Team Effort Propels Salem Over Kannapolis, 6-3, On Saturday Night
CarL Salem Red Sox

Team Effort Propels Salem Over Kannapolis, 6-3, On Saturday Night

Published on August 9, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Salem Red Sox News Release


SALEM, Va. - The Salem Red Sox (44-61, 18-23) snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday night, defeating the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (52-55, 20-21) by a 6-3 score at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Salem wasted no time getting on the board against right-hander Ricardo Brizuela. In the first inning, Justin Gonzales ripped a double down the left-field line. After a groundout moved him to third, Yoeilin Cespedes lifted a sacrifice fly to left, plating Gonzales for a quick 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, the top of the order sparked another rally. Gonzales singled to left, and Mason White followed with a liner to right to put runners on first and second. That set the stage for Cespedes, the team's RBI leader, who doubled to left field to drive in both runs, extending Salem's lead to 3-1. Cespedes finished the night 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs.

The rally didn't end there. Enddy Azocar, Boston's No. 28 prospect, entered the game mired in a slump but wasted no time breaking out of it. On the first pitch he saw, Azocar launched a fastball over the left-field fence for a two-run homer - his fifth of the season - to cap a four-run third inning and put Salem ahead 5-1.

Kannapolis began to chip away in the fourth. A run scored on a balk, and Adrian Gil singled home another to cut the deficit to 5-3. Salem starter Jesus Travieso exited after 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out five. He did not factor into the decision.

Right-hander Griffin Kilander took over and made an immediate impact, needing just one pitch to retire Ely Brown on a groundout to first. Gil struck again in the sixth with an RBI double to score George Wolkow, bringing Kannapolis within one run at 5-4. The Cannon Ballers then put runners on first and second, but Kilander induced a groundout from Brown to escape the inning with the lead intact.

Kilander worked 3.1 innings in total, allowing one run on three hits and striking out three to earn the win (3-5). He handed the ball to left-hander P.J. Labriola for the eighth and ninth innings.

Labriola encountered immediate trouble, walking Arxy Hernandez and Nathan Archer to start the inning. But with the tying run in scoring position, he coaxed a sharp ground ball from Gil that White fielded cleanly at shortstop to start a 6-3 double play, ending the threat without damage.

In the bottom half, Salem's offense gave Labriola some breathing room. Cespedes opened the inning with his second double of the game and came around to score on an error by pitcher Gabriel Rodriguez, pushing the lead to 6-4.

Now working with a two-run cushion, Labriola returned for the ninth just three outs away from his third save of the season, and his second of the week. He quickly retired Jordan Sprinkle on a lineout to right, but a hit-by-pitch to Brown brought the tying run to the plate. A wild pitch and an error charged to catcher Kleyver Salazar advanced Brown to third with one out, creating a tense finish.

As he has all season, Labriola stayed composed. He struck out Caleb Bonemer for the second out and then got Colby Shelton to roll a grounder to second, sealing the victory. Labriola tossed two scoreless, hitless innings with two strikeouts to record the save.

Brizuela (0-9) took the loss for Kannapolis after allowing five runs on six hits in three innings.

With the win, Salem earned its first victory since Tuesday and will have a chance to split the six-game series in Sunday's finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., with right-hander Jose Bello set to make his first Single-A start for the Red Sox.

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Carolina League Stories from August 9, 2025


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