Game #87 Preview — Dash at Frederick
Game #87 — Road Game #44
Winston-Salem Dash (8–8, 36–50) at Frederick Keys (8–8, 44–42)
Sunday, July 10–6:00 p.m.
NYMEO Field (Frederick, Md.)
GAME BACKGROUND:
Frederick jumped out to a 6–0 lead, but Winston-Salem surged back to claim a wacky 13–11 win on Saturday at NYMEO Field. With red-hot Jordan Stephens on the mound, the Dash continue this four-game series against the Keys on Sunday at 6 p.m.
STARTING LINEUP:
Jordan Stephens has logged six straight quality starts (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
Hunter Jones — CF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Mason Robbins — RF
Nick Basto — 1B
Telvin Nash — DH
Toby Thomas — 2B
Chris O’Dowd — C
Michael Suiter — LF
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Jordan Stephens — RHP
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DASH DOTS:
- Winston-Salem erased a six-run deficit to win on Saturday. The club had not mustered a bigger come-from-behind-win since May 22, 2009, when a 7–0 Salem lead turned into an 8–7 Dash victory. This was the seventh time since the nickname change to Dash in 2009 that the franchise overcame a six-run deficit to win a game. The last instance also came against the Red Sox (June 1, 2015, at BB&T Ballpark).
- The Dash have not used the long ball much this season. They entered Saturday’s game fifth on the circuit with 47 homers, but they cranked four over the course of three innings. Winston fell one home run shy of the Dash-era record in a single-game (five), which was recently matched on July 1 at Wilmington. Here are some details on each of the Dash’s home runs:
- Brett Austin: 6th of 2016 (T-3rd among CL Cs)
- Marcus Davis: Part of career high-tying three-run day (second three-run game this month)
- Telvin Nash: 4 homers in 16 games with Dash
- Mason Robbins: Part of fourth multi-hit game in a row (9-for-16, 5RBI, 4R during this stretch)
- All four Southern Division teams claimed wins Saturday during this all-interdivisional weekend in the CL. On Friday, the Northern Division’s quartet went a perfect 4–0.
- Winston-Salem has scored 59 runs, or 11.8 per game, in its five victories this month. Three of those five wins have come with a double-digit run output. However, the Dash had not won a game when surrendering 10 or more runs since July 8, 2012, when Winston-Salem outlasted Lynchburg 13–12 in 12 innings.
- Saturday starter Kelvis Valerio also claimed a unique part of Dash history by becoming the first person since the nickname change to earn a win when giving up eight runs. He surrendered those eight runs (six earned) over five innings.
- Several Dash hitters are at or near the top of the Carolina League in various offensive categories. Nick Basto (.321) and Robbins (.310) are first and second, respectively, among active, qualified CL hitters. Joey Meneses, formerly of Carolina and now with Double-A Mississippi, is the only qualified hitter ahead of the Dash duo at .342. Hunter Jones paces the circuit in hits (96) and at-bats (336), while he is second in runs (60) and fourth in total bases (137) and steals (30).
- After Thursday’s crowd of 3,825, the Dash have drawn 1,998,520 fans in BB&T Ballpark’s seven-season history. Thus, with only 1,480 to go until the two-million mark, the Dash will surpass this milestone this coming Wednesday, when the Dash host Potomac at 7 p.m. The downtown facility, which was named the best ballpark in High-A via a fan vote on Ballpark Digest earlier this year, was the quickest to reach one million fans, and it will be the second-quickest to get to two million fans. The Dash currently lead the CL in overall attendance (177,608).
- Stephens has logged six consecutive quality starts entering Sunday’s contest. The former Rice Owl has only given up one run over his last 27.1 innings dating back to the fifth frame of his start at Carolina on June 10. Stephens has punched out 32 over his last four starts (24.2 innings), including a career high-tying nine over six shutout innings in front of a sold out crowd on the Fourth of July.
- Former Dash righty Carson Fulmer (2015) will suit up for the U.S. Team in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game in San Diego.
- Winston-Salem pitching allowed three homers Saturday, which ties a season-high for the staff.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Sunday’s contest will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 5:45 p.m., with the first pitch set for 6:00 p.m.
-Joe
