Red Sox defeat Mudcats with one run

Pitcher Roniel Raudes had four strikeouts in six innings

SALEM, Va. – A third-inning run proved all the Salem Red Sox would need Tuesday morning as they nipped the Carolina Mudcats 1-0 at Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The Sox (16-10, 55-38) took the series victory in the rubber match, and moved to 6-2 against Carolina on the season in the final tilt between the teams. Carolina (12-14, 48-46) went 0-8 with runners in scoring position in the ballgame, and were never able to solve Roniel Raudes (W, 4-6) in his six innings on the hill.

Salem broke the seal in the bottom of the third against Mudcats starter Jordan Yamamoto (L, 2-3). Jose Sermo led off, and reached base when second baseman Isan Diaz made a poor throw to first on his grounder up the middle. Sermo reached second on a groundout by Jhon Nunez, and Chris Madera sliced a single to left, with Sermo sliding home safely. The Red Sox hurlers took it from there, as Raudes and Logan Boyd (S, 1) held off the Mudcats the rest of the way, including Raudes stranding two runners in the fourth and fifth and Boyd getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Raudes worked around four hits, two walks and two hit batters in six shutout innings while striking out four. Boyd threw three shutout frames of relief, surrendering two hits and three walks while whiffing three.