Game #37 Preview — Dash vs. Potomac
Game #37 — Home Game #20
Winston-Salem Dash (14–22) vs. Potomac Nationals (17–16)
Sunday, May 15–2:00 p.m.
BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Dash right-hander Spencer Adams limited the Potomac Nationals to two runs on three hits in a career-high eight innings in Winston-Salem’s 4–2 victory in front of 5,153 fans at BB&T Ballpark. The Dash go for their first series win at BB&T Ballpark this season on Sunday.
STARTING LINEUP:
Spencer Adams dazzled in the Dash’s 4–2 victory on Saturday night, throwing a career-high eight innings to pick up the win (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
Hunter Jones — CF
Adam Engel — LF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Keon Barnum — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Mason Robbins — RF
Toby Thomas — 2B
Sean O’Connell — C
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Brandon Brennan — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- The third-best prospect in the White Sox system according to multiple outlets, Adams had never worked more than seven innings in his Minor League career (four starts of exactly 7.0 frames). The 20-year-old has logged at least five innings in his last seven efforts, and he paces the Carolina League with 45.0 innings of work overall this season. Adams has permitted two earned runs or fewer in six of his eight starts (six earned runs in his other two starts).
- Adams continued an impressive streak by the Dash’s starting staff. Winston-Salem’s rotation has recorded four consecutive starts of seven or more innings, with the first three occurrences being exactly seven innings. Matt Cooper started the streak on Wednesday at Myrtle Beach when he became the third Minor Leaguer to reach 50 strikeouts with nine whiffs of Myrtle Beach. Thad Lowry (2R) suffered a tough-luck loss against the Pelicans on Thursday. Jordan Stephens settled for a no-decision after his career-long outing in Friday’s walk-off win. Before this run, only two Dash starts had lasted seven innings.
- Despite loading the bases in the ninth, righty Jacob Morris pushed his scoreless outing streak to eight, spanning 13.2 innings. The converted outfielder has scattered five hits and struck out 12 during this impressive run.
- After a tough start to the home slate, Winston-Salem is starting to find its stride in the normally friendly confides of BB&T Ballpark. For the first time since a seven-game run from August 20–29, the Dash have strung together back-to-back victories at home. Winston-Salem entered 2016 with a 244–176 (.581) record in the first six seasons of BB&T Ballpark’s existence, but the club started 3–14 at home this year before these consecutive victories. The Dash’s 5–14 home mark is second-worst in the Carolina League, with only Wilmington (4–14) behind them.
- Multiple Dash hitters are shining as of late. With a 3-for-4 effort on Saturday night,Hunter Jones logged his fourth game of three or more hits. He is tops among active Winston-Salem position players. Only Nick Basto (7), now with Double-A Birmingham, has recorded more for the Dash this season. Toby Thomas pushed his hitting streak to a season-long seven games, two shy of the longest by a Dash hitter this year (Basto, April 21–30). During this surge, Thomas boasts a .320 (8-for-25) average. Gerson Montilla is 4-for-7 in this series after falling into a 2-for-21 funk in his previous five contests.
- Right-hander Brandon Brennan, a member of the White Sox 40-man roster, will make his third start with Winston-Salem on Sunday. His first outing on May 4 against Myrtle Beach ended after he took a line drive off his right hand. Six days later in Myrtle, he had to leave in the midst of the third inning after being ejected.
- Saturday’s game was the shortest nine-inning contest for the Dash this year (2:12).
- The Dash have drawn 12,338 fans to the first two games of this series, including the eighth-best crowd in BB&T Ballpark history Friday (7,185). The Dash lead the CL in attendance (75,387; 4,188/game).
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Television coverage of Sunday’s contest will be available on My48 at 2 p.m. A full channel guide is available here. The game will also be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 1:45 p.m., with the first pitch set for 2 p.m.
-Joe
