Having spent parts of the past nine years in Winston-Salem, NC, it still amazes me how beautiful the city’s new ballpark is. Built for the start of the 2010 season after a couple years of delays and financial controversy, the facility has become an absolute gem, a place that still glistens like new a couple years after it opened.

It was another long overnight journey for the Salem Sox, who arrived to the team hotel a little after 5 AM this morning. Many thanks go out to Ryan Pressly, yesterday’s starting pitcher, for getting us to our destination as quickly as we did. On Thursday night in Wilmington, Pressly dominated the Rocks during six scoreless innings, pounding the strike zone like pizza dough. Repeatedly, over and over, he threw unhittable, explosive strikes. All together, 59 of his 71 pitches were strikes and he allowed just two hits, striking out seven without walking anybody. As has become common for Pressly, his best inning was his last. He ramped up his fastball another notch in the bottom of the sixth, striking out the side with a glare of supreme confidence in his eyes.

The righthander has allowed just five hits in his last 12 innings after permitting 28 hits in his first 17. Talking about the turnaround with Pressly, he credits Salem Pitching Coach Kevin Walker with helping him make a few integral adjustments, including the reimplementation of a cutter and slider into his arsenal. Both pitches have been nasty, adding to his repertoire and helping Pressly look like an ace in his last two starts. Plus, he helped everyone get into bed a little bit quicker, as in a tad after 5 AM instead of a bit after 6.

The baseball begins at 7 PM here in Winston tonight, with the Sox trailing the Dash by just a game and a half for the lead in the Carolina League’s Southern Division. Your daily digest of numeral nuggets are below, and the broadcast begins right at top of the seven o’clock hour on NewsTalk 960 WFIR and www.salemsox.com.

Great to be back in the Dash,

Evan

*****

May 4, 2012 7:00 PM Salem Red Sox (14-11) vs Winston-Salem Dash (16-10) Game #26

BB&T Ballpark                       Winston-Salem, NC                    Road Game #13

Probable Starters: RHP Keith Couch (3-1, 3.08) vs LHP Spencer Arroyo (1-1, 6.65)

History Repeats Itself: For the second straight week, Salem and Wilmington split a four-game series in a remarkably symmetrical fashion. In both series, the Blue Rocks won the first two tilts on Monday and Tuesday, while the Sox won the second pair on Wednesday and Thursday. Bizarrely, Salem won by the same score in its two wins in each series, defeating Wilmington 4-1 in consecutive games at LewisGale Field last week before picking up back-to-back 2-1 wins at Frawley Stadium the past two nights. After splitting eight games in an 11-day span, the Sox and Rocks won’t see each other again until June 11-13 in Delaware.

What’s This League Called?: For the first time in 2012, the Salem Sox venture into the Carolinas. With a two-city trip through Myrtle Beach and Zebulon on tap next week, the Sox begin their southern swing with three against Winston-Salem, who currently sits a game and a half ahead of the Sox in the Carolina League’s Southern Division. The Dash are the last remaining foe that Salem has not yet faced in 2012.

The Stolen Base Quinella: Through 25 games, the Salem Sox are blowing away the field in terms of thievery. And what makes the proficient baserunning most incredible is that the Sox have been nabbed so infrequently. Entering Friday, Salem is tops in the circuit with 47 steals. The other seven teams are averaging less than 12. Meanwhile, the daredevil Sox have been caught just eight times, fewest in the league regardless of number of attempts. Salem has been successful in 36 of its last 37 stolen base tries, with the lone blemish coming in the fourth inning on Wednesday when Adalberto Ibarra was caught sprinting for second. Before that, the Sox had stolen 33 bases in a row without being caught, a streak that ventured back to the second inning on April 16.

Wait, He’s Got Pop Too?: Jackie Bradley, Jr. had done it all through the first 22 games, reaching base at an outrageous clip, stealing bases as adeptly as anyone in the league, and precociously playing an advanced center-field. On Tuesday, he led off with his first Carolina League homer, and on Thursday, he proved the first bomb was no fluke with another missile that broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. Entering Friday night, Bradley is third in the league in average, tied for fourth in RBI, first in runs, first in steals, first in walks, and first in on-base-percentage. If that’s not enough, he also leads the league with four sacrifice flies and currently carries a 19-game on-base streak, the longest active consecutive games reaching base streak in the league.

SuperSaver: Even though an unearned run came across in the last of the ninth on Thursday, Mike Olmsted earned his fifth save of the season, tying Carolina’s Jose Flores and Winston’s Leroy Hunt for the league lead. In nine appearances, Olmstead has only allowed earned runs once, giving him a 1.86 ERA that would be fifth-best in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. Olmsted, Hunt, and Flores are all five-for-five in save opportunities this season for their respective teams.

