Diplan allows three home runs in 7-3 loss to Red Sox

SALEM, VA - The Red Sox scored three runs in the first and homered three times off Marcos Diplan while defeating the Mudcats 7-3 in game one of a three game series at Haley Toyota Field in Salem on Monday night. Luis Aviles Jr. was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Lucas Erceg was 2-for-4 with two runs in the loss for Carolina.

The loss, combined with a Myrtle Beach victory, dropped Carolina's first half title elimination number down to two with six games remaining. It was also Carolina's third straight loss.
The Red Sox (40-24) opened the game by loading the bases on two walks and one hit batter in the first before eventually getting a two-out, three run double from Jose Sermo. Diplan (4-3, 5.50) allowed three runs on one hit and walked two in the first.
Sermo also homered in the fourth and managed to drive in the first four runs of the game against Diplan and the Mudcats (33-30). Sermo was 2-for-4 with four RBIs in the game for the Red Sox. 
Matthew Kent started for Salem and ran with the early 4-0 lead while taking a no-hitter into the fifth. He faced the minimum through four before giving up a one-out single to Erceg in the fifth. Aviles then followed with a RBI double and the Mudcats managed to cut the lead to 4-1 after collecting their first two hits and first two base runners in the game. Carlos Belonis also had a run scoring hit with two outs in the fifth, but the Red Sox led 4-2 after five.
Kent (5-2, 4.01) went on to hold the Mudcats scoreless the rest of the way through his eight inning start. He pitched to a game score of 77 while striking out seven, walking one and allowing just two runs on five hits in the victory.
Diplan stayed in the game through the sixth, but would depart after allowing three hits in his final inning. Two of the three hits allowed in the sixth were home runs as both Michael Chavis and Mike Meyers hit solo home runs off Diplan, all while giving Salem a 6-2 lead. Diplan left during the sixth and finished with six runs allowed on six hits over five and 2/3 innings pitched. He also finished with two walks and six strikeouts while throwing 89 pitches (54 strikes) in the loss.
Chavis was 3-for-3 with three runs, a home run and one RBI in the game for the Red Sox. Meyers was 1-for-4 with a home run and Austin Rei was 2-for-4.
Conor Harber pitched the final two and 1/3 innings for the Mudcats and allowed just one run on three hits, while striking out three.
The Mudcats rallied for one more run in the ninth against reliever Gerson Bautista, but fell 7-3 in the series opener in Salem. Erceg scored the final run after scoring on a RBI triple from Aviles in the ninth.
UP NEXT: The series will continue on Tuesday night in Salem with Carolina League All-Star Freddy Peralta starting for the Mudcats. Tuesday's game will begin at 7:05 p.m. at Haley Toyota Field in Salem. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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