Just like Salem’s current winning streak, it began on Wednesday.

Over the past five days, the legend of the magic pants has grown significantly. As Aaron McFarling reported in the Roanoke Times, five different Salem starters have all recorded wins while wearing the same pair of pants. Yes, the pants were washed in between the games.

Drake Britton wore his own pants during a 1-2-3 first inning on Wednesday, but when he was readjusting his tucked-in jersey in the dugout, his zipper broke. Frantically, he raced into the Red Sox clubhouse to find a replacement, and since Brandon Workman was charting the game in the stands wearing street clothes, his white baseball pants were available.

The next night, after Britton had earned his first win of the season the previous day, Miguel Celestino took Workman’s pants to the mound and tossed six superb innings. Wearing his own trousers, Workman dealt six scoreless on Friday, a performance that earned him Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors.

On Saturday, Ryan Pressly was ready to go in his own pants, but Workman forced him to change right before he took the field. Pressly obliged and enjoyed his finest start of the year. Keith Couch had no chance but to continue the community pants sharing experiment on Sunday, and they worked like a charm again.

Five days. 29.1 innings. 16 hits. Three earned runs. Five wins. One pair of white pants.

Some truths are simply beyond our collective understanding, aren’t they?

Here’s the bad news: As far as I know, the Red Sox are required to wear their grey pants tonight on the road at Wilmington. Drake joked about wearing his white pants underneath his greys. That sounds uncomfortable, but hey, if it guaranteed a quality start, why not?

First pitch from Frawley Stadium arrives at 6:35… Today’s collection of minutiae can be read below…

Talk to you on the radio,

Evan

*****

April 30, 2012 6:35 PM Salem Red Sox (12-9) vs Wilmington Blue Rocks (9-13) Game #22

Frawley Stadium                     Wilmington, DE                          Road Game #9

Probable Starters: LHP Drake Britton (1-2, 9.87) vs RHP Greg Billo (1-3, 5.00)

A Rotation Creation: Salem’s five-game winning streak comes as a direct byproduct of the Red Sox’ first consistent stretch of starting pitching. Entering play on April 25, Salem’s starters had a combined ERA of 7.39. Today, that number has shrunk to 5.26 courtesy of five straight sensational outings. Since Drake Britton’s five scoreless inning performance on Wednesday, the rotation has dealt 29.1 innings and allowed just three runs on 16 hits, an ERA of 0.92. On Sunday, Keith Couch became the first Salem starter to work into the seventh inning, earning his third win by holding Carolina to just four hits. Britton gets the ball on Monday night, hoping to keep it rolling.

Could It Get Even Better? The answer appears to be yes, as widespread reports have righthander Matt Barnes, Boston’s first pick from last June’s draft, poised to join Salem this week. Selected 19th overall out of UConn, Barnes has blazed through Low-A Greenville with 0.34 ERA in five starts for the Drive. He pitched on Sunday in Lakewood, getting charged for his first and only run of the season in 26.2 innings pitched. He has allowed just 12 hits and possesses 42 strikeouts with just four walks.

Taking What They Want When They Want It: Even before the season starter, Sox skipper Billy McMillon spoke about pushing the envelope with aggressive baserunning. That ethos was exemplified in the three-game sweep over Carolina, with Salem stealing 14 straight bases without being caught in the series. While the other seven Carolina League teams possess an average of 16 steals for the entire season, the Red Sox have now swiped 38 bases, while only being caught seven times, tied for the fewest in the circuit. Across the Advanced-A level, only Bakersfield, with 54, has more steals than Salem.

In The Zone: Keith Couch walked a pair in Sunday’s 8-3 win, upping Salem’s overall walk total to 47 for the year. That is by far the fewest free passes issued in the circuit. In fact, no other Carolina League team has handed out fewer than 61 , with the other seven teams combining to average 77 walks so far this season.

Extended Streaks: With Wilmington’s Brian Fletcher failing to reach base on Sunday, the two longest active reaching base streaks both belong to Salem Sox.  Xander Bogaerts has reached base in 17 consecutive games, a stretch in which he’s batting .281 with a .361 OBP and ten extra-base hits. Meanwhile, Jackie Bradley, Jr. has reached base in 15 in a row, while also hitting a ludicrous .439 with a .507 OBP. Eight of his 25 hits during this stretch have gone for extra bases, and he’s also walked 11 times and driven in 14 runs. Christian Vazquez is tied for the fifth-longest active reaching base streak, having reached safely in each of his last 12 games, in which he’s batting .341 with a .431 OBP.

Mileage Meter: After playing 13 of the last 15 games at LewisGale Field, the Sox are now slated to play 14 of the next 17 on the road. The Sox have gone 9-4 at home and 3-5 on the road so far in 2012.

Greetings Salem Sox fans,

If you have any inclination to ever tune in for Salem Red Sox baseball, today would be a great day to listen. The GREAT Chad Epperson, former Salem Red Sox Manager and currently the Minor League Catching Coordinator for the Red Sox, is planning on joining me on the airwaves for a few innings. He expects to arrive around the top of the second, at which time the combination of insight, wisdom, and hilarity will likely ensue.

