CarL1 Salem Red Sox

Sox Earn Second Straight Comeback Win Over Rocks

August 6, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem Red Sox News Release


Salem, VA (August 6, 2010) - Stolmy Pimentel overcame a rough beginning to strike out a season-high eight batters, Alex Hassan went 3-4 to continue his dynamite second half, and the Salem Sox won for the seventh time in their last eight games with a 7-5 triumph over the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Friday night at Lewis-Gale Field. Despite falling behind early for the second consecutive night, the Sox scored four times in the last of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead and held on for the two-run victory. Hassan doubled twice and connected for three hits and has now reached base seven times through two games of the four-game series with the Blue Rocks.

Pimentel tossed six innings to pick up the victory and improve to 7-8, despite allowing a pair of long balls in the first two innings. Joey Lewis and Ernesto Mejia both clocked solo bombs for the Blue Rocks, but Pimentel settled down and retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. He struck out three batters in each the first and sixth innings to tie a career high with eight Ks, matching a five inning, eight strikeout performance from August 2, 2008, when he pitched for the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League and dominated the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Down 3-2 at the midway point, Jon Hee and Mitch Dening sparked a rally by connecting on back-to-back singles to begin the last of the fifth. The Blue Rocks defense botched Peter Hissey's sacrifice bunt, as Rey Navarro dropped the throw from the pitcher at first base and Hee scored from second to tie the game at three. Oscar Tejeda's sac fly brought home Dening to give the Sox their first lead, Hissey then stole second and third base before scoring on Will Middlebrook's RBI single, and Tim Federowicz' two-out double plated Middlebrooks to make it 6-3. All the runs were scored against reliever Jairo Cuevas, who replaced starter Buddy Baumann at the outset of the inning.

The Blue Rocks clawed back against reliever Lance McClain, scoring single tallies in the seventh and eighth innings to trim the Salem lead to 6-5. With two outs and the tying run at third base in the top of the eighth, Kyle Fernandes induced an inning-ending tapper to the mound from Juan Rivera to escape the frame with the slim lead.

Salem added a clutch insurance run in the home half of the eighth. Dan Butler doubled to lead off the inning, but remained at second base with two outs. Thankfully, Mitch Dening drilled his second single of the game to bring home Butler and give Salem the 7-5 edge.

In the ninth, Patrick Norris led off with a single to bring the tying run to the plate, but foolishly crow hopped off the base a few pitches later and was picked up by a laser toss from Federowicz. Fernandes proceeded to retire Adrian Ortiz via a grounder and Christian Colon lined to center to end the ballgame. Fernandes picked up his team-high ninth save of the season.

The victory brings the Red Sox to 19 games above .500 at 64-45, a new high-water mark for 2010. After starting the second half 2-7, the Sox have won 20 of their last 30 games, rising to 22-17 since the break.

Salem and Wilmington continue their four-game set on Saturday evening at 6:05. Caleb Clay makes the start for the Red Sox opposite Manauris Baez for the Rocks.

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