Ninth-Inning Rally Propels Charleston Past Salem in Sunday Finale

SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (37-57, 11-19) stood three outs away from victory on Sunday afternoon, but a rocky ninth inning spoiled the finale as the Charleston RiverDogs (52-42, 17-11) rallied for a 6-5 win at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The Red Sox concluded their nine-game homestand with the Sunday matinee against the RiverDogs, looking to salvage a second win in the series.

Salem jumped on Charleston starter Andrew Lindsey early, stringing together five straight hits to open the bottom of the first. Justin Gonzales and Starlyn Nunez singled to set the table for Yoeilin Cespedes. The Red Sox’s No. 10 prospect smashed the seventh pitch of his at-bat into the left-center gap, scoring both runners to give Salem a quick 2-0 lead.

Andruw Musett followed with a bang of his own, turning on an 0-1 fastball and launching it over the left-field wall for a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, to make it 4-0 good guys, just four batters into the game.

That strong start began to slip away as the momentum gradually shifted toward Charleston. Making his Single-A debut, 18-year-old Jesus Travieso tossed a clean first inning but ran into trouble in the second. Larry Martinez led off with a single, and nine hole hitter Jose Monzon delivered an RBI single to left to cut the deficit to 4-1.

In the third, the RiverDogs kept the pressure on. Narciso Polanco doubled, and Nathan Flewelling followed with a single. Angel Mateo, the Carolina League’s RBI leader, lofted a sac fly to bring Charleston within two. A single from Ryan McCoy loaded the bases for Martinez, who ripped his 13th hit of the series into right field for a two-run single that tied the game at 4-4.

Travieso exited after 2.1 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, one walk, and recording two strikeouts. Right-hander Jose Bello, acquired in the Rafael Devers trade and called up from the Florida Complex League on Friday, came in and impressed in relief. Bello tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Neither side scored in the middle third of the game as Charleston’s bullpen settled in. Jacob Kmatz retired nine straight Salem batters before D’Angelo Ortiz drew a walk in the seventh to spark the Red Sox offense. Yosander Asencio followed with another walk, and Gonzales grounded a single to the outfield to load the bases for Starlyn Nunez.

Nunez then hit a sharp grounder to first that Larry Martinez mishandled, allowing Ortiz to score and giving Salem a 5-4 lead in the seventh.

Nicolas De La Cruz pitched a clean seventh and eighth innings, handing the ball to closer Eybersson Polanco for the ninth. But Charleston’s offense had one more surge in them.

Narciso Polanco led off the ninth with a double, followed by a Flewelling single. Mateo grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Polanco and tie the game at 5-5.

Then came the pivotal moment, Ryan McCoy, whose contract had just been purchased by the Rays earlier in the week, laced the second pitch he saw into left-center, sailing over the head of Natanael Yuten to score Mateo and give Charleston its first lead of the game, 6-5.

Salem went down in order in the bottom of the ninth against reliever Andy Rodriguez, sealing the RiverDogs’ comeback win and a five-games-to-one series victory for visitors.

Charleston outhit Salem 13-10 and used the ninth-inning rally to hand Eybersson Polanco the loss. The righty allowed three hits and two runs in his lone inning. Rodriguez earned the win, tossing two perfect innings with four strikeouts.

The Sox now turn the page as they hit the road Tuesday to begin a six-game set in Lynchburg against the Hillcats. Salem returns home August 5 for a six-game homestand against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.