Look forward to sharing my radio booth with Eppy, and I hope you’ll tune in for some great stories from a baseball lifer.

Today’s Salem Sox lineup: Jackie Bradley, Jr. CF, Sean Coyle, 2B, Brandon Jacobs LF, Xander Bogaerts SS, Drew Hedman 1B, Shannon Wilkerson, RF, Adalberto Ibarra C, Michael Almanzar 3B, Carson Blair DH, Keith Couch P

Today’s daily nuggets are below… Talk to you at 4:05 on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and www.salemsox.com

*****

April 29, 2012 4:05 PM Carolina Mudcats (10-11) vs Salem Red Sox (12-9) Game #21

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #13

Probable Starters: RHP Michael Goodnight (1-0, 5.30) vs RHP Keith Couch (2-1, 4.05)

Sunday Review: Salem enters Sunday afternoon in search of its fifth consecutive win, a streak bolstered by the pitching staff. Over the past four days, the Red Sox have surrendered just six runs, with the three starters combining for 23 innings pitched and just three runs allowed. The steady performance from the stable have arms has lowered Salem’s team ERA under five for the first time this year. In the first two games against the Mudcats, Sox have held the Cats to just four runs, nine hits and an average of .143. Keith Couch gets the ball in the series finale against Carolina, looking to complete a five-pack of wins for the starting rotation.

One Streak Continues, Another Ends:  Jackie Bradley, Jr. drove in two runs with a second-inning double on Saturday, but the center-fielder’s nine-game streak of scoring a run in every game came to its conclusion. He had gotten halfway to the major league record of most consecutive games with a run scored, shared by New York Yankees third baseman Red Rolfe in 1939 and Cleveland Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton in 2000. On the other hand, Bradley has reached base in each of his last 14 games, a stretch in which he is batting .434 (23-for-53). He has also walked 10 times in the last 14 games, bringing his on-base percentage to .500 during this ridiculous stretch.  In ten home games at LewisGale Field, Bradley has reached base 28 times, batting .461 (18-for-39) with nine walks and one hit-by-pitch.

Strike-Throwing Sox: Salem and Carolina entered the current series with the fewest and most walks allowed in the league, respectively. The first two games have perpetuated this statistic. The Red Sox have issued just two walks and they have received seven over the past two days. Through 20 games, Salem pitchers have issued just 45 free passes, 12 fewer than the second-least in the league. Carolina is the only squad that has issued more than 90, and the Mudcats have given their foes 102 walks in 21 games.

Surviving with Seven: The Red Sox managed just seven hits on Saturday night, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive games with at least nine hits. But despite the cooler offensive evening, Salem still prevailed in its first one-run triumph of the season. With a team batting average of .293 through 20 games, the Red Sox are just a couple percentage points behind Lynchburg, who lead the league with a .295 clip. Salem also leads the Carolina League with 50 doubles, but the Sox have belted the second fewest homers, with nine. Salem is 6-0 in games when it homers.

Don’t Slander Xander: Although Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 0-for-3 on Friday, he drew his seventh walk of the season to extend his consecutive games on-base streak to 15. His RBI single on Saturday extended it to 16 straight. Only Wilmington’s Brian Fletcher, who has reached in 19 in a row, has a longer streak than Bogaerts. During the life of the streak, Bogaerts is batting .290 with 10 extra-base hits. For the entire season, Bogaerts has reached base in 18 of the 19 games he has played, with hits in 14 of them.

If by some bizarre chance you haven’t listened diligently to all 27 innings of baseball throughout Salem’s three-game winning streak, well, I will forgive you. But thankfully, you can still catch the highlights from all three Red Sox victories Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!

Listen to the audio from Wednesday: http://soundcloud.com/salem-sox-2012/highlight-montage-4-25-12

Thursday: http://soundcloud.com/salem-sox-2012/highlight-montage-4-26-12

And last night: http://soundcloud.com/salem-sox-2012/highlight-montage-4-27-12

Each montage is less than two and half minutes and should give you a flavor of Salem’s success on this homestand.

The action continues at 6:05 tonight with game two between the Sox and Mudcats. Hope you can tune in for the unabridged version of the highlight montage: the actual broadcast.

Some impressive numbers to digest in today’s game notes, which are below.

Thanks for reading,

Evan

*****

April 28, 2012 6:05 PM Carolina Mudcats (10-10) vs Salem Red Sox (10-9) Game #20

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #12

Probable Starters: LHP Mike Rayl (2-2, 2.78) vs RHP Ryan Pressly (0-0, 10.90)

Crazy Consistency: Salem enters Saturday night in search of its fourth consecutive win, a streak bolstered by the pitching staff. Over the past three days, the Red Sox have surrendered just four runs, with the three starters combining for 17 innings pitched and just one run allowed. But going back further, Salem’s sticks are locked in a tremendous groove. The Red Sox have recorded at least nine hits in 10 straight games and 13 of the last 14, a stretch in which the Sox have gone 9-5. Although Lynchburg has led the league in overall batting average for most of the season, Salem has gradually crept toward the cusp of surging in front. Through Friday’s action, Salem is hitting .296 for the year, just two points behind Lynchburg. Currently, the Red Sox have three of the top five hitters in the circuit, with Travis Shaw second, Jackie Bradley, Jr. fourth, and Shannon Wilkerson fifth.