Mr. Celery (pictured below) is Wilmington’s veggie mascot that storms out of the tunnel every time the Blue Rocks score a run. As the story goes, apparently the costume was left in the storage area underneath Frawley Stadium, and when it was discovered, it was too goofy to discard.

As my mother would tell you, I don’t do a very good job eating my vegetables. Consequently, I find Mr. Celery rather annoying. He only arrives when something bad happens to the Salem Sox.

Wilmington scored 17 runs on Monday and Tuesday, but managed just one in Wednesday’s action. Here’s to Mr. Apium Graveolens sitting still for nine innings tonight.

Hope you can tune in on NewsTalk 960 WFIR or www.salemsox.com at 6:33 for our series finale in Delaware.

Heading to the Dash tomorrow,

Evan

*****

May 3, 2012 6:35 PM Salem Red Sox (13-11) vs Wilmington Blue Rocks (11-14) Game #25

Frawley Stadium                     Wilmington, DE                          Road Game #12

Probable Starters: RHP Ryan Pressly (1-0, 8.87) vs RHP Jason Adam (1-2, 2.36)

Silencing Celery: Salem avenged consecutive losses from Monday and Tuesday with a 2-1 triumph on Wednesday, holding the Blue Rocks to just five hits after they had recorded 23 in the first two games of the series. Entering Thursday, the Sox are seeming symmetry from last week’s four-game series against the Rocks. At LewisGale Field in Virginia, Salem lost the first two games before winning the next two to split the series. Tonight rematches Ryan Pressly and Jason Adam, a duel that occurred on the premier meeting between the two clubs on Monday, April 23. Both pitchers tossed five innings (Pressly worked in relief following Daisuke Matsuzaka), with Adam tossing five scoreless to earn the victory.

A Quality Longhorn: While he has not been with Salem for that long, Brandon Workman dealt his second quality start on Wednesday, holding Wilmington to one run on three hits over six strong innings. Despite only making three starts thus far for the Sox, he’s the lone member of the rotation with multiple quality starts. Overall, he has 14 strikeouts and just one walk in 16.1 innings pitched.

Adios, Amigo: Entering Tuesday, the Red Sox had stolen 30 consecutive bases without being caught. Despite two pickoffs that night, the streak remained alive at 31. A double steal from Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Travis Shaw in Wednesday’s first brought the streak to 33, but Adalberto Ibarra was nabbed at second in the fourth inning last night, halting the impressive streak. It was the first time that Salem has seen a runner caught stealing since the second inning on April 16. With 46 stolen bases in 24 games, the Red Sox are 16 ahead of Lynchburg, who is second in the league in steals. Incredibly, Salem also shares the lead in fewest times caught, as only eight men have been caught stealing in 24 games. After two steals yesterday, Bradley now leads the league with ten. Felix Sanchez is tied for second with nine, while Shannon Wilkerson is tied for fourth with eight.

Extending Them Early: Neither Bogaerts nor Bradley had to wait long to extend their consecutive games on base streak on Wednesday. Both did it in the first inning. Xander Bogaerts crushed a two-run double into the right-center field gap and has now reached base in 20 consecutive games, a stretch in which he’s batting .299 with a .365 OBP and 12 extra-base hits. Meanwhile, Jackie Bradley, Jr. led off last night’s contest with a walk and has reached base in 18 in a row, hitting .400 with a .477 OBP. Ten of his 28 hits during this stretch have gone for extra bases, and he’s also walked 11 times and driven in 15 runs. Christian Vazquez did not start last night, but he owns the fourth-longest active reaching base streak, having reached in each of his last 14 games, in which he’s batting .319

Sox and Dash: While it sounds like a convenience store for footwear, the Sox and Dash will meet for the first time in 2012 on Friday in Winston-Salem. The Dash are the lone team in the Carolina League that Salem has not yet faced this season. Winston had won nine in a row entering Wednesday’s action, but losses on Wednesday night and Thursday morning in Potomac have brought the Dash to a 16-10 record. A Salem win tonight brings the Sox within a game and a half.

Early in the 2010 season, I enjoyed the luxury of watching perhaps the most impressive batting practice grouping that Salem has had in years. This foursome put on a daily power display that was, as I remember calling it, “must-see BP.” Anthony Rizzo, Tim Federowicz, and Ryan Lavarnway all got their first taste of the big leagues in 2011, and the final piece of that crew is set for his major league debut at Fenway Park tonight.

