Red Sox Win Friday Night Thriller in Game of the Year

SALEM, Va. — The 2024 Salem Red Sox season may just go down as one of the most entertaining sagas in the franchise’s 69 years of baseball. Friday night added to the story with yet another walk-off win for the ages. From Nataneal Yuten to Nazzan Zanetello, multiple Salem Sox had their hand in this season’s most epic win yet.

Lynchburg jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, plating a pair in the first. Tommy Hawke led off with a walk before Guardians No. 11 prospect Welbyn Francisca singled to put runners on the corners. Christian Knapczyk kickstarted a big night with a base hit to left, scoring the first run before Juan Benjamin added the other on a sacrifice fly to center. On a rehab assignment from High-A (Greenville) Red Sox outfielder Caden Rose launched the fly ball back to the infield, setting up a eight-four-three double play on the sac-fly to end the frame.

After tallying a pair of hits in the first, the Sox were kept off the scoreboard, but struck with a three piece in the second. Nataneal Yuten led off with a single and stole second before Albert Feliz walked. Kelvin Diaz plated a pair with a two-RBI double to left, tying the game at two. An aggressive Diaz stole third, setting up an RBI-fielder’s choice for Franklin Arias at the top of the order, giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead through two.

Neither team found themselves on the board in the third, each being sat down in three. With Matt Duffyfresh out of the pen for the Sox, Lynchburg found the equalizer in the fourth. Christian Knapczyk added to his impressive box score with a solo home run over the right field fence, deadlocking the game at three.

After stranding the bases loaded fourth, the Sox found a crease in the fifth to reclaim the lead. Marvin Alcantara led off with a base hit and moved to second on a passed ball. Caden Rose rallied him home with a double to left, jolting Salem in front 4-3.

The Red Sox did it again in the sixth, to take a two run lead. No. 6 Boston Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias led off with a double to center and Nazzan Zanetello followed it up with a base on balls. The two then stole second and third respectively to put two runners in scoring position. Andrew Mussett delivered with a sac-fly, scoring Arias to make it 5-3.

Trading blows in this heavyweight bout, the Hillcats came back with a right hook of their own in the seventh and another in the top of the eighth to tie the game at five. Barrett Riebock led off the seventh with a two-bagger and was hit in as Fran Alduey added a double of his own to make it 5-4.

The Red Sox stranded a runner on third after Daneil McElveny’s triple in the seventh and Lyncbhurg drew even after a Christian Knapczyk triple and Ryan Cesarini RBI-double in the eighth.

Just when you thought Friday night’s installment in the 460 Rivalry couldn’t get any wilder, the chaos that had previously ensued was only the beginning.

Rolling onto the bottom of the eighth with the game tied at five, Franklin Arias led off by reaching on a fielding error by Lynchburg third baseman Fran Alduey. Andrew Mussett then contributed with a one-out single, moving Arias to second before Marvin Alcantara struck out for the second out.

Runners on first and second with two gone, Caden Rose was hit by a pitch to load the bases and set the table for Nataneal Yuten who has earned the honor of being regarded as one of the more clutch hitters in the Carolina League.

Yuten delivered once again with what at the time, felt like the knockout blow, crushing a two-out bases clearing double down the left field line to propel the Sox in front, 8-5 through eight.

But wait, there’s more.

Luis Talavera entered the game for Salem in the ninth, looking to pick up his second save of the season. Luis Merejo and the Hillcats had other ideas as he led off with a knock. Fran Alduey then made it 8-6 with a triple off the wall in center before Tommy Hawke cruised him in with an RBI-single through the right side to bring Lynchburg back within a run. Still nobody out, Hawke swiped second and shifted to third on a base hit from Francisca.

Finally recording the first out with runners on the corners, Talavera struck out Knapczyk for a massive out and Liam Carrol turned to Royman Blanco out of the bullpen.

Ryan Cesarini put a ball in play to the right side that was scooped up by Red Sox first baseman Albert Feliz and hurled to the plate, where Tommy Hawke had beat out the throw and the ball deflected to the backstop, putting runners in motion. With two Hillcats caught up in a traffic jam at second and the game tied at eight, Andrew Mussett threw back to first, trapping Cesarini in a rundown. After he was tagged out at second, Francisca darted for third and was thrown out to end the inning.

If the Sox were going to win now, it was going to be another walk off and they did just that. McElveny grounded out to start the bottom of the ninth before Kelvin Diaz worked a walk to put the winning run on first. Franklin Arias grounded out to third, moving Diaz 180 feet away with two gone. With the pressure on, Nazzan Zanetello hit a shallow fly ball just out of the infield in right that dropped for a walk-off single. Hillcat second baseman Christian Knapczyk had a read on it and lost it in the lights as he was called off by right fielder Ryan Cesarini and it fell in to end the game.

The Red Sox won via the walk-off for the third time in four nights and leads the six game set 3-1. They’ll look to clinch the series on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.