Rounding the Bases: Night after night, Jackie Bradley, Jr. continues to make scoring runs seem so simple. With his fifth inning run last night, Bradley now has scored in nine straight games and 12 of the last 13. In case you were wondering, the record for  most consecutive games with a run scored in the major leagues is 18, shared by New York Yankees third baseman Red Rolfe in 1939 and Cleveland Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton in 2000. Bradley has reached base in each of his last 13 games, a stretch in which he is batting .440 (22-for-50). He has also walked 10 times in the last 13 games, bringing his on-base percentage to .500 during this ridiculous stretch.  In ten home games at LewisGale Field, Bradley has reached base 26 times, batting .472 (17-for-36) with nine walks.

Two Extremes: Salem and Carolina are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to walking opposing batters. In four of their five games, the Sox have not issued a single walk. For the season, Red Sox pitchers have dealt just 43 free passes, an average of 2.3 per game. Conversely, the Mudcats have given their foes a league-high 100 walks, an average of five per game.

Bashing Bombs: With Christian Vazquez’ first homer of the 2012 season on Friday, the Salem Sox now possess nine round-trippers on  year. While the Sox have blasted the second-fewest in the league—only Wilmington has less, with six—Salem has conquered its opponent in every game that has included a Red Sox round-tripper. Salem is 6-0 when crushing a home run and 4-9 in games without a homer.

Don’t Slander Xander: Although Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 0-for-3 on Friday, he drew his seventh walk of the season to extend his consecutive games on-base streak to 15. Only Wilmington’s Brian Fletcher, who has reached in 18 in a row, has a longer streak than Bogaerts. During the life of the streak, Bogaerts is batting .293 with 10 extra-base hits. For the entire season, Bogaerts has reached base in 17 of the 18 games he has played, with hits in 13 of them. Some of his best at-bats have occurred in pressure situations, represented by his .364 clip (8-for-22) with runners on base and two outs. Conversely, he owns a .143 average (2-14) when leading off.

With the Carolina Mudcats making their maiden voyage to LewisGale Field, today’s game notes go out to James Taylor, the music icon who was born in Boston, but spent many years of his childhood in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

A quick breakdown of Taylor against the hottest Salem Sock, Jackie Bradley, Jr.

In the 1970′s, Taylor put five singles on the U.S. Billboard Top 10. While that is impressive, Bradley put four singles in the box score in just one night on Thursday, his first ever four-hit night as a pro. Edge: Bradley

Taylor sung the National Anthem at Fenway Park before World Series games in both 2004 and 2007.  Bradley has won two national championships at Rosenblatt Stadium in Fenway, but the College World Series does not have Joe Buck. Edge: Taylor

Taylor’s 1974 album “Walking Man” only reached #13 on the Billboard Album Chart. Bradley leads the Carolina League with 15 walks in 17 games, also topping the circuit in on-base percentage at .476. Edge: Bradley

Taylor appeared on an episode of “The West Wing” and performed Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” Bradley has never been written into any Aaron Sorkin show or movie. Yet. Major Edge: Taylor

Taylor also has been the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” six times. Bradley has six extra-base hits so far this season. As we learned before, Taylor’s hits were singles. With five doubles and a triple, give JBJ the slim edge here.

Verdict: Guilty of liking them both. Everyone’s a winner. How sweet it is…

Thankfully, after tonight we’ll be able to describe this homestand as “Fire and Rain,” as we will enjoy a postgame fireworks extravaganza following the ballgame. We’ve had our fair share of rain this week already, but today should feature clear skies.

Hope you’ll join me on the radio at 7:05…

I always thought that I’d see you again,

Evan

P.S. Enjoy your themed game notes below.

*****

April 27, 2012 7:05 PM Carolina Mudcats (10-9) vs Salem Red Sox (9-9) Game #19

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #11

Probable Starters: LHP Francisco Jimenez (2-0, 2.25) vs RHP Brandon Workman (0-0, 8.31)

Carolina In My Mind: For the first time ever, Salem meets the newest addition to the Carolina League, the Indians-affiliated Carolina Mudcats of Zebulon, NC. After Cleveland’s affiliate resided in Kinston from 1987-2011, the Tribe relocated the Advanced-A ballclub approximately 70 miles northwest.  While the Mudcats represent a new franchise, many players will be familiar to Salem, as 17 individuals currently on Carolina’s roster spent some time in Kinston last year.

Golden Moments: Salem enters the series with Carolina having won back-to-back games by identical 4-1 scores. After dropping a pair of contests on Monday and Tuesday, Salem earned a split of the four-game series by dialing up the pitching performance. Drake Britton and Miguel Celestino, the starters over the past two days, both picked up wins by combining to allow just six hits and one run over 11 innings on the mound. On Thursday night, Celestino became the second Salem starter to complete six innings in a starting role, joining Manny Rivera.