Will Middlebrooks came to Salem with great potential, but compared to the aforementioned trio, he was never considered the top stud on the 2010 roster. Rizzo and Federowicz had both been with Salem for the second half of 2009, while Lavarnway had blasted three times as many homers as Middlebrooks when they were teammates on the ’09 Greenville club. But while all four would consistently one-up each other in terms of the more majestic BP jack, it was Middlebrooks whose power was the most overwhelming. His BP power took some time to translate into in-game pop, but once it did, there was no doubt in my mind that Middlebrooks was a sure-thing to make the big leagues.

For those who haven’t yet seen Middlebrooks play, his jaw-dropping power is probably not his finest tool. He’s an uber-athlete who could have quarterbacked a Big 12 football team, and he also could have been a pretty successful college pitcher. The common physical characteristic that unites a QB and a mound master is of course the arm, and Middlebrooks’ cannon is, without a doubt, the best I’ve seen from a minor league third-basemen. He will rifle baseballs across the diamond and bring the Fenway fans to their feet. And I can’t wait to see it.

Best of luck to Will Middlebrooks tonight and beyond, and I hope the masses of Red Sox Nation get to see him grow and succeed the way I did when he was still a 21-year-old prospect in 2010.

*****

Middlebrooks becomes the fourth member of the 2010 Salem Sox squad to make the big leagues, joining Rizzo, Federowicz, and Lavarnway. Other former Salem Sox who have made the Show include Daniel Nava, Kyle Weiland, Robert Coello, Che-Hsuan Lin, Luis Exposito, Yamaico Navarro, and Ryan Kalish (obviously that list is in no particular order). Sometime soon, when Casey Kelly makes it up to San Diego, the 2009 Salem Red Sox will have 10 former players who have made the big leagues. That large number is very unusual, but speaks to the depth of the Red Sox organization at the time.

Tonight in Wilmington, reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week Brandon Workman makes the start for the Sox, who are looking to snap a two-game skid. First pitch is set for 6:35, and we’ll also have our eyes on Middlebrooks’ debut  from Fenway. He only has one chance to “pull a Nava…” I wonder if he’ll pull the trigger on that first pitch he sees. (If I had to bet, I’d guess he takes…)

Thanks for reading,

Evan

*****

May 2, 2012 6:35 PM Salem Red Sox (12-11) vs Wilmington Blue Rocks (11-13) Game #24

Frawley Stadium                     Wilmington, DE                          Road Game #11

Probable Starters: RHP Brandon Workman (1-0, 3.48) vs RHP Tyler Sample (0-2, 5.49)

Lonely Long Balls: Although Salem only belted nine home runs in the month of April, the Red Sox went a perfect 6-0 in games when somebody homered. Bizarrely, Salem launched three solo shots on Tuesday, but the Sox could not come away with a win. It was the second time that the Red Sox have hit three home runs in the game, with the other being April 12 in Lynchburg, a game Salem won in come-from-behind fashion, 10-8 in 10 innings. Half of the dozen homers that Salem has hit have come in two of the 23 games played thus far. Despite being near the bottom of the league in homers, the Red Sox are second in batting average in first in doubles and triples.

A Man at Work: In his last start, Brandon Workman faced just two over the minimum in six scoreless innings against the Carolina Mudcats, yielding three hits and no walks to earn his first Carolina League victory. The circuit also bestowed upon Workman its Pitcher of the Week honor, the first weekly award received by a Salem Sock in 2012. Workman needed just 61 pitches to complete his six-inning masterpiece on Friday, firing 42 of them for strikes. The University of Texas product was the 57th overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Technically, the Streak is Alive: Even though two Red Sox baserunners were picked off on Tuesday night, Salem went one-for-one in stolen bases in perpetuate its remarkable streak of stealing successfully. The Red Sox have stolen 31 consecutive bases without being caught, dating back to April 16 in Lynchburg. Felix Sanchez successfully stole second against the Hillcats in the bottom of the second inning, but was thrown out a couple pitches later when he attempted to steal third. Last night, Salem’s lone steal was a successful swipe of third by Sanchez. Seven different Red Sox have stolen multiple bases, led by Sanchez, Shannon Wilkerson, and Jackie Bradley, Jr., who have swiped eight apiece. Salem leads the league with 42 steals, while incredibly the Sox have also been caught just seven times, the fewest of anybody in the circuit.

