Sox Fall To Shorebirds In 3-1 Loss

SALEM, Va. – Despite Eduardo Rivera’s four innings without an earned run and Michael Sansone’s three scoreless frames, the Salem Red Sox (56-49) saw their five-game winning streak come to a close in a 3-1 loss to the Delmarva Shorebirds (39-65) on Friday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The loss dropped the Red Sox to 21-16 in the second half of play, while the win for the Shorebirds improved Delmarva to 16-23.

The scoring got started early on. The Shorebirds struck first on a Cole Urman RBI single in the top of the second to give Delmarva the early 1-0 lead. And two innings later, the Shorebirds would add two more.

An error on the first baseman Albert Feliz on a pickoff attempt allowed Jake Cunningham to score from third, and just two pitches later, a Maikol Hernandez sacrifice fly plated another, putting Delmarva up 3-0.

It wasn’t until the sixth that the Sox struck back. Salem got a run back on a Nelly Taylor Jr. sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, but that’s all the Red Sox would get from there.

Salem would only muster a total of four hits over the course of the day, with the Sox squandering an opportunity with the bases loaded in the home half of the eighth.

Right-hander Cole Tolbert (0-1) took the loss for Salem in the two-run defeat, having pitched two innings of one-run ball in his professional debut.

The Red Sox and Shorebirds return to Salem Memorial Ballpark to continue their six-game set on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader starting at 4:35 p.m. ET. Right-hander Trennor O’Donnell gets the ball in game one, while Luis Cohen toes the rubber in game two.