Pelicans Grab Two Victories on Saturday over Red Sox

By Sam Weiderhaft

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans took down the Salem Red Sox in both the suspended game (7-5) and the following 7-inning game (5-2) to sweep on Saturday. With the two wins, the Birds move to a 28-22 record and are tied with the Columbia Fireflies atop the Carolina League South division standings. Salem dropped to 22-26. Myrtle Beach has taken three of the first five games and goes into Sunday with a chance to clinch the series. Saturday was also Mental Health Awareness Night at the Ballpark, as the Pelicans wore specialty jerseys in in partnership with Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital in the second game.

Game One: In a game that started on Friday, the Pelicans wrapped up the comeback win on Saturday 7-5 over the Red Sox. The game was suspended after three innings on Friday due to rain.

Pedro Ramirez (1-2, HR, 3 RBI) led the Birds lineup with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to give the Pelicans the lead. Reivaj Garcia (3-4, RBI) racked up three singles with an RBI from the lead-off spot in the lineup.

Saul Gonzalez (2-1) earned the win with two earned runs through his two innings but struck out four. Starter Nick Hull lasted three innings on Friday with two earned runs off one hit and three walks with two strikeouts.

Salem was led by Jhostynxon Garcia (1-2, RBI, BB) with two runs driven in. The Red Sox collected just four hits, but walked seven times and left four on base.

Reliever Luis Talavera (0-1) took the loss by allowing the two-run home run through his two innings. Starter Jose Ramirez tossed a scoreless three innings with one hit allowed and two walks with four strikeouts.

The Red Sox scored first as Garcia knocked in a run with a two-out single to center field. They followed that up with another run in the second inning on an RBI groundout by Albert Feliz to short for a 2-0 lead.

After three innings of play on Friday, rain suspended the action as play was picked up on Saturday.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, Ramirez was hit by a pitch to plate the first run for the Birds.

Salem got the run back with a runner coming home on a double play off the bat of Karson Simas to make it a 3-1 lead.

Myrtle Beach tied it as Andy Garriola grounded into a double play to score a run and Juan Mora also scored on a balk while standing at third.

In the next inning, Ismael Mena doubled on a line drive to center to plate Rafael Morel from second and gave the Pelicans the lead. Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly to right as Ramirez scored from third to give the Pelicans a 5-3 lead.

The Red Sox rallied with a two-run eighth as Saul Gonzalez took the mound. With the bases loaded, Garcia hit a sacrifice fly and Ahbram Liendo followed with a double to plate two runs and tie the game at five.

It was a quick response from Myrtle Beach as Rafael Morel worked a one-out walk on four pitches to bring up Ramirez. On the first pitch, Ramirez flew a two-run home run to right field for his first of the season as the Pelicans took the 7-5 lead.

Salem was retired in order in the top of the ninth.

Game Two: Ramirez (2-3, 3B, RBI) once again had a solid performance at the plate with an RBI triple and a single. Parker Chavers (2-3, RBI, BB) also posted a multi-hit game and brought home a run in the win.

Saturday’s win went to Scarlyn Lebron (1-0) with two earned runs in two innings. Angel Gonzalez picked up his third save of the year with two shutout frames.

Both Salem runs came from Enderso Lira (2-3, 2 RBI) on a single in the fourth. All six hits for the Red Sox were singles.

Starter Luis Perales (0-4) took the loss by allowing three earned runs across his 2 1/3 innings off four hits and three walks. Each Red Sox pitcher gave up at least one run.

For the first time this series, the Pelicans scored first with a run in the bottom of the second. With two outs and a runner on first, Ramirez lined a triple to the gap in right-center to score the run and gave the Pelicans an early lead.

Two more runs came in an inning later as Moises Ballesteros hit an RBI double and Felix Stevens later brought home a run with a single to extend the Pelicans lead to 3-0.

Salem loaded the bases in the top of the fourth and Lira lined a single to left that plated both runs to make it a one-run game.

Mora responded with an RBI single in the Pelicans’ half of the inning. Chavers also singled in the bottom of the sixth to lengthen the Birds’ lead to 5-2.

The final game of the series is set for Sunday at 6:05 p.m.