Granberg leads Salem in Mills Cup opener

Devlin Granberg saved his best game in the Carolina League for the most important time of the year. 
The Red Sox prospect collected three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs to lead Class A Advanced Salem to an 8-3 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-5 Carolina League semifinals.

Gameday box score
Granberg started his first full season as a pro with Class A Greenville and put up a .286/.386/.434 slash line in 99 South Atlantic League games. He earned a promotion to Salem on Aug. 7 but batted .222 with a .562 OPS over the final 25 games. 
In the postseason opener, the 2018 sixth-round pick wasted no time getting things going. Garrett Benge led off the first inning with a double to center field and Ryan Fitzgerald singled up the middle to set the table for Granberg. On a 2-0 offering from third-ranked Royals prospectDaniel Lynch, he smashed a three-run jack over the right-center field fence for his first Carolina League homer. 
Granberg struck out in the second, then smacked a single off Lynch in the fifth and scored on Keith Curcio's knock to left. He added a single to left off lefty Robert Garcia in the sixth before Marcelo Martinez retired him on a comebacker in the eighth. 
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The Dallas Baptist product hadn't recorded a three-hit game since July 15 with Greenville. 
There was plenty of support in the lineup in Game 1, with Curcio finishing a double shy of the cycle with two RBIs and two runs scored. Garrett Benge and Kole Cottam chipped in three hits apiece as the Red Sox totaled 17.

Enmanuel De Jesus (1-0) allowed three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the victory. 
Lynch (0-1) surrendered a career-high six runs and 12 hits, including two homers, fanning six in four frames.
Game 2 is Thursday in Salem. 
In other Carolina League action: 
Game 1: Down East 3, Fayetteville 0 | Game 2: Fayetteville 3, Down East 0 
The Wood Ducks jumped ahead in the first game of the other semifinal behind a strong performance from Sal Mendez (1-0). The southpaw logged 6 1/3 innings and allowed two hits and three walks while fanning three. Joe Kuzia allowed a hit and walk but recorded the final two outs to pick up the save. Rangers No. 8 prospectBubba Thompson ripped a RBI ground-rule double in the second, while 25th-ranked Julio Pablo Martinez contributed two hits and scored a run. Gameday box score
The script was flipped in Game 2 as the Woodpeckers staff took control behind Austin Hansen (1-0), who gave up four hits and a walk with three strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings for the win. Ninth-ranked Astros prospectJeremy Pena broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the third. David Hensley drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. Down East hosts Game 3 on Friday. Gameday box score