Zanetello, Bleis Lead Salem to 7-0 Shutout Over Myrtle Beach

SALEM, Va. – In front of the best crowd of the year, the Red Sox carried momentum from Thursday to win their second-straight over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. This time, in dominant fashion with a shutout win.

Salem started with a bang… literally. No. 8 prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization, Nazzan Zanetello, homered on the first pitch of the ball game with a 428 foot bomb over the left field fence to give the Red Sox the immediate 1-0 lead. The 18 year-old second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft finished two-for-two with a walk, before being after his third plate appearance, still being eased back after a pre-season injury.

On the very next pitch, Miguel Bleis scolded a ball off the top of the wall in left field for a two-bagger. Freili Encarnacion reached on a fielder's choice as Bleis beat Pelican’s catcher, Migeul Pabon’s the throw to third before Nataneal Yuten blew it open with a two-run triple on a liner to right to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead after one.

The Red Sox tallied three more in the bottom of the second with crucial two-out production. Andy Lugo was hit by a pitch, before Nazzan Zanetello tallied his second knock of the day on a single up the middle, moving lugo to third. A wild pitch scored Lugo to make it 4-0 Salem.

Bleis walked and Encarnacion kept the bats hot with a base-hit, moving Zanetello to third and Bleis to second. Moments later, Yuten reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, Christian Hernandez, on a routine grounder, allowing Zanetello and Bleis to score, giving the Red Sox a 6-0 advantage. Aggressive to second, Yuten was thrown out after the error to end the inning.

The Red Sox struck one more time in the fourth. Lugo picked up steam with a one-out double and Zanetello followed him with a walk. Lugo would steal third for his fifth stolen bag of the season and Bleis brought him in on an RBI-single to center for a 7-0 lead.

Despite being kept off the scoreboard for the final four frames offensively, the Red Sox put together arguably their most complete team performance of the season.

For the second night in a row, Salem only threw three arms. 20-year old righty, Jedixson Paez was lights out in his fourth start of the season, dealing five complete innings of scoreless baseball for four hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts.

Danny Kirwin was the first out of pen and he was unblemished with a trio of three-up, three-down innings for three strikeouts. The recent free-agent acquisition was the 2023 MAAC relief pitcher of the year at Rider and earned Third Team All-American honors, showing why on Friday night.

CJ Weins shut the door in the ninth, recording the final three outs, two of which via the strikeout, giving the Red Sox 12 as a staff.

Recently elevated to the No. 4 prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization, Bleis lived up to the hype in his three-for-three performance with a walk and an RBI.

Natanael Yuten also finished with a multi-hit game, going two-for-three with two RBI and a walk. The Red Sox out-hit the Pelicans 9-4.

With the series tied at two games a piece, Myrtle Beach and Salem will square off again on Saturday (6:05 p.m., Star Wars night) and Sunday (3:05 p.m.).