Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (May 29)
Published on May 29, 2021 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
The Dash take on Hickory for the fifth game in a six-game set tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m..
WINSTON-SALEM DASH (11-11) vs. Hickory Crawdads (9-13)
RHP Johan Dominguez (1-2, 3.50 ERA) vs. LHP Avery Weems (0-1, 2.45 ERA)
6:00 p.m. - Truist Stadium (Winston-Salem, NC)
Game #23
DASH HANG ON FOR 11TH WIN
Aided by the poor defense of Hickory, the Dash defeated the Crawdads 5-4 on the back of four Hickory errors. Three of the Dash's five runs were unearned.
On the offensive side, Duke Ellis extended his hitting streak to nine games, reaching base twice with a single and a walk. Luis Curbelo smacked his first triple of the season Friday, plating two during the home second. Elsewhere, Wilber Perez locked down his first save, while Taylor Varnell notched his second win of the season.
AVERY WEEMS: HELLO AGAIN
Hickory sends southpaw Avery Weems to the rubber in game five Saturday. It will be the second start against the Dash for the lefty, allowing two earned runs in 2.1 innings on May 15, striking out five.
Weems, a 6th round pick out of Arizona in 2019, was originally selected by the White Sox. Split as a starter and reliever during his two years in Tucson, the Yavapai (AZ) Community College transfer pitched to middling results. He boasted great potential however, and the White Sox selected him in the 2019 draft. Weems started 14 games with the AZL White Sox and Great Falls during the '19 season, showing a good fastball, changeup, and curveball.
While it looked like Weems was in line to suit up for the Dash rather than the Crawdads, the lefty was shipped to the Rangers on December 8, 2020, with former Dash pitcher Dane Dunning for Lance Lynn, a current member of the White Sox rotation. As a result, Weems never played for the Dash, instead starting the season with High-A Hickory while improving his three-pitch arsenal, hoping to one day better the Rangers big-league club.
A REAL JUMBLE
Despite the Dash sitting at .500, they stand just 1.5 games out of first place. Asheville won their fifth straight contest, taking sole possession of first. Their win marks the first time this season Bowling Green has not shared a piece of first place, dropping four in a row to the Tourists.
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 nine 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 .224 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 13 errors in 22 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.
While the relief pitching for Hickory has held up throughout the series, their defense let them down Friday. Hickory committed their most errors in any game Friday, fueling the Dash victory.
A PREVIEW OF TOMORROW
While the Dash have not named their Sunday starter, the Crawdads send Ronny Henriquez to the mound. Henriquez pitched against the Dash in the team's prior series, allowing two hits, two earned runs, three walks, and fanning three hitters. The righty is ranked as the #16 prospect in the Rangers system, featuring an impressive fastball with good life. Henriquez's most recent start was his best, pitching five innings of one-run ball, striking out three in a no-decision against Greensboro.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 29, 2021
- Gades Take Double Dip from BlueClaws - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Dominguez Shows No Mercy, Leads Dash to 2-0 Victory - Winston-Salem Dash
- Win Streak Comes to an End as Tourists Cool Off - Asheville Tourists
- Hunt Homers Twice in Hot Rods 12-2 Win Saturday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- All-Around Effort Results in 6-2 Rome Win - Rome Emperors
- Braves Slow Down Drive, 6-2 - Greenville Drive
- 'Birds "Strong-Arm" Cyclones in 4-1 Win - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (May 29) - Winston-Salem Dash
- Game Status for Saturday's 4:00 PM Game - Brooklyn Cyclones
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