SAL Winston-Salem Dash

Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (May 28)

May 28, 2021 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


The Dash take on Hickory for the fourth game in a six-game set tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m..

WINSTON-SALEM DASH (10-11) vs. Hickory Crawdads (9-12)

LHP Taylor Varnell (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Grant Wolfram (0-1, 5.91 ERA)

7:00 p.m. - Truist Stadium (Winston-Salem, NC)

Game #22

DASH SILENCED BY HICKORY

A day after their dramatic walk-off win, the Dash were shutout by timely Hickory pitching, limited Winston-Salem to just three hits, tied for their second-lowest total of the season.

Despite the loss, the Dash were given a strong relief outing by southpaw Trey Jeans. Activated to the roster a few hours before first pitch, Jeans tossed three shutout relief innings, setting a new career high for innings pitched in a single game.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: GRANT WOLFRAM RETURNS

One of the taller players in the High-A East League, lefty Grant Wolfram suits up for Hickory as their Friday night starter. The 6'7" lefty was a key member of the Hickory pitching staff that made the league championship series in 2019 and has made adjustments during the extended offseason to up his pitch repertoire.

Like many, Wolfram spent the offseason in the weight room, conditioning and improving his diet. Mechanically, it was what Wolfram did to his fastball that may make the biggest difference in 2021. After analyzing his pitching motion, Wolfram noticed he had a tendency to get to the side of his fastball, not staying behind the pitch to give it the desired spin and movement. In order to achieve this, Wolfram worked on shifting further weight to his back hip, focusing on the back-leg drive to yield better results. The idea is to spin the ball better while maintaining overall pitching accuracy. The approach has paid dividends, as the lefty has walked four batters while punching out 13, an uptick in the right direction for the Crawdads.

A REAL JUMBLE

Despite the Dash sitting a game below .500, they sit just two games back of first place. While Bowling Green has maintained a piece of first all season, their lead is just a half game, as Asheville has reeled off a season-high four game winning streak. Also ahead of the Dash are the Grasshoppers, who Winston-Salem will square off with in Greensboro in their upcoming series.

THE DUKE WILL SEE YOU KNOW

Mired in an offensive slump at the beginning of the year, Duke Ellis responded in a big way after moving down in the Dash batting order. Ellis has hit in eight consecutive games, the best by any Dash hitter this season. The streak is the third-longest active hitting streak in the High-A East and the sixth-longest by any hitter. Ellis raised his average from .133 to .219 during the streak, driving in a pair of runs and stealing a base for good measure. The former Texas Longhorn leads the team in stolen bases with five and is tied for the team lead in outfield assists with two.

DEFENSE AND PITCHING WIN TITLES

While the Dash and Crawdads offenses rank below average, both pitching staffs are among the best in High-A. The Dash have allowed the fewest homeruns in the High-A East, ranking second in all of High-A. The Dash feature the second-best defense in High-A as well, committing only 12 errors in 21 games.

Not to be outdone, Hickory relievers have been lights out this season. In all seven of the Crawdads wins, a reliever has been the pitcher of record. Furthermore, the bullpen has thrown the third-most innings of any team, with the fourth best ERA among all relief corps entering this series (2.62), trailing only Rome, Beloit, and Vancouver.

A PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

The Dash turn to Johan Dominguez on Saturday, hoping to improve upon a shaky first start against the Crawdads on May 12. Dominguez allowed a homer and three earned runs in three innings against Hickory earlier this season, earning the loss in the Crawdads 3-1 win.

Facing the Dash for the second time this year, southpaw Avery Weems earns the starting nod for the Crawdads. Weems was a former White Sox farmhand who was traded to the Rangers in an offseason trade for Lance Lynn.

Check out the Winston-Salem Dash Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from May 28, 2021


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