Red Sox Explode In Middle Innings En Route to 10-4 Win

SALEM, Va. — Winners in 10 of their last 15, the Red Sox felt primed to compete with the second half of the 2024 season on deck this weekend. Salem did just that on Friday night to jump-start the back half of the schedule with a win.

The evening opened to a similar rhythm in how the series had transpired to that point. A low-scoring pitchers duel that saw just one combined run heading into the fourth inning. Augusta drew first blood in the first after leadoff second baseman Cam Magee walked, made it second on a wild pitch, stole third, and scored on a second wild pitch.

It wasn’t until the fourth that Augusta found themselves on the board once again, opening the frame with back-to-back walks from Will Verdung and Jeremy Celedonio before Harry Owen brought in Verdung on an RBI-single up the middle.

Salem had a home half response in emphatic fashion. The Sox went back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Yup, four consecutive hits for the Red Sox to lead off. No. 21 Red Sox prospect Brooks Brannon got it going with a single, followed by an RBI-triple off the barrel of Nelly Taylor Jr., good for his 29th run-batted-in of the season.

Marvin Alcantara hit him home with an RBI-single and Nataneal Yuten kept it going with a base hit of his own. Two batters later, Fraymi De Leon rolled one to the right side that caremed off the first base bag and deflected into shallow right for a two run-scoring double. The Sox turned five hits into four runs to take a 4-2 lead through four.

Salem didn’t stop there as the Red Sox tallied two more in the fifth on three hits. No. 18 Red Sox prospect Antonio Anderson and Brannon led off with a pair of singles before Marvina Alcantara hit them both home with his second hit of the ninth for his third RBI to make it 6-2.

The Red Sox were far from done as they unleashed four more runs in the sixth on two hits. De Leon led off with a walk, swiped second, advanced to third on a flyout, and scored on a wild pitch. Juan Montero then walked to set up the top of the order for Anderson. “Double-A” delivered with an RBI-double for his second hit and Nelly Taylor Jr. brought him in with a two-run blast over the right field fence for his third homer of the season, extending Salem’s lead 10-2.

Augusta showed resilience tallying two more runs in the eight, but were no match for Salem’s high powered offense. The Red Sox out-hit the GreenJackets 12-6 to take a two-game lead in the six game set.