Salem Red Sox inch closer to postseason berth with win over Frederick 

AND THEN IT WAS ONE: David Chester hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 victory over Frederick and a split of a doubleheader at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The win moved Salem one step closer to a Carolina League postseason bid. Carolina beat Lynchburg 12-11 in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader before the nightcap was postponed. Salem clinches a postseason berth win one more win or a loss by the Mudcats.

Salem’s magic number to hold off Myrtle Beach for the Southern Division crown is two.

GAME 1 SKINNY: Tim Berry and Jesse Beal combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 Frederick victory, ending Salem’s five-game winning streak.

GAME 2 SKINNY: Brandon McCarthy and Madison Younger combined to scatter seven hits over nine innings, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, catcher Carson Blair ripped a double down the left field line. Chester followed with a sharp ground ball that glanced off the glove of Keys third baseman Jason Esposito and toward the dugout, scoring Blair for the game-winner.

SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT: McCarthy, who pens a regular column about life in the minors for his hometown paper, The Bakersfield Californian, can broach the topic of dominance next time if he chooses.

In his longest and finest outing of the year, McCarthy fired seven scoreless innings. He allowed just five hits while striking out three.

A 25-year-old right-hander out of Cal State Bakersfield, McCarthy is now 4-1 with a 3.79 ERA when he starts and 1-1 with a 4.75 ERA out of the bullpen.

NO SLOWING THE HOKIE: Salem right-hander Matt Price pitched a perfect seventh inning in the first game to lower his ERA to 2.50. In 18 appearances since the all-star break, the Virginia Tech alum has gone 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA.

MORE MENTIONS FOR MOOKIE: For the second time in three weeks, Salem second baseman Mookie Betts has been named Carolina League player of the week. He went 15 for 30 with three homers and 13 RBIs over the seven-day span.

Betts reached base in all three plate appearances in Thursday’s first game and walked in the nightcap, extending his on-base streak to 26 games.

ON DECK: Salem RHP Luis Diaz (1-0, 3.00) makes his second start at 7:05 tonight against Frederick RHP Brady Wager (3-9, 4.59).

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