Game #134 & #135 Preview — Dash at Salem
UPDATE — 6:10 p.m.
Dash’s lineup for the regularly-scheduled game:
Landon Lassiter — LF
Michael Suiter — CF
Mason Robbins — RF
Gerson Montilla — 1B
Zack Collins — DH
Toby Thomas — 3B
Dante Flores — 2B
Daniel Gonzalez — C
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Zach Thompson — RHP
Game #134/#135 — Away Game #64/#65
Winston-Salem Dash (27–36, 55–78) at Salem Red Sox (40–24, 77–56)
Thursday, September 1–5:30 p.m.
LewisGale Field (Salem, Va.)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Salem forced extra innings with four in the home half of the ninth, and steady rain in the Roanoke Valley prompted the suspension of Wednesday’s middle match. The game is tied 7–7, with the top of the 11th about to begin. This game will be resumed at 5:30 p.m. from LewisGale Field, with the regularly-scheduled contest to start at 7:05 p.m. or 30 minutes after Wednesday’s game is over (whichever option comes later).
CURRENT LINEUP (suspended game):
Dash catcher Brett Austin crushed a grand slam against Michael Kopech on Wednesday (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash)
Landon Lassiter — LF
Michael Suiter — CF
Mason Robbins — RF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Zack Collins — DH
Marcus Davis — 1B
Toby Thomas — 2B
Brett Austin — C
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Tanner Banks — LHP
Brandon Quintero — RHP
Yelmison Peralta — RHP
Drew Hasler — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- Winston-Salem stormed out of the gates with six runs in the first inning. Salem starter Michael Kopech, who boasted a 1.23 ERA entering the night, gave up all six runs thanks to five walks and a Brett Austin grand slam. The Dash added a run in the fourth to claim a 7–0 advantage, but Salem slowly chipped away with single tallies in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings. In the ninth, Jose Sermo launched a three-run homer with one out against Brandon Quintero. With two down and the bases empty, Yelmison Peralta surrendered consecutive two-strike doubles to Nick Longhi and Mike Meyers to force extra innings. Both teams went scoreless in the 10th before steady rain prompted a rain delay and, shortly thereafter, a suspension.
- Austin’s grand slam was the Dash’s fourth of the season, and it was the former NC State star’s first as a professional. He is tied for the Carolina League lead in home runs among catchers (nine). With that one swing of the bat, Austin matched his career-high in RBIs, while he ousted Kopech out of the game with his first outing of more than two runs this year.
- Should the Red Sox complete this seven-run comeback victory, Winston-Salem would match a Dash era record (2009-present) for the biggest lead relinquished in a loss. The Dash also wasted a seven-run cushion on June 7, 2015, at Lynchburg (9–7 Hillcats win in regulation).
- When action resumes, catcher Zack Collins will be at the plate. He has already coaxed four free passes, which matches a single-game record since the nickname change. Landon Lassiter accomplished the feat on August 9, with the only other instance coming on July 4, 2015, when Trey Michalczewski walked four times in an extra-inning win over Frederick. If Collins walks again, he would become the first Winston hitter with five in a game since July 9, 2008, when Brandon Allen did it in the Warthogs’ final year.
- Winston-Salem’s outfield duo of Nick Basto and Mason Robbins have earned spots on the Carolina League’s Year-End All-Star team, the league office announced Saturday. The Dash are one of three clubs with multiple players on the team, joining Lynchburg (six) and Salem (two). Bobby Bradley of Lynchburg earned the CL’s Most Valuable Player award, while Myrtle Beach’s Trevor Clifton took home the Pitcher of the Year honor. Hillcats skipper Mark Budzinski is the circuit’s Manager of the Year.
- The key reason Basto and Robbins are Year-End All-Stars is batting average. Robbins leads the Carolina League with a .315 average, while Basto is third at .306. Fellow All-Star Aderlin Rodriguez, a slugger with Frederick, is second by just one point over Basto. If Robbins and Basto finish one-two, it would be the second time in five seasons that a Dash duo would accomplish this feat. Carlos Sanchez and Dan Black finished with .315 marks in 2012, the last year the Dash reached the Mills Cup Finals.
- Collins and six Winston-Salem alumni, including Matt Cooper and Connor Walsh from earlier this year, have earned spots in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, which begins in mid-October.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Wednesday’s contest will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 5:15 p.m., with the first pitch set for 5:30 p.m. In Thursday’s regularly-scheduled game, Winston-Salem sends right-hander Zach Thompson (2–5, 6.00 ERA) to the bump against Salem southpaw Trey Ball (8–5, 3.77 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on 600 AM-WSJS, wsjs.com and the TuneIn Radio App.
-Joe
