Red Sox Walk Off Wood Ducks In Series Opener

SALEM, Va. – With the game tied at 5, and fresh off his return from a two-month stint on the injured list, Boston No. 21 prospect Brooks Brannon dug in from the right side.

Adjusting his batting gloves and looking down to third, where Antonio Anderson served as the winning run, Brannon twirled his bat over his head, rested it on his right shoulder and hoped to secure Salem’s second walk-off victory of the year.

With the 20-year old catcher ahead in the count 2-1, he got a fastball on the outside corner. Shortening his swing and going with the pitch, Brannon grounded into right for a base hit, scoring Anderson and winning the game for the Red Sox (25-27) in a 6-5 victory over the Down East Wood Ducks (28-23) on Tuesday evening at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The scoring got started early on. A Marvin Alcantara RBI triple in the home half of the second gave the Sox the early 1-0 advantage, and though the Wood Ducks would eventually tie the game up, Salem would respond with ease.

Stanley Tucker would end up cruising in from second in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 2-1 Sox lead, and after Down East would then climb ahead 3-2, Albert Feliz’s fourth bomb of the year tied the contest up at 3.

We continued to go back and forth from there. The Wood Ducks immediately grabbed the lead back on a Marcos Torres RBI base knock to make it 4-3, but it wouldn’t last from there.

Feliz came through again. A two-run double down the line put the Sox up 5-4, and though Down East tied the game in the ninth, it was Brannon’s RBI single to put the game away.

Right-hander Max Carlson (2-0) picked up the win for Salem in the one-run victory, tossing three innings and allowing one earned run.

The Sox return to action on Wednesday evening when they continue their six-game series with the Wood Ducks at Salem Memorial Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.