Everyday: Jackie Bradley, Jr. registered his first four-hit game as a pro in last night’s win over Wilmington, connecting on four singles to raise his season average to .371, fourth best in the league. Bradley also scored a run for  the eighth straight game and the 11th time in the last 12. He has reached base in each of his last 12 contests, a stretch in which he is hitting .457 (21-for-46) with nine walks for a .508 OBP. Meanwhile, in nine games at LewisGale Field, Bradley has reached base 24 times, batting .500 (16-for-32) with eight walks.

Walking Man: Salem and Carolina are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to walking opposing batters. In three of their four games against the Blue Rocks, the Sox did not issue a single walk. For the season, Red Sox pitchers have dealt just 43 free passes, an average of 2.4 per game. Conversely, the Mudcats have given their for a league-high 95 walks, an average of five per game.

You’ve Got a Friend: Reliever Mike Olmsted has served as closer for the Salem bullpen, saving all three opportunities presented to him thus far on the season. Each of his team-high six appearances have been one-inning stints, and he has held the opponent scoreless in all but one of those outings, striking out eight in that span. Ruben Flores shares the team lead with six games out of the bullpen. Flores sports the team’s best strikeout to walk ratio, with 13 punchouts and just one free pass.

Secret O’Life: Xander Bogaerts blasted his second homer of the season on Thursday, Salem’s eighth home run of the season as a team. The octet of bombs have come in five different games, and the Sox are 5-0 in 2012 when they belt a round-tripper. Both of Bogaerts’ dingers have come at LewisGale Field, while the other half-dozen have all come on the road, with two owned by Sean Coyle. Michael Alamanzar, Shannon Wilkerson, Brandon Jacobs, and Drew Hedman have also gone deep one time. The 2011 Salem Sox registered 19 homers in the first 18 games, while the 2010 team had 18.

Good afternoon again from the damp confines of LewisGale Field. Here’s some good news: the tarp is being removed from the field as I type, and it appears that our first Thursday night home game will be greeted by gorgeous playing conditions this evening.

Yesterday, I mentioned how Drake Britton was preparing for his 30th Carolina League outing, and how one of these times it was all going to click. It turns out that Wednesday was that day.

Britton enjoyed a wide smile in the clubhouse after his masterful performance, dealing five one-hit shutout innings with seven strikeouts. He was not the only one. Pitching Coordinator Ralph Treuel and Salem Sox Pitching Coach Kevin Walker also shared in Britton’s overdue success. While there’s no doubt that Britton’s confidence has wavered mightily over the past 13 months, Treuel and Walker have remained steadfast in the belief that Britton’s arsenal of a mid-90s heater, hammer curve, and deceptive changeup would be a recipe for domination. On Wednesday, at least for one night, they were.

*****

With the NFL Draft tonight, I was thinking about my first memory of the generally overhyped event. Probably my first recollection of the draft was in the early 90s when my New England Patriots were vacillating between Drew Bledsoe or Rick Mirer with the top pick. Certainly, at the time, they were the consensus top two, similar to Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf a few years later.

I think the draft has lost a ton of luster because of the overreporting. Case in point, we already know for certain that Andrew Luck will be #1 and Robert Griffin III will be #2. Will one of this duo be a Mirer or a Leaf? Can either be the franchise changer the way Bledsoe or Manning altered the histories and perceptions of the Colts and Pats?

I suppose those are interesting questions, but we will not have the answers any time soon. Regardless, ESPN’s ratings tonight will certainly be astronomical. I wonder if Mickey Loomis will be available for post-pick interviews.

*****

Another day, another run scored for Jackie Bradley, Jr. Ho-hum. Details below.

See you on the radio at 7:05,

Evan

*****

April 26, 2012 7:05 PM Wilmington Blue Rocks (9-9) vs Salem Red Sox (8-9) Game #18

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #10

Probable Starters: RHP Leondy Perez (2-0, 1.54) vs RHP Miguel Celestino (1-1, 3.60)

Draft Day: Ironically, neither of tonight’s starting pitchers ever experienced a professional draft, with both signing pro contracts as free agents out of the Dominican Republic. Born less than two months apart in 1989, Miguel Celestino and Leondy Perez square off tonight in the series finale at LewisGale Field, with the Sox hoping to earn a series split of the four-game set. Following tonight’s action, Wilmington returns home to face Winston-Salem, while Salem remains home for a three-game weekend series with Carolina.

Drake’s Take: In his finest performance at the Advanced-A level, Drake Britton held the Blue Rocks to just one hit over five scoreless innings on Wednesday night. Wilmington scrapped four singles in four innings off Salem’s bullpen, but the Sox still matched its season-best performance of fewest hits allowed in a ballgame with five. In addition, the Salem arms also struck out 13 Rocks, tying the most punchouts in a game this year. Salem’s team ERA is no longer the worst in the Carolina League. Potomac allowed 14 runs yesterday and currently sits at the bottom of that category entering tonight’s action.

Eight is Great: The Red Sox reached the double digit hit threshold again on Wednesday, connecting for ten or more hits for the eighth straight contest. During this remarkable stretch, the Sox are swinging at a robust .316 clip (92-for-291), bringing the season average to .298, second best in the league. Despite this offensive onslaught, Salem is just 4-4 during this stretch.

