Both starters were outstanding in the second game of a four-game series at Salem Memorial Ballpark tonight in Salem, VA. Edgar Osuna (1-2) and Dave McKae (0-1) traded zeros for the first four innings seemingly matching each other pitch for pitch before the Pelicans finally broke through in the fifth.
With Cody Johnson batting to begin the fifth inning he walked and advanced to second when Matt Kennelly followed with a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later Chad Lundahl drove him in with a two-out double to put the Pelicans up 1-0 for the eventual win. The Pelicans threatened to add to it in the seventh when Freddie Freeman opened the inning with a single but he was caught stealing. Johnson and Kennelly followed with a walk and a single respectively and advanced a base on a throwing error by the third baseman Zak Farkes with only one out but neither came around to score.
The Red Sox threatened on a few occasions getting runners at third with less than two outs on a one-out triple by Farkes in the fifth and a lead-off triple by Chih-Hsien Chaing in the seventh but were unable to score on either occasion.
Osuna ended up going six and one-thirds innings allowing just four hits while striking out four without walking a batter for his first win of the season. The six and a third is the longest start by a Pelican this season. McKae suffered the loss as he allowed just one run on only two hits over six innings. Cory Gearrin (S, 5) pitched the final two innings for Myrtle Beach allowing two hits and striking out two to earn his fifth save of the season.
Tonight was the first shutout by the Pelicans pitching staff of the season and the first game in which Pelicans pitchers did not allow a walk. The two teams are back at it tomorrow night at Salem Memorial Park in Salem, VA with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05. The Pelicans send lefty Jeff Locke to the mound against right hander Eammon Portice.
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