Game #45 Preview — Dash at Salem
Game #45 — Road Game #24
Winston-Salem Dash (16–28) at Salem Red Sox (30–13)
Monday, May 23–7:05 p.m.
LewisGale Field (Salem, VA)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Salem plated two runs in the eighth inning to knock off Winston-Salem 4–2 on Sunday at LewisGale Field. The Dash will try and split the four-game series with Salem before they head home to BB&T Ballpark for a three-game set against the Frederick Keys from Tuesday to Thursday.
STARTING LINEUP:
Dash shortstop Cleuluis Rondon is currently riding a four-game hit streak (Jody Stewart/ W-S Dash)
Adam Engel — CF
Hunter Jones — RF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Keon Barnum — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Toby Thomas — 2B
Mason Robbins — LF
Sean O’Connell — C
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Thad Lowry — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- Sunday starter Matt Cooper settled for a no-decision after his team-leading fifth quality start in nine tries this season. Cooper permitted just one run on two hits over six frames, during which he struck out eight. Thus, the former University of Hawaii star has struck out 63 batters, which is good for a share of the Minor League lead. He is tied with Tyler Glasnow of Indianapolis (Triple-A, Pittsburgh), who has also logged nine starts. Within the Carolina League, Cooper owns a 16-strikeout advantage on the duo of Carolina’s Max Povse and Wilmington’s Josh Staumont.
- Cleuluis Rondon has recorded his first four-game hit streak at the High-A level in almost exactly a year (May 19–22, 2015). On Friday and Saturday, he logged consecutive multi-hit games for the first time since August 12–13, 2014.
- Infielder Gerson Montilla logged his Carolina League-leading sixth sacrifice fly in Sunday’s sixth inning to push his 2016 RBI total to 34. This places him third on the circuit in RBIs, trailing Lynchburg’s Bobby Bradley (40) and Myrtle Beach’s Yasiel Balaguert (35). Since last Friday (May 13), Montilla has amassed 16 RBIs, which are tied for the most in the Minor Leagues during that span. He is even with T.J. Rivera of Triple-A Las Vegas (New York Mets). During his 10 games since May 13, Montilla has registered at least one RBI in eight of them.
- Dash outfielder Hunter Jones is one of four Carolina Leaguers who has played in all of his team’s games. He joins Myrtle Beach sluggers Balaguert and Ian Happ (42) and Potomac’s Jose Marmolejos (39). Jones does pace the circuit in both games played (44) and at-bats (173). He also stands second in hits (50), tied for second in triples (5), third in runs (33) and fourth in stolen bases (21). In 21 games this month, the former Cleveland farmhand is hitting .346 with two homers, seven RBIs and 15 runs.
- A week-long road trip comes to an end Monday in the Roanoke Valley. Winston-Salem lost two of three at Myrtle Beach before invading Salem. The stay to BB&T Ballpark will be a short one. Winston-Salem will welcome the Frederick Keys for a three-game set from Tuesday to Thursday before playing four at Potomac over the holiday weekend to conclude the month of May. Then, the Dash will play 15 of their first 22 games in June in the Triad, where they are 5–16 in 2016.
- For the first time since Opening Night, Marcus Davis did not play on Sunday. Davis is tied for second in the CL in games (42), while his 169 at-bats trail only Jones.
- Including Monday’s tilt, the Dash have played 31 of their first 45 games (69%) against either Salem or Myrtle Beach.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Monday’s game 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
