Game #10 Preview — Dash vs. Salem
Game #10 — Home Game #3
Winston-Salem Dash (3–6) vs. Salem Red Sox (5–4)
Saturday, April 16–6:30 p.m.
BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, NC)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Winston-Salem dropped its second consecutive one-run decision to Salem, 3–2 on Friday night at BB&T Ballpark. The Dash stranded a season-high 13 runners, eight of whom were in scoring position at the end of an inning. The Dash look to get back on the winning track Saturday night.
STARTING LINEUP:
Hunter Jones went 4-for-4 on Friday against Salem, falling a home run short of the cycle (Jody Stewart / W-S Dash).
Hunter Jones — CF
Michael Danner — RF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Nick Basto — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Chris O’Dowd — C
Mason Robbins — LF
Ryan Leonards — 2B
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Blair Walters — LHP
Get Winston-Salem Dash’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
DASH DOTS:
- Outfielder Hunter Jones became the first Dash hitter to record four knocks in a 2016 game. He was a perfect 4-for-4 after going 4-for-25 (.160) in his previous six contests. The Lakewood, Calif., native fell a home run shy of the first cycle for Winston-Salem in the Dash era (2009-present). The last time a member of the franchise hit for the cycle was May 14, 2008, when Warthogs first baseman Brandon Allen accomplished the feat against Lynchburg.
- Since BB&T Ballpark opened in 2010, the Dash boast the Carolina League’s best home record (244–178; .578 winning percentage). However, Winston-Salem is off to an 0–2 start to its home slate for a third consecutive season. Last year’s club dropped its first four home contests, the worst start since this downtown facility opened.
- Five of the Dash’s first nine games have been decided by a single tally, and Winston is just 1–4 in those contests. The Dash have also played a pair of two-run games, while their season-opening 14–6 win at Lynchburg was decided in the last at-bat with the Dash’s eight-run 13th. Only one game has been without drama in the late innings (7–2 loss at Lynchburg on April 10).
- A starting pitcher’s main responsibility is to keep his club in the game, and Winston-Salem’s rotation has done just that in 2016. Dash starters collectively own a 2.85 earned run average, and none have permitted more than two earned runs in an outing thus far this season. The rotation has averaged only about 4.2 innings per start, though that is common early in the season because pitch ceilings are lower than normal.
- Infielder Nick Basto continues to hit as well as anyone in the Carolina League. Basto is one of four hitters on the circuit with an average at or above .400. He is tied with Carolina’s Keith Curcio for the league lead with 14 hits, while Basto places third in RBIs (8) and tied for fourth in total bases. Last season, Basto only mustered eight hits in his 19 games in the month of April, during which he posted a .123 average. He did not have his 14th hit until May 9 (29th game).
- The White Sox announced a pair of transactions affecting the Dash’s roster on Saturday. Nolan Sanburn, who had struck out 11 in 7.2 scoreless innings with the Dash’s bullpen, has earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham. Fellow right-hander Jacob Morris has joined the Dash from extended spring training. A converted outfielder, Morris went 5–3 with a 4.47 ERA in 35 relief appearances with Low-A Kannapolis in 2015.
- Winston-Salem has swiped nine bases, and seven of them belong to Jones, who stole two bases on Friday night.
- The Dash have logged a triple in four straight games after going without one for the first five contests of 2016.
- Shortstop Cleuluis Rondon has reached safely in all eight starts this year, and he has at least one hit in six of those efforts.
- Before tonight, Brett Austin played in three straight games after he and Chris O’Dowd alternated starts behind the plate in the first six games of the campaign.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 6:15 p.m., with the first pitch at 6:30 p.m.
-Joe
