Sox Slug Past P-Nats 9-4 Saturday
Published on July 7, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Salem RidgeYaks News Release
WOODBRIDGE, VA - The Salem Red Sox got big performances out of several players Saturday night, riding a career-long start by Tanner Houck and towering homers from sluggers Bobby Dalbec and Ryan Scott to a 9-4 win over the Potomac Nationals at Pfitzner Stadium.
The Red Sox (9-7, 41-43) picked up their third win in a row, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Potomac (4-12, 41-42) fell below .500 on the season, with Salem averaging 7.67 runs over the last three games. Dalbec's homer was his third in as many days and his 19th of 2018, tying him with Bryce Brentz (2012) for the Red Sox-era record for homers in a single season; he fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle.
Salem broke through first in the top of the second inning against Potomac starting pitcher Joan Baez (L, 3-8). With two away, Chris Madera hit a foul pop behind home plate that seemed certain to end the inning, but Jakson Reetz muffed the catch, and Madera wound up working a walk before stealing second. Trenton Kemp laced a 1-0 fastball into left for a single, and Madera sped home to make it 1-0.
The Sox put up a crooked number in the top of the third. Deiner Lopez earned a leadoff walk, and made it safely to second when Bryan Mejia dropped the throw on Lopez's stolen base attempt. Tyler Hill and Scott each fanned, but C.J. Chatham cracked a single through the 5-6 hole to score Mejia. Dalbec worked the count to 2-2 before smashing a huge homer over the right field wall to run the lead to 4-0.
Potomac earned a run back in the bottom of the fourth against Houck (W, 4-10). Ian Sagdal doubled to left-center to lead off the inning, and Aldrem Corredor singled through the middle to bring him home and trim the margin to 4-1. However, the Sox answered right away in the top of the fifth frame. Chatham ripped a double to right-center off new reliever Jorge Pantoja, and Dalbec zapped a hard grounder up the third-base line for an RBI double to extend the lead back to 5-1.
The Sox blew the game wide open in the top of the sixth. Kemp and Jordan Procyshen drew consecutive walks to open the inning. Lopez struck out looking for the first out, and Hill lined out to third, making another big frame seem unlikely. But Scott had other ideas, crushing a 2-2 fastball high over the right-field wall for a three-run homer, his fifth dinger of the campaign. Chatham singled on a dying quail to right, and Dalbec hit a laser into the gap in left field. Chatham came around to score, and Dalbec pulled into third with his first triple of the season. When the dust cleared, the Sox had earned a 9-1 edge.
Potomac earned a run back in the bottom of the eighth inning against Sox reliever Hunter Smith. With one out, Bryan Mejia doubled, and advanced to third on a single to left by Luis Garcia. Sagdal poked a single through the middle, scoring Mejia to cut the lead down to 9-2. In the ninth inning, new reliever Harrison Cooney walked leadoff man Rhett Wiseman before surrendering a two-run dinger to Banks to reduce Salem's lead to 9-4. However, the righty settled down from there, ending the game without further damage.
Houck set a new career-best with seven innings pitched, allowing a run on four hits and two walks while fanning five batters and plunking one. Smith surrendered a run on three hits while striking out two in one inning of action. Cooney gave up two runs on one hit and one walk, whiffing one in his only inning of work.
The Sox will aim for a fourth straight win Sunday, with southpaw Darwinzon Hernandez toeing the slab for Salem against P-Nats lefty Ben Braymer. First pitch at Pfitzner Stadium is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 12:45 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.
Carolina League Stories from July 7, 2018
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