Red Sox Minor League Report: Starlyn Nunez Propels Salem to Victory With Walk-Off Single

[Ben Lofy]

Let's see how the Red Sox affiliates fared on Sunday afternoon. 

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): 1-5

Season Record: 37-40

The WooSox avoided the series sweep and snapped a five-game skid, winning 3-1. 

Patrick Sandoval, who is finally nearing a big-league return after missing two years due to elbow surgery, turned in a quality start on Sunday afternoon. The veteran shoved four frames, giving up one run on three hits and recording three strikeouts. Jovani Morán, who is also nearing a return from a short stint on the injured list, took the fifth and sixth innings. Morán was perfect, striking out three and earning the win for a dominant performance. Alec Gamboa got the ball next, allowing one hit and striking out three over two innings. Joe La Sorsa took the ninth inning and converted a save opportunity. He allowed one hit and walked one but sealed the much needed win for Worcester. 

Worcester’s offense leaned on Jason Delay as he propelled the WooSox to victory with two-late RBIs. It was Vinny Capra that kicked off the scoring, launching a solo home run in the first inning to give Worcester an early lead. With the ballgame tied and two runners on in the sixth, Jason Delay hit a groundball back to the pitcher. The ball ricocheted off the pitcher's leg, bouncing into shallow right field as Capra and Braiden Ward raced home. The single gave Worcester the push it needed to grab its first win in five days.

Double-A Portland Sea Dogs

Series @ Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 4-2

Season Record: 39-35

Portland’s pitching staff lifted the Sea Dogs to a win as they shut out Hartford 6-0. Blake Wehunt excelled in the starting role, turning in six frames of one-hit ball. Wehunt allowed just one baserunner as he sent eight batters down on strikes in one of his best starts of the season. Jeremey Wu-Yelland redeemed a poor performance earlier in the weekend with a perfect inning of relief. Wu-Yelland struck out the side before Max Carlson took over. Carlson allowed only the second baserunner for Hartford, but sent the Yard Goats packing with ease. Patrick Halligan took the ninth, adding a perfect inning and sealing an excellent afternoon for the Sea Dogs staff. Portland allowed just two baserunners and racked up a combined thirteen strikeouts. 

Franklin Arias carried his recent hot streak into Sunday, contributing an RBI and two hits. The real story of Portland’s offense, however, was Miguel Bleis. Bleis homered again, his fourth in the past three games amidst a torrid offensive streak. Bleis’s homer came in the first inning, putting the Sea Dogs up early. Arias raced home on a wild pitch in the third, before knocking in an RBI of his own two innings later. Arias hit a groundball single to center field, driving home Nelly Taylor. In the ninth, Jack Winnay and Matt Frazier put an exclamation point on the shutout win. With Johanfran Garcia aboard, Winnay hit his first homer of the season to left center. Matt Frazier stepped into the batter’s box next, going back-to-back with Winnay with his first homer of the season. 

High-A Greenville Drive

Series vs. Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros): 2-3

Season Record: 30-41

Greenville fell for the fourth straight game as the pitching staff let up three runs in the top of the ninth, losing 8-5. 

Marcus Philips took the mound to start the afternoon for Greenville, looking to find his groove amid a rough season. Philips struggled through just 1⅓ innings, allowing three runs on two hits and walking three. Griffin Kilander entered in the second, taking the next three innings. He allowed two more runs on three hits before Matt McShane took over. Despite allowing three hits over 2⅔ innings, McShane fended off Asheville’s offense as he struck out four. P.J. Labriola took the ball in the eighth and pitched into the ninth. Disaster struck for the left-handed reliever as he allowed three unearned runs on three hits. Hudson White limited the damage as he came in for Labriola, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss for the fourth straight night. 

Gerardo Rodriguez and Isaiah Jackson led the offense with two RBIs apiece, and Luke Heyman added an RBI of his own. Heyman’s RBI kick-started the offense’s afternoon as he drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning. Later in the inning, Rodriguez hit an infield single to second base, as Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar scored as the throw to first was misplaced. To cap off the five-run inning, Jackson smoked a groundball to center, driving home Heyman and Rodriguez as Greenville took a two-run lead. It was a short-lived lead, however, as the Drive couldn’t muster any more offense, falling 8-5. 

Low-A Salem RidgeYaks

Series vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs): 1-3

Season Record: 28-45

Salem split the series with Myrtle Beach on a walk-off single from Starlyn Nunez, prevailing 7-6.

Jason Gilman got the start for Salem on Sunday, pitching very well over four and ⅔ frames. He allowed one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked four. Jose Bello has quietly had a great season so far in Low-A and he continued to pitch well on Sunday afternoon. Over 2⅔ innings of relief, Bello allowed two runs (one unearned) on three hits. While it was far from his best appearance this season, he was able to stave off Myrtle Beach. Nicolas De La Cruz took the ball in the eighth inning and was able to earn the win on Sunday, but not without some struggle. Over 1⅔ innings, De La Cruz allowed three runs (one unearned), one hit and three walks. It was a rough outing, but De La Cruz didn’t concede the lead as Salem’s offense won the game for the RidgeYaks.

Salem’s bats went back and forth with Myrtle Beach throughout the afternoon and surged late in the game, propelling the Yaks to victory. In the bottom of the first, Skylar King skied a double off the wall in right field, scoring Andrews Opata and putting Salem on the board. Tied 1-1, Anderson Fermin regained the lead for Salem in the fourth, driving Kleyver Salazar home on a sac fly. Down by one in the seventh, Ilan Fernandez shot a double to left field, scoring Fermin and D’Angelo Ortiz as Salem got ahead again. Fernandez then scored on a wild pitch later in the inning. In the eighth, Salazar added to the lead with a double of his own, scoring Opata. After the Pelicans tied the game in the top of the ninth, Salem’s offense got in the box with work to do. Givian Sirvania and Fernadez drew two walks on eight straight pitches before Justin Barry drew the third walk in a row for Salem. Nunez, Salem’s leadoff batter, stepped into the box with the bases loaded and no outs. Nunez played the hero for the second time this season, hitting a line-drive single to right field as Salem walked off the series finale.

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