Not as Easy as 1-2-3: In the first three games of this series, the Salem Sox have enjoyed baserunners in all but three innings. The Blue Rocks pitchers have dealt one perfect frame in each game, but the Sox have put men aboard in 23 of 26 innings. Unfortunately, Salem has scored just nine runs in the three games, stranding 31 runners on base. Red Sox pitchers have recorded nine perfect, 1-2-3 innings in the series heading into Thursday night.

X-istential Contributions: Shortstop Xander Bogaerts enjoyed his first day off of the 2012 campaign on Wednesday night. One of the top prospects in the Boston organization, Bogaerts has delivered at least one hit in 10 of his last 11 games. In fact, Bogaerts has recorded an extra-base hit in five of his last six games, ascending him into a tie for the Carolina League doubles lead with seven. The 19-year-old native of Aruba has reached base in 13 straight contests, a stretch in which he possesses a .314 average and a .375 on-base percentage.

John Fogerty Sang About Him: Jackie Bradley, Jr. has made playing center field look downright easy at times this season. Offensively, at the top of the lineup, Bradley has scored at least one run in ten of his last 11 games, a stretch in which he has reached base in every game. In his last 11 contests, Bradley is hitting ..405 with an insane .473 on-base percentage. For the season, Bradley leads the league with 15 walks and is fifth with 14 runs scored.

I did a double take when I saw today’s lineup card:

For the first time this season, no Brandon Jacobs and no Xander Bogaerts. Fear not, Sox fans. Just a day off for the duo that has occupied the third and fifth slots in the lineup for each of the first 16 games.

Travis Shaw, who has batted cleanup for 15 of the first 16 games, elevates to the third spot, while Michael Almanzar, who has hit in the bottom third of the order all season thus far, bats cleanup in front of Christian Vazquez. Salem skipper Billy McMillon clearly is hoping that Almanzar stays hot: He is 4-for-7 in the series against Wilmington and is batting .435 (10-for-23) in seven home games.

It’s Carolina League appearance #30 for Drake Britton tonight. One of these times, it is going to click. I hope. And I hope it is tonight.

First pitch at 7:05, and today’s potpourri of “game” notes are below.

Talk to you on the radio,

Evan

*****

April 25, 2012 7:05 PM Wilmington Blue Rocks (9-8) vs Salem Red Sox (7-9) Game #17

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #9

Probable Starters: RHP Greg Billo (1-2, 4.61) vs LHP Drake Britton (0-2, 13.86)

Uno: Tuesday night featured Salem’s first one-run decision of the season, as the Sox fell 4-3 to Wilmington in game two of the four-game series. Entering last night, the Red Sox were the only team in the league without a one-run game, although  Salem has played seven two-run games, going 5-2 in those contests.  Since winning four in a row in the last homestand, the Sox have dropped four of their last five games. Despite the slump, Salem remains just one and a half games behind first place in the Southern Division.

Shooting the Moon:  For Red Sox opponents, the long ball has been a common weapon over the first 16 games. With Kevin David’s solo shot off Keith Couch last night, the Sox have now given up 19 bombs, seven more than the second-most allowed in the Carolina League. At the Advanced-A level, only the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Padres affiliate in the California League, have given up more. In 2011, Salem did not allow homer #19 until game #41.

Double Digit Double Down: Salem overcame a slow offensive start on Tuesday night to finish with 11 hits, the seventh straight game that the Sox have connected for double-digit knocks. Over the past seven, the Sox are swinging at a robust .319 clip (82-for-257), bringing the season average to .298, second best in the league. Despite this offensive onslaught, Salem is just 3-4 during this stretch, having allowed nine or more hits in six of the past seven games. In addition, the Sox have been major-league squanderers in recent action, stranding at least 11 men on base in four of the last five games.

Salem’s Spade: Opponents are hitting .293 against Sox pitchers, who sport the league’s worst collective ERA of 5.85. That is the worst earned run average in the entire Advanced-A level. Only two Low-A teams currently possess worse numbers, with Lakewood (5.93) and West Virginia (6.19), both South Atlantic League clubs, owning uglier stats than Salem. The Sox have surrendered four or more runs in 14 of their 16 games.

Bogey Baseball: Shortstop Xander Bogaerts, one of the top prospect in the Red Sox organization no matter what rankings you peruse, continues to impress with hits in 10 of his last 11 games. In fact, Bogaerts has recorded an extra-base hit in five of his last six games, ascending him into a tie for the Carolina League doubles lead with seven. The 19-year-old native of Aruba has reached base in 13 straight contests, a stretch in which he possesses a .314 average and a .375 on-base percentage.

Milton’s Nephew: Jackie Bradley, Jr. has made game-playing look downright easy at times this season at the top of the lineup. Bradley leads Salem with 13 runs scored and shares the team lead with 12 RBI. The center-fielder has scored at least one run in nine of his last ten games, a stretch in which he base in every game. In his last ten contests, Bradley is hitting .395 with an insane .460 on-base percentage. For the season, Bradley leads the league with 14 walks, three more than anyone else in the circuit.

