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Salem Red Sox arms shine again, put team on brink of Carolina League championship

Mike Augliera and Madison Younginer help Salem lower its staff ERA to 0.95 through four postseason games.

The Roanoke Times | File August

Salem pitcher Mike Augliera, shown in this August file photo, gave up six hits and one walk while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings against Potomac on Sunday in the Carolina League championship series.

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Mills Cup series

Salem leads best-of-5 series 2-0

Game 1: Salem 5, Potomac 3
Game 2: Salem 4, Potomac 0
Game 3: Potomac at Salem, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.
Game 4*: Potomac at Salem, Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
Game 5*: Potomac at Salem, Thursday, 7:05 p.m.

*if necessary

The Roanoke Times

Monday, September 9, 2013

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — The Salem Red Sox have been scorching hot at the perfect time. Because of that, they’re coming home with a great chance to give the Roanoke Valley its first Carolina League title in a dozen years.

Salem won its 10th consecutive game on Sunday night, getting a combined six-hitter from Mike Augliera and Madison Younginer to defeat Potomac 4-0 in Game 2 of the Mills Cup Championship Series at Pfitzner Stadium.

Salem, holding a 2-0 edge in the best-of-five series, hosts Game 3 at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday. The Sox also would host Games 4 and 5 on Wednesday and Thursday if necessary.

Salem last won a Carolina League championship in 2001, when it was a Colorado Rockies affiliate.

Salem pitchers have put up goose eggs in all but three of 38 innings they’ve pitched this postseason.

Augliera dealt the first 6 2⁄3 on Sunday, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out seven. Younginer retired all seven batters he faced to notch a save.

Designated hitter Sean Coyle, who was a late addition to the postseason roster when Matt Gedman went down with an injury, led Salem’s offense with two hits and two RBIs.

Salem second baseman Mookie Betts went 3 for 4 to extending his on-base streak to 34 consecutive games.

Betts entered the night having struck out only twice in his past 78 plate appearances. Combined between low-A Greenville and Salem, he’s walked 83 times this season compared to only 53 strikeouts.

The Sox grabbed the lead for good in the second inning, getting a bases-loaded walk from Matty Johnson and a wild pitch that scored David Chester. Potomac starter Brett Mooneyham battled wildness early, walking four batters in the first two frames.

His elevated pitch count would knock him out after just four innings.

In the fifth, Coyle roped an RBI triple into the gap in right-center to score Johnson. Coyle then added an RBI single two innings later.

The pitchers took it from there, with Augliera matching his career high for strikeouts. Younginer worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the seventh to extinguish Potomac’s biggest scoring threat.

Salem’s staff has a 0.95 ERA through four playoff games and is a big reason the Sox will enter Tuesday’s sweep opportunity having won 15 of their past 16 games and 21 of the past 24. Potomac went without an extra-base hit for the second straight night.

The Nationals also did not steal a base — the 10th game in a row the Blake Swihart-led Sox have prevented a swipe by the opposition.

Salem Potomac

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Coyle dh 4 0 2 2 Dykstra 3b 4 0 2 0

Ramos cf 5 0 0 0 Gilmrtin 2b 4 0 0 0

DeLaCru lf 4 0 0 0 Taylor cf 4 0 1 0

Welch 3b 4 0 0 0 Nieto c 4 0 0 0

Swihart c 2 1 0 0 Keyes dh 4 0 1 0

Betts 2b 4 0 3 0 Sanchez ss 4 0 0 0 Chester 1b 4 1 0 0 B. Miller rf 4 0 0 0

Natoli ss 2 1 1 0 J. Miller 1b 2 0 0 0

Johnson rf 2 1 0 0 Oduber lf 3 0 2 0

Totals 31 4 6 3 Totals 33 0 6 0