Game #115 & #116 Preview — Dash vs. Carolina
UPDATE — 8:30 p.m.
Dash’s lineup for the seven-inning finale:
Michael Suiter — CF
Gerson Montilla — 2B
Mason Robbins — RF
Nick Basto — LF
Marcus Davis — 1B
Telvin Nash — DH
Toby Thomas — 3B
Brett Austin — C
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Ryan Riga — LHP
Game #115/116 — Home Game #62/63
Winston-Salem Dash (19–25, 47–67) vs. Carolina Mudcats (15–29, 44–70)
Wednesday, August 10–5:00 p.m.
BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Just 13 minutes into Tuesday’s game, heavy rain prompted the suspension of the Dash’s series opener with Carolina at BB&T Ballpark. Play was halted with the game scoreless in the bottom of the first. The Dash have runners at second and third with one down. Southpaw starter Tanner Banks spun a scoreless first after scattering a pair of singles. Once the Dash and Mudcats complete Tuesday’s suspended game, they will square off in a seven-inning contest, representing Wednesday’s regularly-scheduled game.
STARTING LINEUP (suspended game):
Thad Lowry will pitch in relief for the Dash’s suspended game (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
Landon Lassiter — CF
Gerson Montilla — 2B
Mason Robbins — RF
Nick Basto — LF
Zack Collins — C
Telvin Nash — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Toby Thomas — 3B
Ryan Leonards — SS
Tanner Banks — LHP
Thad Lowry — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- Once play resumes from Tuesday’s suspended game, Winston-Salem will turn things over to righty Thad Lowry. Lowry leads the Carolina League in innings pitched at 126.0, 3.2 more than second-place Matt Kent of Salem. Lowry also stands seventh among CL qualifiers with a 3.71 earned run average. Over his last three outings, Lowry has surrendered just four earned runs in 19.2 frames (1.83 ERA). Because Lowry is replacing Banks, this will mark Lowry’s first relief appearance since 2013 while with rookie-level Bristol, with whom he made eight.
- Over the weekend, Frederick earned the first series win for an opponent at BB&T Ballpark since May 24–26, when the Keys swept the Dash in a three-game set. The Dash began the season with a 5–19 (.208) mark at home through May before ripping off 22 wins in their next 34 home games until Frederick’s surge in the Triad Friday to Sunday. The Keys ended the Dash’s undefeated string of nine home series (5–0–4).
- Winston’s offense just mustered five total runs in its four-game series with Frederick over the weekend. This marked the fewest runs in a four-game set for the Dash since collecting only two from April 10–13, 2014, at Wilmington. The Dash were 5-for-32 (.139) with men in scoring position.
- Despite a tough weekend, Winston-Salem still boasts the Carolina League’s top two hitters in the Carolina League by batting average. Thanks to a three-hit effort Sunday, Basto surged to the top spot at .314. He has yet to own a High-A average under .305 this year. Fellow outfielder Mason Robbins is second with a .310 mark. He has delivered a multi-hit game in 38 of his 98 games with the Dash in 2016 (39%). No other qualified Carolina League hitter is north of .300, with Salem’s Danny Mars the closest (.297).
- Two other Winston-Salem hitters boast the two best batting averages on the circuit since the second half began. Marcus Davis (.356) owns a slight lead on fellow Dash infielder Toby Thomas (.355). Davis and Thomas are sixth and seventh, respectively, in High-A since the All-Star break ended on June 23. Shortstop Richard Urena of Dunedin (Toronto) leads all of High-A during this span with a .380 mark.
- Winston-Salem’s bullpen did not permit a run over 10 innings of work during the four-game series with Frederick. All eight active relievers made exactly one appearance during the set. The Dash’s ‘pen boasts an 11-inning scoreless surge since Wednesday’s game at Carolina. This month, Winston-Salem relievers own a 1.31 earned run average (3 ER in 20.2 IP).
- This marks the Dash’s second suspended game of the year, with the first coming June 4 at home against Wilmington.
- For the first time this season, Winston-Salem has scored three runs or less in six consecutive games. The previous season-long mark was five games from May 1–6, with a weather-related postponement on May 4.
- After this series with Carolina, the Dash will play 17 of their final 23 games on the road. Of its 26 overall games until the end of the season, a total of 10 come against the Mudcats.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Coverage for the suspended game on Wednesday will begin at 4:45 p.m on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv, or the TuneIn App. First pitch is schedule for 5:00 p.m. Wednesday’s regularly schedule contest will begin thirty minutes after the suspended game ends.
-Joe
