reclaiming the lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, back-to-back one-out singles from Andruw Musett and Frederik Jimenez set the stage for Starlyn Nunez. Coming off an 0-for-4 night that ended his eight-game hitting streak, Nunez was due.

On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, he tapped a slow roller in front of the mound. Pitcher Johan Otanez fielded it cleanly but sailed the throw wide of first baseman Carlos Tavares. Both Nunez and Tavares hit the dirt in a collision, and the ball trickled into right field.

As the right fielder Nick Peoples scrambled to get the ball, Musett had scored from second and Jiminez came around to score from first base.

As Nunez got up and shook off the dirt, he had just given his club a new 3-1 lead.

Fredericksburg threatened again in the top of the eighth. Ehrlicher allowed a single to Kelvin Diaz and issued two-out walks to Dickerson and Rombach to load the bases.

Manager Ozzie Chavez turned to closer Eybersson Polanco, who entered with the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first. Polanco won a five-pitch battle with Nick Peoples, striking him out with a changeup in the dirt to escape the jam.

Polanco worked a clean ninth to earn the four-out save.

Ben Hansen earned a no-decision but turned in one of his best starts of the year, going four innings and allowing just three hits, no runs, and a strikeout. Ehrlicher earned the win, tossing 3.2 innings with one run on three hits and three strikeouts. Otanez took the loss, with his throwing error proving the difference.

The victory snapped a mini two-game skid and marked the first time in five weeks that Salem will at least take a share of a six-game series. The last time the Sox won a series outright was April 29-May 4, also against Fredericksburg.

The Red Sox will look to win a second home series against the Nationals when the series concludes Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at Carilion Clinic Field.

Check out the Salem Red Sox Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from June 21, 2025


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