Sox hit the road with lead in CL North Div.

The Sox were off Wednesday of this week. They’ll take a 16-10  record on the road as they attempt to remain in first place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division standings. Through Tuesday afternoon the Sox were one game up on second place Lynchburg and a game and a half ahead of third place Wilmington in a tight Northern Division race. Salem needs to beat finish ahead of everyone in the division except Lynchburg to make the Mills Cup playoffs.

On Tuesday, a third-inning run proved all the Red Sox would need as they nipped the Carolina Mudcats, 1-0, at Haley Toyota Field in a rare 11 am start. With the win the Sox (16-10, 55-38) took the series victory in the rubber match, and moved to 6-2 against Carolina on the season in the final tilt between the teams. Carolina (12-14, 48-46) went 0-8 with runners in scoring position in the ballgame, and were never able to solve Roniel Raudes (W, 4-6) in his six innings on the hill.

Salem broke the seal in the bottom of the third against Mudcats starter Jordan Yamamoto (L, 2-3). Jose Sermo led off, and reached base when second baseman Isan Diaz made a poor throw to first on his grounder up the middle. Sermo reached second on a groundout by Jhon Nunez, and Chris Madera sliced a single to left, with Sermo sliding home safely. The Red Sox hurlers took it from there, as Raudes and Logan Boyd (S, 1) held off the Mudcats the rest of the way, including Raudes stranding two runners in the fourth and fifth and Boyd getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Raudes worked around four hits, two walks and two hit batters in six shutout innings while striking out four. Boyd threw three shutout frames of relief, surrendering two hits and three walks while whiffing three.

Salem beat Carolina, 5-4 in 12 innings, on Sunday but lost to the Mudcats, 8-5, on Monday at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The Sox will return home on Thursday, July 27, to open a four game home series with Frederick.