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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Wild Seesaw Affair Ends with Birds on Top

June 27, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


SALEM, VA - Former Red Sox farmhand Chris McGuiness singled twice and drove home four runs, and the Pelicans cranked out 13 hits in a wild back-and-forth affair, holding off the Salem Red Sox Monday night at Salem Memorial Ballpark for a 10-8 win and a shot at a series sweep.

Trailing 2-1 going into the sixth inning, it appeared Myrtle Beach had taken Monday's game over against top Boston pitching prospect Anthony Ranaudo and Red Sox reliever Kendal Volz when the Pelicans exploded for five runs on six hits in the inning. After a leadoff out by David Paisano, six of the next seven men reached via hits with five scoring, two on McGuiness's first base hit of the evening to give the Pelicans their first lead at 4-2. Myrtle Beach, which didn't trail at all in Sunday's series-opening victory, took a commanding 6-2 advantage into the seventh with spot starter Kennil Gomez having exited after five innings in line for the win.

It wouldn't be so for Gomez or the Birds. Salem, with an offense that had scored an anemic six runs through its first four games of the second half combined, responded with a five-run frame of its own. The Red Sox took advantage of two Pelicans errors in their half of the seventh to wrestle the lead back from Myrtle Beach at 7-6 against Pelicans relievers Zach Osborne and Joe Ortiz. Though Osborne and Ortiz combined to allow six Red Sox runs on seven hits over two and one-third innings together, just three went as earned.

In an inning that defined all that is different about these Salem Red Sox in their stunning 2011 collapse and their season series with Myrtle Beach versus the last two years, however, the Pelicans roared back in the eighth as the Red Sox coughed up the advantage. Just like the sixth, Myrtle Beach sent all nine men to the plate in the eighth and caught a break, albeit an unfortunate one, against Salem's bullpen. Red Sox reliever Mitch Herold retired the first two Pelicans of the inning with ease but departed the game holding under his left arm with an injury. The Pelicans took advantage against righty Michael Gleason with the next six men reaching and four scoring, the last two on McGuiness' second two-RBI knock of the night to put the Birds in front 10-7.

McGuiness, who played with many of the current Salem crop last season in Greenville (A - SAL), was traded from Boston to the Rangers last year at the deadline as part of the deal that sent big league catcher and former Pelican Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the Red Sox. He entered the day with 16 runs batted in this season and added a quarter of that total on Monday.

Though the Red Sox got one back in the eighth, the Pelicans made a winner out of Ortiz (4-2) despite his blown save in the seventh, and righty Johan Yan (S, 8) moved to within one save of matching Ryan Kelly's team high by getting the game's final five outs for the 10-8 win. Ranaudo departed with five runs - all earned - charged to his account over five and one-third innings and took a no-decision. Gleason (0-1) took the loss for the Red Sox who dropped the 19th of their last 20 home games.

Tuesday's series finale brings daytime baseball to the Roanoke Valley as the Pelicans send right-hander Wilfredo Boscan (2-3, 4.78) against another highly touted Red Sox pitching prospect who has had his struggles this year, southpaw Drake Britton (1-7, 7.19) with first pitch scheduled for noon.

The Pelicans return home to the Grand Strand following this brief three-game trip to Salem for a three-game series in Myrtle Beach against the Kinston Indians from June 29 through July 1. Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.

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