MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Salem Red Sox came into Thursday's Carolina League baseball game at Myrtle Beach enjoying a three-game winning streak.

The host Pelicans made that an afterthought quickly, scoring seven times in the first three innings -- and getting a grand slam from Cody Johnson on the way to an 8-1 win at BB&T Coastal Field.

The Red Sox (6-2) managed just four hits, and starting pitcher Casey Kelly surrendered allowed six hits and also walked three batters during his five innings of work.

Salem, which had averaged nearly seven runs per game since the league's all-star break, managed just four hits on Thursday.

Jason Place's solo home run in the top of the seventh provided the club's only score.

Zach Borowiak had two of the Red Sox's other three hits.

The Pelicans also got a home run from Benji Johnson.

The loss cut Salem's lead in the Southern Division to one game over Myrtle Beach. The two teams play three more times this weekend, but then will not see each other again until early August.

Bryan Price will start for Salem in tonight's game.

SALEM MYRTLE BEACH

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Lin cf 3 0 0 0 Miles cf 4 1 2 0

Segovia 2b 1 0 0 0 Freeman 1b 3 1 0 0

Place rf 4 1 1 1 Heyward rf 4 1 2 2

Jones 1b 2 0 1 0 Linares 3b 3 2 1 0

Navarro ss 3 0 0 0 C.Johnson lf 3 1 2 5

Federowicz c 2 0 0 0 Sucre c 3 0 1 0

Chiang dh 3 0 0 0 B.Johnson dh 4 1 1 1

Mailman lf 3 0 0 0 Jundahl ss 4 0 0 0

Borowiak 3b 3 0 2 0 Fisher 2b 2 1 0 0

Negron 2b-cf 3 0 0 0

Totals 27 1 4 1 Totals 30 8 9 8

Salem 000 000 100 -- 1

Myrtle Beach 025 000 10x -- 8

E--Navarro (3). DP--Salem 3, Myrtle Beach 2. LOB--Salem 1, Myrtle Beach 3. 2B--Jones (14), Miles (3), Linares (17), C.Johnson (16). HR--Place (4); B.Johnson (5), C.Johnson (21).

IP H R ER BB SO

Salem

Kelly L,1-3 5 6 7 7 3 2

Capellan 3 3 1 1 1 0

Myrtle Beach

Ortegano 2 1 0 0 0 1

Thompson W,2-1 7 3 1 1 2 6

WP--Kelly.

HBP--by Capellan (C.Johnson).

Umpires--Home: Goebel; Bases: Kline.

T--2:07.

Att.--5,552.