Salem spoils Mudcats home opner 7-2

Zebulon, N.C. — Salem’s Allan Castro hit a grand slam in the third and pitchers Dalton Rogers, Gabriel Jackson and Railin Perez combined on 13 strikeouts as the Red Sox defeated the Mudcats 7-2 in Carolina’s Tuesday night home opener at Five County Stadium.

The game was tied 1-1 though the second before Castro connected on his grand slam off Carolina (1-2) reliever Fernando Olguin in the third. The home run was Castrol’s first of the season and accounted for four of his six RBI in Salem’s series opening victory.

The Red Sox (2-2) led 5-1 after the grand slam but added to their lead with two more runs in the fourth when Jakob Brustoski took over for Olguin (0-1) out of the Carolina bullpen. Brustoski walked three and gave up two runs while facing seven in the fourth. Olguin took the loss after allowing the grand slam and walking three in the third.

Alexander Vallecillo started for the Mudcats and pitched through the second with four strikeouts, two hits and one run allowed over two innings pitched. He and relievers Aidan Maldonado and Jeferson Figueroa combined on 10 strikeouts and just Salem run over seven innings pitched. Maldonado accounted for the bulk of that work with four strikeouts over four scoreless while facing just one over the minimum in what was both his Mudcats and professional debut.

Carolina’s two runs were comprised of an unearned run in the first (aided by two Salem errors) and a RBI single from Jheremy Vargas in the sixth. Vargas led the way offensively by going 2-for-3 with a RBI for the Mudcats. Vargas, however, did not start the game as he entered in the fourth in place of first baseman Tayden Hall. Hall started at first, but left early after colliding with Castro during a close play at first in the opening frame.

The series will continue on Wednesday with a morning start beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Five County Stadium. RHP Patricio Aquino will start for the Mudcats in the second game of the six-game series.

HOME RUNS:
Salem: Castro, A (1, 3rd inning off Olguin, 3 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Castro, A, LF (Salem): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Anthony, RF (Salem): 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Vargas, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 RBI
Guilarte, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-5, 1 2B

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Rogers (Salem): 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
Jackson (W, 1-0) (Salem): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Perez, R (Salem): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Maldonado, A (Carolina): 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Figueroa (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:
Red Sox 1st (Red Sox 1, Mudcats 0) -- Anthony doubles to CF E Fernandez Bleis flies out to CF E Fernandez, Anthony to 3rd A Castro grounds out to 1B Hall, Anthony scores Coffey strikes out

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 1st (Red Sox 1, Mudcats 1) -- Guilarte strikes out Barrios reaches on an error by SS Coffey Wood walks, Barrios to 2nd Barrios steals 3rdWood steals 2nd Avina strikes out Hall grounds out, SS Coffey to 1B James

(1 Runs, 0 Hits, 2 Errors, 1 LOB)

Red Sox 3rd (Red Sox 5, Mudcats 1) -- (#38) Fernando Olguin replaces (#49) Alexander Vallecillo at P Liendo walks Liendo steals 2nd Anthony walks Bleis singles to CF E Fernandez, Liendo to 3rd, Anthony to 2nd A Castro homers to RF, Liendo scores, Anthony scores, Bleis scores, A Castro scores Coffey flies out to RF Nicasia Ravelo walks Chacon grounds into double play, Ravelo out at 2nd, SS Barrios to 2B Areinamo, Chacon, out at 1st, 2B Areinamo to 1B Hall

(4 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Red Sox 4th (Red Sox 7, Mudcats 1) -- (#10) Jakob Brustoski replaces (#38) Fernando Olguin at P James walks McElveny hit by pitch, James to 2nd (#5) Jheremy Vargas replaces (#30) Tayden Hall at 1B, batting 5th Liendo walks, James to 3rd, McElveny to 2nd Anthony flies out on a sac fly to CF E Fernandez, James scores Bleis walks, McElveny to 3rd, Liendo to 2nd A Castro grounds out, 2B Areinamo to 1B Vargas, McElveny scores, Liendo to 3rd, Bleis to 2nd Coffey flies out to RF Nicasia

(2 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 6th (Red Sox 7, Mudcats 2) -- Barrios pops out in foul territory to C McElveny Wood singles to RF Anthony Avina hit by pitch, Wood to 2nd Vargas singles to LF A Castro, Wood scores, Avina to 2nd Areinamo grounds out to 1B James, Avina to 3rd, Vargas to 2nd Parra flies out to CF Bleis

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Courtesy of the Carolina Mudcats