Jacobs Rising: Left fielder Brandon Jacobs managed just three multi-hit performances in his first 18 games. Over his past three contests, however, he has recorded two hits in each ballgame, a stretch in which he’s batted 6-for-14 (.429), bringing his average from .240 to .270. For the season, Jacobs has hit .400 (6-for-15) with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Emphatic Extensions: The two players with the longest consecutive reaching base streaks both used four-baggers to prolong them another day on Tuesday. Xander Bogaerts crushed a sixth inning shot for the first of his two hits and has now reached base in 19 consecutive games, a stretch in which he’s batting .301 with a .370 OBP and 11 extra-base hits. Meanwhile, Jackie Bradley, Jr. led off last night’s contest with a homer and has reached base in 17 in a row, hitting .418 with a .482 OBP. Ten of his 28 hits during this stretch have gone for extra bases, and he’s also walked 11 times and driven in 15 runs. Christian Vazquez is tied for the fourth-longest active reaching base streak, having reached safely in each of his last 14 games, in which he’s batting .319 with a .424 OBP.

Good afternoon from sunny Delaware!

If you’re looking for info on the history of May Day, here ya go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

If you’re looking for music from Sugar Ray, the magical internet allows you to watch “Every Morning” every morning! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cqU1pFRqYE

Meanwhile, the Salem Sox face a Colombian righthander named Sugar Ray Marimon tonight here in Wilmington.

The stat of the day: Salem has stolen 30 consecutive bases without being caught! More info below in your daily serving of nuggets and notes.

Confession: I actually like Sugar Ray’s music. Caveat: This music video from “Someday” is very bizarre. Have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPcX-5Tmqt8

Airtime is 6:33 on NewsTalk 960 WFIR. In the words of Sugar Ray, “just close your eyes and I’ll take you there.”

Talk to you soon,

Evan

*****

May 1, 2012 6:35 PM Salem Red Sox (12-10) vs Wilmington Blue Rocks (10-13) Game #23

Frawley Stadium                     Wilmington, DE                          Road Game #10

Probable Starters: RHP Miguel Celestino (2-1, 3.00) vs RHP Sugar Ray Marimon (1-0, 2.00)

A New Beginning: Salem kicks off a new month of baseball on Tuesday after finishing April with 10 wins in its last 15 games and a 12-10 record overall. The Red Sox recorded the league’s second best batting average in April, but also endured the league’s second worst team ERA. Although the Sox were second to last in home runs, with just nine, the team’s doubles total (55) and triples total (8) were both best in the circuit. For the entire month, the Sox outscored their opponents 116-114, one of four teams with a positive run differential so far in 2012.

Monday Clunker: Drake Britton was unable to build on his finest Carolina League performance, scuffling in a two-inning, six-walk struggle in the series opener at Wilmington. The six walks allowed were a career high, and it was just the second time in his career (also April 13) that he did not strike out a single batter. Although Britton left with just one run in, he departed with the bases loaded and all three inherited runners came around to score against Pete Ruiz. The four earned runs charged to Britton were more than Salem starters had allowed in their last five games combined.

Try to Stop Us: With three more successful steals last night, the Salem Sox now own 41 thefts on the season, far and away the most in the league. In fact, Salem has stolen 30 consecutive bases without being caught, dating back to April 16 in Lynchburg. Felix Sanchez successfully stole second against the Hillcats in the bottom of the second inning, but was thrown out a couple pitches later when he attempted to steal third. Seven different Red Sox have stolen multiple bases, led by Shannon Wilkerson and Jackie Bradley, Jr., who have swiped eight apiece. Four more players have one steal for the Sox, who have been caught a league-low seven times in 48 tries.

A Relevant Anagram: Look at the letters in Miguel Celestino’s last name. Isn’t it appropriate that every letter in Celestino is also in the word ‘consistent?’ The Dominican righthander has exemplified that word so far in 2012, pitching at least five innings in all four of his starts and allowing two runs or less each time. He surrendered 12 hits in his first ten innings, but since the has yielded just seven hits in his last 11 frames, in which he’s struck out ten. Last Thursday, Celestino tossed six innings of five-hit, one-run ball against the Blue Rocks, earning the win in Salem’s 4-1 victory at LewisGale Field.

Three Sox Extend 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 18 consecutive games, a stretch in which he’s batting .290 with a .364 OBP and ten extra-base hits. Meanwhile, Jackie Bradley, Jr. has reached base in 16 in a row, while also hitting .419 with a .497 OBP. Eight of his 26 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 fourth-longest active reaching base streak, having reached safely in each of his last 13 games, in which he’s batting .326 with a .436 OBP.

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.