CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Dash Triumph over Lynchburg

Published on May 24, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


How Sweep It Is: For the second time in a week, the Dash swept away the Lynchburg Hillcats thanks to a 7-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at BB&T Ballpark. With the game tied at one in the fourth, Winston-Salem scored four times, then added two more in the fifth. Seth Loman, Jon Gilmore, and Luis Sierra each hit solo home runs to support Charlie Leesman, who won his sixth game of the season. With the team's sweep at Lynchburg the previous weekend, the Dash is now 6-0 against the Hillcats this season.

Home Stand Wrap-Up: The Dash went 5-2 on its seven-game home stand, its longest of the season to date. Winston hit .264 over the home stretch and its pitchers posted an impressive 2.07 ERA.

Yin & Yang: The two series that made up the Dash's home stand could not have been more different offensively. In the four-game set against Myrtle Beach, Winston hit just .189 and scored seven runs. But in the three-game series against Lynchburg, the Dash hit .373 and scored 31 runs.

Four of a Kind: It was all about the fourth inning for the Dash against the Hillcats. In all three games against Lynchburg over the weekend, Winston-Salem scored four runs in the fourth inning of each game. In two of the three contests, the four-run frame came in a tied game to give the Dash the lead.

(Out of the) Yard Work: Despite leading the league in home runs, the Dash had not hit more than two homers in any game this season before Saturday night. Winston hit five homers on Saturday, and then three more on Sunday afternoon. The Dash has hit 43 long balls on the season, 11 more than second-place Lynchburg.

Best Record Watch: With Sunday's win, the Dash claimed the best record in minor league baseball with a 31-13 mark (a .705 winning percentage). Only the Tampa Bay Rays (32-13) have a better record among professional affiliated teams.

Staff Streaking: The Dash pitching staff is rounding into form after struggling at times earlier in the month. The starters have pitched into the sixth inning in each of the last nine ballgames and the team posted a collective 2.07 ERA during the home stand. The team ERA stands at 3.61, third in the Carolina League this season.

Best Bats East of Roswell: The Dash's season batting average stands at .308, the second best mark in the majors or minors. Only the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes have a better average (.313). Winston's average is still the best in the Carolina League by 31 points (Lynchburg is the closest with a .277 average). Winston has four players in the top ten in the league in batting average: Brandon Short (2nd, .372), Jon Gilmore (4th, .340), Justin Greene (5th, .338), and Drew Garcia (8th, .323). The team's 285 runs are the most of any team, majors or minors.

Iron Man 2: Only three players in the Carolina League have played every game and two of them are on the Dash. Justin Greene and Brandon Short have been Winston-Salem's iron men, playing in all 44 games this season. Wilmington's Eric Hosmer has also played every game in 2010.

Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Caleb Clay (2-0, 2.81) makes his ninth start of the year and his second against the Dash. Clay had his worst start of the season against Winston-Salem on 5/8, when he allowed eight runs on ten hits in 3.1 innings. The Dash won that game 16-13. Without that start, Clay's ERA would be 3.28. Clay was a first round sandwich pick (44th) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Cullman (AL) HS, where he converted to a pitcher from the outfield. He was the 2006 5-A Alabama Player of the Year and committed to play at Auburn University before signing with the Red Sox for $775,000. Clay underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2007 and missed all but two starts in 2008. In 2009, he went 6-7 with a 4.01 ERA in 25 G (16 GS). He throws a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. His fastball sits in the low 90s with sinking action while the latter two pitches have been described as raw.

Check out the Winston-Salem Dash Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 24, 2010


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