Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (July 3)
Published on July 3, 2021 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
The Dash take on Greenville for the fifth game in a six-game set tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m..
Winston-Salem Dash (23-29) vs. GREENVILLE DRIVE (27-25)
RHP Johan Dominguez (3-4, 4.93 ERA) vs. RHP Grant Gambrell (2-3, 5.82 ERA)
7:05 p.m. - Fluor Field (Greenville, SC)
Game #53
DASH STRUGGLE WITH DRIVE PITCHING, LOSE 3RD STRAIGHT
After a first inning two-run homer from Lenyn Sosa, the Dash were unable to amass across another hit in a 3-2 loss to Greenville. Winston-Salem jumped on top after a two-out single from Yolbert Sanchez and the homerun from Sosa, staking themselves to a 2-0 edge.
From there, the Dash remained in front until the eighth inning thanks to strong pitching from Taylor Varnell. The southpaw allowed one earned run over six frames, striking out nine. Varnell lowered his ERA to a team-best 1.96, tying his career-high in strikeouts for the second straight game.
The Drive seized the lead in the eighth after Tyler Esplin drove in a pair with a single to right field, scoring Tyler Dearden and Tyreque Reed. The blow proved fatal for Winston-Salem, who were retired in order in the ninth and handed their third straight loss.
GRANT GAMBRELL: A SECOND BOUT
Grant Gambrell joined the Greenville Drive on June 4 after pitching with the Kansas City Royals for his first MiLB season in 2019. Gambrell was acquired as a Player to be Named Later (PTBNL) in a trade for big-league outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Drafted in the third round out of Oregon State, the righty made ten starts in rookie ball with Idaho Falls, logging an ERA of 6.67 with 28 strikeouts in 27 innings. The peripheral numbers were unkind to the former Beaver, allowing a .337 batting average and registering a 1.93 WHIP.
The right-hander started the season with High-A Quad Cities, making five starts and pitching 22.2 innings before being shipped to Greenville. While his ERA has shrunk to 4.37, perhaps most encouraging is his batting average against - taking a dive to .190.
Scouting reports show that Gambrell throws a fastball in the 91-95 mph range, mixing in a slider and changeup as well. Because of his 6'4" frame and smooth delivery, many believe Gambrell will compete for innings at the MLB level one day - provided he can pitch downhill consistently.
THE HITS KEEP COMING
Coming into the third game of the series against Greenville, the Dash have three players carrying double-digit hit streaks. Both Ian Dawkins and Lenyn Sosa have eclipsed the double-digit threshold in their hitting streaks, with Dawkins carrying a 11-game streak and Sosa logging a hit in 16 straight. The pair of hitting streaks are the two longest by a Dash hitter this year.
Yolbert Sanchez has reached the double figure plateau as well, bringing a 12-game hitting streak into game three against the Drive. Sanchez has flashed power during the streak as well, cracking his first career two homer game against Asheville in the prior series.
THE DASH AND DRIVE: THE SEQUEL
Winston-Salem and Greenville square off for their second head-to-head series of the 2021 campaign Tuesday after the Drive rattled off four straight wins at Truist Stadium from June 10-13.
The Dash jumped ahead 2-0 in the six-game set in Winston-Salem, scoring a pair of 6-4 victories over the Drive - including their largest comeback win of the season on June 8 - to edge Greenville and take the first two games of the series. The Drive bounced back in the following four contests, limiting the Dash to just six runs over the final four games to escape with a series victory.
A PREVIEW OF TOMORROW
Winston-Salem sends Kaleb Roper to the mound for the second time in the series on the Fourth of July. The righty tossed four innings of two-run ball against the Drive on June 29, not factoring into the decision in a 5-4 Greenville victory. Roper made his Dash season debut against the Drive on June 11, making Sunday the third time in less than a month that the right-hander faces Greenville.
Chris Murphy gets the nod on Independence Day for Greenville, pitching against the Dash for the second time this year. In his prior start, the southpaw sprinkled three hits throughout five shutout innings, walking one and striking out three.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 3, 2021
- Witherspoon and Hulsizer Homer in 6-5 Loss on Saturday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Despite Dominguez Ejection, Dash Cruise Past Greenville 5-1 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Crawdads Swarmed by Tourists, Lose 12-0 - Hickory Crawdads
- Dominating All-Around Performance Makes It Two in a Row - Asheville Tourists
- Dash Halt Drive's Win Streak With 5-1 Win - Greenville Drive
- Renegades and BlueClaws Each Win 2-0 in DH - Hudson Valley Renegades
- For the Birds: Cyclones Blow 9th Inning Lead in 4-3 Loss - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (July 3) - Winston-Salem Dash
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