Colmenares Plates Two in Comeback Victory

SALEM, VA - Cristhian Vaquero’s late RBI knock helped lift the Nationals to a 4-2 win over the Salem Red Sox. FXBG is 3-2 (38-33), and Salem is also 3-2 (37-34).

Andy Lugo’s RBI double in the bottom of the second gave the Sox a 1-0 lead, but Jose Colmenares opened the third with a solo home run to bring the Nats back level.

Salem retook the lead one half inning later on another double, but the Nats battled right back to tie things up on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth inning.

From the fourth inning on, both pitching staffs began to lock in. Travis Sykora finished five innings for the Nats with just the two earned runs and seven strikeouts. Dannel Diaz and Samuel Vasquez covered the next three frames and allowed just one base runner, but Salem matched that effort to keep the game tied at 2-2.

Cristhian Vaquero finally broke the tie in the top of the ninth inning with a line drive single to right, and Jose Colmenares followed that up with his second RBI of the night to put the Nats up 4-2. Salem did put two runners aboard against Anthony Arguelles in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Arguelles closed the door on a 4-2 FredNat win. Samuel Vasquez (4-0) kept his record perfect, Arguelles notched his third save, and Francis Hernandez (0-6) took the loss.

In game three, Jarlin Susana (1-6, 5.44) faces off against Noah Dean (1-2, 3.95) in a 7:05 start.