By: RiverDogs Media
The Charleston RiverDogs found a way to take down the Salem Red Sox 7-5 on Wednesday night, despite registering only five hits and three runs batted in. Seven walks, four wild pitches and two passed balls from Salem’s pitching and defense helped account for the rest of the offense. The game was played in front of 3,816 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
The RiverDogs (36-17) stormed to a 3-0 advantage despite collecting just one hit in the first inning. Nick Schnell worked a leadoff walk and Willy Vasquez doubled to place runners at second and third with one out. A passed ball charged to catcher Yorberto Mejicano and a wild pitch from Wikelman Gonzalez allowed both runners to score. Kenny Piper also walked later in the frame, went to second on a passed ball and then scored as a result of two more wild pitches from Gonzalez. Gonzalez, the Salem starter, was removed after allowing three runs in his 1.0 inning on the mound.
A bases loaded walk to first baseman Bobby Seymour increased the lead to 4-0 in the second inning. The margin expanded to 6-0 in the fifth with Nathan Perry’s RBI single and a wild pitch with a runner on third that allowed Piper to score his second run of the game.
Salem (28-25) had been limited to just two hits as the seventh inning began. Blaze Jordan welcomed new reliever Kamron Fields to the game with a single to open the frame. Niko Kavadas followed with his seventh home run of the season to trim the Red Sox deficit to 6-2. Salem loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Jack Snyder induced a pop out and then struck out Kavadas to end the frame with no damage.
A sacrifice fly from Nick Schnell in the last of the eighth allowed the RiverDogs to carry a 7-2 lead into the final frame. An error by Jelfry Marte opened the ninth and was immediately followed by consecutive hits to plate one run. Snyder then unleashed a pair of wild pitches, allowing two more runs to cross the plate. With the lead reduced to 7-5, and the top of the order at the plate, Snyder retired the next three batters to close out the game and earn his fourth save of the campaign.
The Red Sox won the hit column by a 7-5 margin. Kavadas and Mejicano each recorded two hits for Salem. Logan Allen registered a triple for the RiverDogs, their Minor League Baseball-leading 33rd of the season.
Daiveyon Whittle tossed 4.0 scoreless innings as the starter for Charleston. Sandy Gaston was first out of the bullpen, earning the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief work. Fields surrendered two runs on three hits and a pair of walks in 1.2 innings and Snyder allowed three runs, two earned, in the final 1.2 frames.
Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs can assure themselves of no worse than a split of the series with another win over the Red Sox on Thursday night in game three. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. RHP Ben Peoples (2-2, 3.00) will start on the bump for the RiverDogs with RHP Angel Bastardo (1-0, 2.56) working for Salem. On a Thirsty Thursday
presented by Budweiser, $1 beers will be available around the The Joe all night.presented by Budweiser, $1 beers will be available around the The Joe all night.
Single-game tickets are available for all RiverDogs home games at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).
