BeerMongers Remain Unblemished In 7-3 Win Over Wood Ducks
SALEM, Va. – On a night where the future of Boston’s brightest illuminated the lineup card, the Red Sox delivered with a convincing win over the Down East Wood Ducks to take a 2-1 lead in the six-game set. It was a pitcher’s duel early as the Wood Ducks and
SALEM, Va. – On a night where the future of Boston’s brightest illuminated the lineup card, the Red Sox delivered with a convincing win over the Down East Wood Ducks to take a 2-1 lead in the six-game set.
It was a pitcher’s duel early as the Wood Ducks and Red Sox combined for no runs and just two hits in the first two frames. That was until the Red Sox got things going in the third with two runs on two hits. Daniel McElveny led off the home half with a base hit and Stanley Tucker found himself on via a fielder’s choice. No. 4 Red Sox prospect Nazzan Zanetello walked before Miguel Bleis drew first blood, cranking a 2-RBI single into right field 109 miles-per-hour off the bat.
Salem stayed hot, taking control of the game with a four-piece in the fourth. Nataneal Yuten and Andy Lugo each singled and McElveny was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Stanley Tucker in the nin-hole. The former Texas A&M standout crushed his first home run of the season and second of his Single-A career for a grand slam over the left field wall. The Red Sox would bat around in the frame to take a 6-0 advantage.
Down East made things interesting as everyone pondered whether six runs would be enough for the Sox. The Wood Ducks scored a run in the sixth off an RBI-single from Texas Rangers No. 16 prospect Echedry Vargas and tallied two more in the seventh. Three consecutive hits to lead off the frame jolted Down East as Beycker Borroso, Julian Brock (double), and No. 24 Rangers prospect Marcos Torres (RBI) went back-to-back-to-back. Tommy Specht brought in the final Wood Ducks run on a fielder’s choice.
The Red Sox added an insurance run in the eighth as Nataneal Yuten crushed a no-doubt lead-off home run over the right field fence for his fifth of the season, giving the Red Sox a 7-3 final.
Right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (2-3) picked up the win for Salem in the four-run triumph, tossing five innings of two-hit, shutout ball.
The Red Sox and Wood Ducks continue their six-game set when they return to Salem Memorial Ballpark on Friday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.