Game #26 Preview — Dash vs. Myrtle Beach
Game #26 — Home Game #12
Winston-Salem Dash (10–15) vs. Myrtle Beach (12–11)
Tuesday, May 3–7 p.m.
BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, NC)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Winston-Salem and Myrtle Beach squared off in yet another nailbiting contest, with the Pelicans nipping the Dash 3–2 in 11 innings on Monday at BB&T Ballpark. The Dash look to rebound in the middle game of a three-game set against Myrtle Beach on Tuesday night.
STARTING LINEUP:
Blair Walters was promoted to Double-A Birmingham after Monday’s start against (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images).
Hunter Jones — CF
Toby Thomas — 2B
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Nick Basto — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Mason Robbins — LF
Louie Lechich — RF
Danny Mendick — SS
Sean O’Connell — C
Spencer Adams — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- Since the start of the 2015 season, the Dash and Pelicans have played 36 times (regular season and playoffs), with the latter of the two owning a slight 19–17 lead. Each of the last 11 games have been decided by three runs or less, including six by a single tally. These two clubs will meet eight more times in the first half, including six in South Carolina later this month.
- The Dash have won three straight road series for the first time since June 13–30, 2013, but they are in the basement of the Southern Division due to a rare funk at BB&T Ballpark. Winston-Salem has dropped nine of its first 11 home games, the club’s worst single-season 11-game stretch since the downtown facility opened in 2010. Winston-Salem is 1–7 against divisional foes Myrtle Beach and Salem at home in 2016.
- Wednesday marks the 1000th regular season game for Winston-Salem as the “Dash.” The franchise assumed this nickname prior to the 2009 season and has posted a 527–470–1 (.529) since changing from Warthogs. During these eight seasons, Winston-Salem has reached the Carolina League postseason four times and the Mills Cup Finals twice. Plus, the team has hosted an exhibition game with the Chicago White Sox (2011) and the California-Carolina League All-Star Game (2012).
- First baseman Nick Basto continued his surge with a game-tying home run during Monday’s seventh inning. With that blast, Basto became the first Minor Leaguer to reach 40 hits this season. Basto enjoys a two-hit advantage on Stockton’s James Harris for the top spot. No other Minor Leaguer has more than 35 knocks. Basto’s .412 average trails only Fort Wayne’s Austin Allen (.456) among qualifiers. Basto is one of three Minor Leaguers with an overall batting average over .400.
- Thanks to his outstanding efforts in 2016, Basto has announced that he is back as a White Sox prospect. Last season, the former fifth-round pick did not collect his 40th High-A hit until his 63rd game with Winston-Salem (August 13 at Potomac). Currently, Basto is atop the CL in average by .052, on-base percentage by .013, hits by eight and total bases by five.
- Winston-Salem ace Spencer Adams will make his sixth start of 2016 on Tuesday night. He is tied for second in the Carolina League with three personal victories. The Dash are 4–1 when he takes the mound and 6–14 when he does not pitch. Adams entered this season as the third-best prospect in the White Sox system, per both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.
- Right-hander Jacob Morris matched a season-high for a Dash reliever by working three frames on Monday…Morris has not given up a run in his first 9.2 innings at the High-A level.
- After sitting one point shy of .300 for his overall average on Thursday, Toby Thomas has gone just 1-for-10 in the last three games, slimming his average to .276.
- The White Sox announced Tuesday that southpaw Blair Walters has earned his first career promotion to Double-A. Righty Brandon Brennan has been assigned to the Dash.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Tuesday’s game will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App. The Pregame Dash will begin at 6:45 p.m., with the first pitch at 7 p.m.
-Joe