The wisdom of Jim Carrey’s greatest character is realized every single day during a long baseball season. On Monday night, the Salem Sox experienced defeat for the eighth time in 15 games, while starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka suffered the personal setback in his first rehab appearance of the year.

But unlike Dan Marino, who always had to wait an entire week to try and avenge a previous loss, the Salem Sox are right back at it tonight at LewisGale Field. It is another very windy day in the Roanoke Valley, with the stiff breeze making it very difficult to track down true albino pigeons that may be on the loose. Hopefully, fly balls will be easier to track, although the current conditions make it one of those days where nothing is routine.

The broadcast begins around 7 o’clock on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and www.salemsox.com. In the meantime, I encourage you to take a gander at today’s game notes, inspired by one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. And the best part is, you don’t even need a password to peruse them. Just scroll down.

New England Clam Chowder,

Evan

P.S. That’s the white.

*****

April 24, 2012 7:05 PM Wilmington Blue Rocks (8-8) vs Salem Red Sox (7-8) Game #16

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #8

Probable Starters: RHP Yordano Ventura (0-1, 3.86) vs RHP Keith Couch (2-1, 3.38)

Alrighty Then: The Salem Sox extended their consecutive games with double digit hits streak to six on Monday night, but the Blue Rocks outhit the Sox 12-10 in a 7-2 setback for Salem. Daisuke Matsuzaka tossed 41 of his 57 pitches for strikes, but surrendered three runs on six hits over four innings, suffering his first ever Carolina League loss.  The Blue Rocks, who had mustered just two homers in their first 15 games, went deep three times on Monday, twice against Matsuzaka and once more against reliever Ryan Pressly.

Laces Out:  Regardless of whether Salem has pitched with minor league baseballs or the MLB-style sphere with slightly different stitching, the projectile has been blasted over the fence an absurd amount thus far in 2012. In 15 games, the Sox have given up 18 bombs, six more than the second-most allowed in the Carolina League. At the Advanced-A level, only the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Padres affiliate in the California League, have given up more. In 2011, Salem did not allow homer #18 until game #38. Coincidentally, that home run was belted by a Blue Rock (Deivy Batista) in Wilmington’s 1-0 win over Salem, a game that saw Chris Balcom-Miller dominate with just one hit allowed in six innings

Snowflake Temps, But Sox Bats Stay Hot: With two outs in the ninth, Brandon Jacobs doubled to drive in two runs, breaking up Wilmington’s shutout bid, and perpetuating Salem’s streak of double-digit hits to six games in a row. Over the past six, the Sox are swinging at a robust .324 clip (71-for-219), far and away the top average in the Carolina League during this span. Despite this offensive onslaught, Salem is just 3-3 during this stretch, having allowed nine or more hits in five of the past six games. While the Red Sox are batting .294 for the season, their opponents are hitting .294 against them, and Salem has been outscored 93-84.  No other team has allowed more than 78 runs.

What Would You Know About Pressure? While Salem struggled to the tune of 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position on Monday, the Sox are still batting .299 with a man at second or third thus far in 2012, the second best rate in the league. Only Lynchburg, who currently sports the top record in the circuit, has fared better with runners in scoring position. Drew Hedman (4-for-7, .571), Shannon Wilkerson, (4-for-8, .500), and Jackie Bradley, Jr. (4-for-9, .444) currently reign as the most clutch Red Sox through 15 games.

Wilmington’s Ace, Not Ventura: While Yordano Ventura gets the starting nod on Tuesday, the Blue Rocks top arm in 2012, Jason Adam, blanked the Red Sox through five innings yesterday to improve his league-best ERA to 0.40. Ventura, who won’t turn 21 until June 3, has not permitted more than two runs in any of his three starts this season, but has tossed just three and two thirds, three, and five innings in his performances, respectively.

Any Unusual Bets Being Made?: Of course not. This is not the Super Bowl. Players are forbidden from gambling in baseball, and there are no spreads or money lines to wager on in the Carolina League.

Good afternoon on a blustery Monday here at LewisGale Field!

Currently, the flags are rippling crisply out toward left field and it feels more like January than April. But despite the chill in the air, everyone is hoping that this evening will seem a little like October, with a proven postseason pitcher on the mound for the Salem Sox in the opener of this week-long homestand.

If Austin Powers did not already claim the title, you might call Daisuke Matsuzaka the international man of mystery. The man showed up to spring training with orange hair, for crying out loud!

With Boston’s season tumbling to unknown depths, Matsuzaka represents a realistic option to bolster the pitching staff in a month, and his rehab journey begins this evening against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, who coincidentally enter with  one of the worst offenses in all of minor league baseball. The Royals-affiliated Blue Rocks are batting .210 as a team through 15 games with just two homers.

But as Larry David might say, with that said, fans should not panic if the Dice-man is caught nibbling tonight. I’ve been told by multiple baseball minds I trust that there’s only one thing you should take from a pitcher’s first official start after Tommy John surgery: Don’t take anything from a pitcher’s first start after Tommy John surgery.

