CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Stephens Continues Strikeout Barrage in 4-1 Win

August 30, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


SALEM, Va. - Six days after fanning 10 batters, Jordan Stephens set another new career-high with 11 strikeouts, which set the tone in a 4-1 Dash win at Salem on Tuesday night at LewisGale Field.

The Carolina League's strikeout leader, Stephens (7-10) needed just five innings and 83 pitches to blitz the Red Sox (40-24, 83-50), who had won 13 of their last 14 home games prior to this series opener. He scattered three hits and stranded four men, three of whom were in scoring position.

Over his last two starts, Stephens has logged 21 strikeouts in just 10 innings of work. The former fifth-round pick whiffed the first seven he retired on Tuesday after punching out seven of the final nine he faced in his 10-strikeout gem last Wednesday at Frederick.

Stephens pushed his Carolina League-leading strikeout total to 147, 18 more than second-place Trevor Clifton of Myrtle Beach. He also kicked off an impressive effort from the entire Winston-Salem (27-36, 55-78) pitching staff, which amassed a season-high 17 strikeouts. This mark fell just two shy of the most in a nine-inning game during the Dash era (2009-present).

Three relievers combined for the final six strikeouts of the evening. Aaron Bummer struck out one and permitted the Red Sox lone run, a Nick Longhi sacrifice fly in the sixth. Jacob Morris followed with four strikeouts over two shutout innings before Alex Katz struck out one in a spotless ninth for his first High-A save.

Offensively, Winston-Salem posted a pair of two-run innings. Zack Collins and Toby Thomas jump-started the second with consecutive hits. They scored on a Dante Flores sacrifice fly and a Landon Lassiter single, respectively.

Thomas provided some insurance in the top of the eighth with a mammoth two-run blast to left, his seventh long ball of the season. He was one of three Dash hitters with two hits. Mason Robbins pushed his league-leading total to 152, while Cleuluis Rondon went 2-for-4 after registering four knocks on Sunday.

The Dash and Red Sox continue this series on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. from the Roanoke Valley. Winston sends southpaw Tanner Banks (6-3, 4.42 ERA) to the mound against Salem's right-handed flamethrower Michael Kopech (4-1, 1.23 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 6:50 p.m., and fans can catch all the action on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App.

Check out the Winston-Salem Dash Statistics



Carolina League Stories from August 30, 2016


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