Game #123 Preview — Dash at Myrtle Beach
Game #123 — Away Game #59
Winston-Salem Dash (24–28, 52–70) at Myrtle Beach Pelicans (33–19, 69–53)
Wednesday, August 17–7:05 p.m.
TicketReturn.Com Field (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Winston-Salem led 3–1 through seven innings on Tuesday, but Myrtle Beach scored exactly one run in each of the final three frames to earn a 4–3, 10-inning victory at TicketReturn.Com Field. After losing the first two games of this pivotal series, the Dash will try and rebound on Wednesday against the Pelicans.
STARTING LINEUP:
Robinson Leyer yielded one run in 5.2 strong frames on Tuesday night (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
Landon Lassiter — CF
Gerson Montilla — 2B
Mason Robbins — RF
Nick Basto — LF
Zack Collins — DH
Marcus Davis — 1B
Toby Thomas — 3B
Brett Austin — C
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Jordan Stephens — RHP
Get Winston-Salem Dash’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
DASH DOTS:
- Last season, Winston-Salem went 17–3 in one-run games en route to the Southern Division’s second-half championship. This year, the Dash have been unable to continue their magic in close games. The club is 21–36 (.368) in games decided by one or two runs, including six straight losses in these types of games against the Birds. Winston-Salem is 8–15 in games decided in the last at-bat, while the Dash have suffered eight walk-off losses, six of which have come since the start of the second half.
- The Dash now find themselves nine games behind Myrtle Beach in the Southern Division’s standings. Only 18 games remain for both clubs, which means that the Pelicans’ magic number to clinch a postseason spot is 10. Any combination of Dash losses or Pelicans wins that reaches 10 will eliminate Winston-Salem from postseason contention. In the Dash era (2009-present), Winston has reached the playoffs four times.
- Winston-Salem will attempt to surge back with more road games than home games down the stretch. Including the first five games of this road trip, during which the club is 2–3, the Dash will finish the season with 17 of their last 23 games on the road (so, 12 of 18 remaining on the slate).
- With a first-inning single Tuesday, Winston-Salem outfielder Mason Robbins pushed his hitting streak to eight games, one shy of his high-water mark of the season. During this red-hot run, Robbins is 17-for-35 (.486) with eight RBIs and five runs scored. This surge has propelled the former Mr. Mississippi to the top spot in the Carolina League in both batting average (.324) and hits (142). He is also fifth in total bases (197).
- Robbins is one of four Dash hitters who are in the top 10 within the Carolina League in batting average. After a 3-for-5 effort on Tuesday, his 13th game of three-plus hits with Winston-Salem, Nick Basto bumped his average to .316, which is second-best on the circuit. Frederick’s Aderlin Rodriguez is in third place, but he is 13 points behind Basto at .303. Midseason All-Star Hunter Jones still qualifies, and his .286 mark stands seventh. Marcus Davis’ .284 average is tied with Lynchburg’s Anthony Santander for 10th. As a team, the Dash are third in the CL at .263.
- Dash right-hander Jordan Stephens will make his team-leading 24th start on Wednesday. He paces the Carolina League with 123 strikeouts, while his 3.57 earned run average is second-best amongst qualified pitchers. Stephens has not given up an earned run in the first inning all season, while he has fanned at least six in eight of his last 11 outings (four times — exactly six). However, Winston-Salem is just 7–16 when the former Rice Owl takes to the hill.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Wednesday’s contest will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 6:50 p.m., with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
-Joe