After undergoing the procedure last June, just climbing on top of the mound ten months later and beginning the wind-up is a success. The tentative plan is for Matsuzaka to toss four innings, spanning approximately 75 pitches. But, if he creeps toward 30 throws in a single frame, that could spell doom for the duration of his outing. Hopefully, he can throw strikes and force Wilmington to take some early hacks as he regains the feel of being in the center of the diamond for the first time since May 16, 2011.

And while I know Daisuke has never been known for his swift pitching pace, if ever there was a day to work your way into a reasonable rhythm, this is it. Who knows how the stiff winds will impact the mythical gyroball?

******

Salem’s lineup: Jackie Bradley, Jr. CF, Sean Coyle 2B, Brandon Jacobs LF, Travis Shaw 1B, Xander Bogaerts SS, Christian Vazquez C, Adalberto Ibarra DH, Michael Almanzar 3B, Shannon Wilkerson RF, with #18 Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound.

Drew Hedman, who had been wearing #18 for Salem this season, will selflessly switch to #35 for the day. With Dice-K purchasing tonight’s postgame spread, I don’t believe any other compensation was required for Hedman to swap.

If you missed my interview with Rich Gedman discussing his journey to Fenway’s 100th birthday celebration, check it out: http://soundcloud.com/salem-sox-2012/rich-gedman-4-21-12

Today’s game notes are below, although some of them are very similar or identical to Saturday’s batch. With rainouts the past two days, there has not been much new minutiae that topped the current stock.

Broadcast begins just after 7 PM on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and streaming free at www.salemsox.com.

Talk to you then,

Evan

*****

April 23, 2012 7:05 PM Wilmington Blue Rocks (7-8) vs Salem Red Sox (7-7) Game #15

LewisGale Field                      Salem, VA                   Home Game #7

Probable Starters: RHP Jason Adam (0-1, 0.51) vs RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-0, –)

Rolling the Dice: Salem’s homestand begins with the Sox enjoying the presence of Daisuke Matsuzaka on Monday night at LewisGale Field. The Japanese righthander will be pitching in his first ever Carolina League regular season game, however, due to unique circumstances, Matsuzaka did pitch for Salem in game one of the 2009 Carolina League Playoffs, earning the win over Winston-Salem on September 9, 2009. Matsuzaka struck out seven over six and two-thirds innings, permitting just three hits and one run.

Splendid Splinters: Even with Hitting Coach Rich Gedman absent from Friday’s contest in Woodbridge, the Salem sticks kept their sizzle. Salem collected 12 more hits, the fifth straight game that the Red Sox have compiled at least 11. Over the past five, the Sox are swinging at a robust .332 clip (61-for-184), far and away the top average in the Carolina League during this span. In fact, among 120 full-season minor league baseball teams, the Salem Sox entered Saturday with the third-best team batting average over the past five games, with just the Low-A Asheville Tourists (.335) and the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens (.333) above the Advanced-A Sox during this scorching stretch. Salem has four players (Jackie Bradley, Sean Coyle, Christian Vazquez, and Shannon Wilkerson) batting .400 or better during the past five games, plus another (Shaw) hitting .391.

Who You Calling Little?: Just as you should not judge a book by its cover, it would be unwise for opposing pictures to predetermine Sean Coyle’s ability based upon his size. Listed at 5’8” and 175 pounds, Coyle became the first member of the 2012 Salem Sox with multiple homers by launching his second blast of the season in Friday’s 13-4 rout of the Nationals. Coyle also became the first member of the squad to deliver three extra-base hits in a single game, doubling twice in addition to his three-run blast. His six-RBI performance matched the second best of his career, falling one shy of his seven-RBI onslaught he put on the Hickory Crawdads in the final game of the 2011 regular season.

The X-Factor: With his triple in the third inning on Friday, shortstop Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to nine games, giving him the longest streak in the Carolina League so far this season. Over his past nine games, Bogaerts has hit .351 (13-for-37) with five doubles, one triple, one homer, and four RBI.

Sacrificial Center Fielder: With 90% of the season remaining, Jackie Bradley, Jr. is 25% of the way to 15-year old record. With four sacrifice flies already, Bradley leads the league and is just 12 away from the Carolina League record of 16, set by Durham’s Adam Johnson in 1997. A year ago, the most sac flies for any member of the Salem Sox was five, as Dan Butler, Reynaldo Rodriguez, and Shannon Wilkerson each possessed a quintet. Although Bradley’s seven-game hitting streak was snapped on Friday, the former Gamecock still possesses an eight-game on base streak thanks to his fifth-inning walk. Bradley owns 12 walks thus far on the season, tops in the Carolina League.

Rich Gedman nearly missed Fenway’s 100th birthday.

As the new Hitting Coach of the Salem Red Sox, Gedman felt a dedicated obligation to remain with his Advanced-A team of players who are hoping to one day become Fenway regulars, like he once was. But with the support of the organization, he was convinced to go and experience a historic day that he will remember for the rest of his life.

“It was really pretty special,” said Gedman on Saturday after rejoining the Salem Sox in Woodbridge. “Fenway Park is beautiful. There’s no question about it. There’s probably no place like it. To be there for the 100th year celebration of the ballpark was something special. But for me, it was a little different because I got a chance to see a lot of players; a different perspective of the fans reaction to the players too.”

