Red Sox Ride a Six-Run First Inning to Friday Night Win

SALEM, Va. — In front of the best home crowd of the season, the Red Sox put on a show for Firework Friday, exploding for six runs in the first inning en route to a 6-2 victory over Down East.

The tone was set right from the get-go as Salem’s defense stepped up big, throwing Jesus Lopez out at the plate for the final out of the first inning. The 19 year-old Wood Ducks catcher drilled a triple off the wall in left-center, before the cutoff man Marvin Alcantara threw him out at home, taking away an inside the park homer and keeping Down East off the board.

The Red Sox went up in a hurry, but it wasn’t without a few gifts. Down East starter, Kyle Larsen, struggled mightily, surrendering two hits and five earned runs while walking four batters and not recording an out.

Boston’s No. 18 prospect Antonio Anderson and Nelly Taylor Jr. led off the first frame with a pair of walks. No. 21 Red Sox prospect Brooks Brannon broke the ice by demolishing a three-run bomb over the left field wall, putting Salem in front 3-0. His first home run of the season was tattooed with an exit velocity of 109 miles-per-hour and soared 484 feet.

Alcantara kept it going, reaching on a fielding error by Wood Ducks first baseman Artura Disla and a balk gave “Marv” second base. Natanael Yuten followed it up with a base hit, moving Alcantara to third before Yuten swiped second, putting two runners in scoring position. Andy Lugo walked and a wild pitch scored Alacatara, moving Yuten to third. Lugo would add another stolen base, taking second.

Red Sox catcher Juan Montero drove in another with a sacrifice fly to right field and Stanley Tucker drove in the sixth and final run with a line drive into center.

That was just about it for the Red Sox offensively as Wood Ducks reliever Jose Gonzalez stopped the bleeding with a six inning, two hit, 11 strikeout performance. Tucker had the lone multi-hit performance for Salem with a pair of singles in three at-bats.

Elite Red Sox pitching kept the Wood Ducks at bay as starter Luis Cohen picked up his third win of the season in a five inning, four hit, one run, five strikeout outing. Salem threw just two arms as lefty Michael Sansone went the rest of the way, earning his second save in four innings of work. Sansone surrendered four hits, one run, and one walk while striking out five.

The win gives the Red Sox a 3-1 lead in the six game set and breaks Down East streak of three consecutive series victories. The two teams battle again on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday at 3:05 p.m.