Game #38 Preview — Dash vs. Potomac
Game #38 — Home Game #21
Winston-Salem Dash (14–23) vs. Potomac Nationals (18–16)
Monday, May 16–11 a.m.
BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Potomac downed the Dash 13–6 in a Sunday slugfest at BB&T Ballpark. Despite the loss, Winston-Salem could still clinch its first home series win of 2016 in Monday’s matinee.
STARTING LINEUP:
Hunter Jones — CF
Adam Engel — LF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Keon Barnum — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Mason Robbins — RF
Brett Austin — C
Toby Thomas — 2B
Ryan Leonards — SS
Matt Cooper — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- In the losing effort, Gerson Montilla continued his stellar homestand with two hits and four RBIs, including a three-run blast to right-center in the third inning (74th MiLB home run). Montilla, who leads Winston-Salem with 25 RBIs, is 6-for-12 with seven RBIs in the first three games of this series (2-for-21 in previous five contests).
- A key to the Nationals’ big afternoon was their ability to coax 12 walks, which matches the highest single-game total in the Dash era (2009-present). The other two occurrences took place against now-defunct Kinston (April 10, 2009, and May 26, 2011). Winston-Salem also matched a season-high with four walks in one inning (the P-Nats’ three-run seventh). The Dash’s erratic pitching prompted a bizarre aspect of Sunday’s game — all three relievers entered the contest with the bases loaded. Six of those nine inherited runners ultimately came around to score.
- Brandon Brennan’s three-inning effort on Sunday brought an impressive four-game streak to an end for Dash starters. Winston-Salem’s rotation had strung together four straight starts of seven or more innings. This included Spencer Adams’ eight-inning gem, the longest by a Dash hurler in 2016, in Saturday’s 4–2 win over Potomac. Before this four-game run, the Dash had only received two starts of seven innings this year.
- Monday starter Matt Cooper is one of Minor League Baseball’s most prolific strikeout pitchers. After punching out nine on Wednesday at Myrtle Beach, Cooper became the third Minor Leaguer to reach 50 strikeouts, and he was just one shy of the top spot in the Minors in that category. He remains in third place, though he is now five behind Atlanta prospect Lucas Sims (55) for the top spot in the Minor Leagues. Milwaukee farmhand Jon Perrin is second with 51. Cooper’s 50 strikeouts have come in seven outings, and he has never whiffed fewer than five in a start. More information on Cooper is available on page 3 of the attached document.
- The busiest player in the Carolina League has also been one of the most productive as of late. Hunter Jones is the only Carolina Leaguer who has played 37 games, and he has logged back-to-back three-hit performances. Jones is tops among active Winston-Salem position players in three-plus hit showings (5). Only Nick Basto (7), now with Double-A Birmingham, has recorded more for the Dash this year.
- With an eighth-inning double Sunday, Toby Thomas extended his hitting streak to eight games, one shy of the longest by a Winston-Salem hitter in 2016 (Basto, April 21–30). During this span, the Alabama native boasts a .310 average (9-for-29) with four RBIs. Thomas’ run is tied for the longest active in the CL.
- One day after playing its quickest nine-inning game of the campaign (2:12), Winston-Salem recorded its longest nine-inning contest (3:14).
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Monday’s game will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 10:45 a.m., with the first pitch set for 11 a.m.
- Brian