A native of Framingham, MA, the 13-year major league veteran played 906 of his 1,033 big league ballgames for the Boston Red Sox from 1980-1990. Nearly 32 years after his debut, Gedman cherished the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of the ceremony.

“The Red Sox really did it up right. The Boston Pops were there. The music was great. The atmosphere was wonderful. I can best describe it as this: I had another feeling like that once. And that was the first time I stepped on Fenway Park as a player. And then to come back 30-something years later, I walked from underneath the garage door in center field to home plate, and I don’t feel like my feet ever touched the ground. It was pretty special. It was emotional in a lot of different ways. A lot of fond memories and some really special times. It was a time enjoyed by all.”

Although the Boston Red Sox fell to the Yankees on Friday, the setback did not diminish Gedman’s experience. In fact, his day was enhanced by another result.

“Probably what topped of my day was finding out that the Salem team won.”

Gedman shared some great stories about his day at Fenway Park, mentioning numerous people who changed his life in a variety of ways. He met Pumpsie Green for the first time. He saw one of his Triple-A coaches who he credits with altering his catching stance to help make him a major leaguer. In the aftermath, he very much appreciated being pushed to attend the celebration, a day he will never forget.

Click on the link to listen to my entire interview with Rich Gedman, recorded on Saturday afternoon at Pfitzner Stadium: http://soundcloud.com/salem-sox-2012/rich-gedman-4-21-12

Welcome back to Woodbridge, where the Salem Sox smacked down the Potomac Nationals last night 13-4.

Thus far in the series, the P-Nats have had a few rather arbitrarily titled promotions, with Thursday being “Mustache Night” and Friday being “Superheroes Night.”

What do the Pfitzner Stadium masterminds have lined up for us tonight? Take a look:

Yes, apparently it’s “Epic Fail Night” here in Northern Virginia. Let’s shoot for the stars!

Some good info below regarding Xander Bogaerts’ nine-game hitting streak, Sean Coyle’s breakout ballgame, and Keith Couch’s quest to be the league’s strikeout leader. Broadcast begins at 6:30 on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and www.salemsox.com. Hope you can tune in then…

Talk to you soon,

Evan

*****

April 21, 2012 6:35 PM Salem Red Sox (7-7) vs Potomac Nationals (6-7) Game #15

Pfitzner Stadium                     Woodbridge, VA                          Road Game #9

Probable Starters: RHP Keith Couch (2-1, 3.38) vs LHP Matthew Grace (1-1, 7.00)

Splendid Splinters: Even with Hitting Coach Rich Gedman absent from yesterday’s contest in Woodbridge, the Salem sticks kept their sizzle. Salem collected 12 more hits, the fifth straight game that the Red Sox have compiled at least 11. Over the past five, the Sox are swinging at a robust .332 clip (61-for-184), far and away the top average in the Carolina League during this span. In fact, among 120 full-season minor league baseball teams, the Salem Sox have the third-best team batting average over the past five games, with just the Low-A Asheville Tourists (.335) and the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens (.333) above the Advanced-A Sox during this scorching stretch. Salem has four players (Jackie Bradley, Sean Coyle, Christian Vazquez, and Shannon Wilkerson) batting .400 or better during the past five games, plus another (Travis Shaw) hitting .391.

Who You Calling Little?: Just as you should not judge a book by its cover, it would be unwise for opposing pictures to predetermine Sean Coyle’s ability based upon his size. Listed at 5’8” and 175 pounds, Coyle became the first member of the 2012 Salem Sox with multiple homers by launching his second blast of the season in yesterday’s 13-4 rout of the Nationals. Coyle also became the first member of the squad to deliver three extra-base hits in a single game, doubling twice in addition to his three-run blast. His six-RBI performance matched the second best of his career, falling one shy of his seven-RBI onslaught he put on the Hickory Crawdads in the final game of the 2011 regular season.

The X-Factor: With his triple in the third, shortstop Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to nine games, giving him the longest streak in the Carolina League so far this season. Over his past nine games, Bogaerts has hit .351 (13-for-37) with five doubles, one triple, one homer, and four RBI.

Sacrificial Center Fielder: With 90% of the season remaining, Jackie Bradley, Jr. is 25% of the way to 15-year old record. With four sacrifice flies already, Bradley leads the league and is just 12 away from the Carolina League record of 16, set by Durham’s Adam Johnson in 1997. A year ago, the most sac flies for any member of the Salem Sox was five, as Dan Butler, Reynaldo Rodriguez, and Shannon Wilkerson each possessed a quintet. Although Bradley’s seven-game hitting streak was snapped on Friday, the former Gamecock still possesses an eight-game on base streak thanks to his fifth-inning walk. Bradley owns 12 walks thus far on the season, tops in the Carolina League.

Couch’s Sit-Down Policy: Salem starter Keith Couch currently is fourth in the Carolina League with 19 strikeouts in 16 innings, and he trails league leader Andre Rienzo by just four Ks heading into today’s outing. Couch enters Saturday having thrown seven consecutive shutout innings over his last two appearances.