Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (July 23 vs. Carolina)
July 23, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
With first-round pick Carson Fulmer on the mound, Winston-Salem tangles with division rival Carolina on Thursday at 7 p.m. from BB&T Ballpark.
**Tonight's game can be heard live on 600 AM-WSJS or wsjs.com. Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m.**
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WINSTON-SALEM DASH (15-11, 45-51) vs. CAROLINA MUDCATS (14-13, 48-48)
RHP Carson Fulmer (first High-A start) vs. RHP Andrew Thurman (4-3, 3.47 ERA)
7 p.m. - BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Game #98 (Home Game #50)
DASH SPUTTER IN SERIES OPENER
The Carolina Mudcats claimed the first of a critical three-game series with a 7-1 victory on Wednesday from BB&T Ballpark. Both teams scored in the first before both starters settled in nicely. Dash southpaw Jordan Guerrero struck out a career high-tying 11 over six innings in a tough-luck loss, while Carolina righty Brandon Barker gave up just one in six. With the score 2-1, the Mudcats emphatically pulled away with five runs (four unearned) in the ninth. Therefore, the Dash's lead over Carolina for the Southern Division's final playoff spot dipped to 1.5 games.
FULMER TO MAKE DASH DEBUT
Right-hander Carson Fulmer, the White Sox first-round pick in June's MLB Draft, has been promoted to Winston-Salem from the Arizona League. He will start Thursday's game against the Mudcats. Fulmer made his Minor League debut Saturday in the AZL, going one scoreless inning. During his three-year career at Vanderbilt, the Lakeland, Fla., native was 24-3 with a 1.99 ERA. He led the Commodores to the College World Series Finals twice (2014 and 2015) and helped the program win its first baseball national championship in 2014 over Virginia.
BACK-TO-BACK TRIPS TO OMAHA
Before Fulmer donned a Commodores jersey for the first time, Vanderbilt baseball had never won an NCAA baseball championship, and it had only won two games in Omaha. Both of those victories came in 2011, Vandy's only trip to the College World Series before Fulmer arrived. During the right-hander's three-year collegiate career, the Commodores reached the NCAA Super Regionals in all three seasons and advanced to the best-of-three Championship Series in Omaha in his final two campaigns. In 2014, Fulmer started the deciding third game, one that Vanderbilt won 3-2 over Virginia to clinch the program's first baseball national championship. This year brought about a rematch, with Fulmer blanking Virginia over 7.2 innings in Game 1. However, the Cavaliers rallied with back-to-back wins, bringing the ACC its first baseball national title since Wake Forest in 1955.
ONE OF THE BEST
Vanderbilt has produced some tremendous baseball players, and Fulmer is one of them. He became the fourth pitcher in Southeastern Conference history and the first since Tennessee's Luke Hochevar in 2005 to complete the pitching triple crown (14 wins, 167 strikeouts and a 1.83 earned run average). In the last decade, Detroit ace David Price and Oakland All-Star Sonny Gray have skyrocketed from Vanderbilt's program to Major League prominence. After Fulmer's final college outing, 13-year coach Tim Corbin said that Fulmer belonged with those two men among the best to ever play at Vanderbilt. "He's a special guy," Corbin said. More information on Fulmer is available on page three of the attached packet.
TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW
Fulmer will make his Dash debut one night after the best strikeout performance by a Dash starter in 2015. Not only did Guerrero match a career-high, but his 11 whiffs are tied for the second-most by a Winston-Salem hurler during the Dash era (2009-present). Guerrero's effort trails only J.B. Wendelken's 13 strikeouts in a blowout win over Frederick on July 30, 2014, which fell on the same day as the Dash debut of 2014 first-rounder Carlos Rodon, who pitched one inning.
ROUGH NIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE
While Dash pitching racked up a season-best 14 strikeouts, Winston-Salem's offense mustered three hits, one more than its low-water mark. The Dash, who posted just one hit after the second, are last in the CL in average (.239).
TOP NEAR THE TOP
The Dash's top two hitters--Adam Engel and Jake Peter--have thrived throughout the season. In the Carolina League, Engel shares fifth place in hits (94) and second place in runs scored (61). Peter places fourth in hits (96) and tied for sixth in runs (52). Both men are also dangerous on the base paths. Engel leads the CL in stolen bases with 39, which are good for a share of seventh place in all of Minor League Baseball. Peter is tied for 11th on the circuit with 14. The Dash gained another great base stealer on Wednesday with the promotion of Eddy Alvarez from Kannapolis. Alvarez is fifth in the Minors with 42 stolen bases, all with the Intimidators.
BARNUM'S SURGE
Dash cleanup hitter Keon Barnum drove home the club's lone run on Wednesday with a double in the first. Barnum has collected 14 RBIs in his last 18 games, with at least one in 10 of them. In his previous 36 games, the Tampa, Fla., native had only amassed 13 RBIs.
WORST TO FIRST
Winston-Salem was in last place in the Southern Division for the final 50 days of the season's first half. However, the Dash have enjoyed at least a share of first place for the first 28 days of half two. In their previous five halves (2013 first half to 2015 first half), the Dash were in first for a combined 33 days. This current first-place streak is Winston's longest since being in the top spot for the final 35 days of the second half in 2012. Winston's stranglehold is in danger on Thursday, though. A Dash loss and a Myrtle Beach win would allow the Birds to leapfrog the Dash.
DASH DOTS
Outfielder Nick Basto saw his seven-game hit streak, his longest of 2015, come to an end on Wednesday thanks to an 0-for-4 showing...The Dash surrendered more runs during the ninth on Wednesday than they had since Wilmington recorded six in the fifth on June 10, an 11-5 Blue Rocks win...To make room for Fulmer, catcher Sean O'Connell was placed on the disabled list.
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