Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes
Published on June 3, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
Worst. Episode. Ever.: The Dash suffered its worst loss of the season last night, a 12-4 shelling to the hands of the Potomac Nationals. Winston rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to tie the game entering the bottom of the third. But the P-Nats scored four more in the inning off Nate Jones, then rattled off another quartet of runs later in the game to give the Dash its first blowout loss of the season. Prior to last night's game, the team had not lost any game by more than five runs. Potomac earned the series victory with the win and sent Winston to its third straight series loss. Last night's three-hour, 11-minute game was particularly ugly; the Dash allowed a season-high 18 hits, committed three errors, threw two wild pitches, walked seven, hit a batter, and left ten men on base.
Road Trip Wrap-Up: The team's nine-game road trip was its longest of the season and it couldn't end soon enough for Joe McEwing's squad. The Dash finished 3-6 on the trip, losing all three series by dropping a rubber game in each set. Winston-Salem's bats were quiet during the trip, hitting .247 over the nine games. The team also posted an ERA of 4.20 during the roadie.
Locked & Logan: Logan Johnson was one of the few bright spots in last night's ballgame, going 4 for 4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored. Johnson entered the game just 1 for 15 on the season after missing significant time with a broken finger, but busted out for his third career four-hit game. He had both a four-hit and a five-hit game for the Dash last season. The home run was the first of the season for the former Louisville Cardinal.
Welcome Back: Winston hopes to get a boost from two of its opening day starters who were activated off the disabled list today. 2B Drew Garcia and OF Kenny Williams returned to the active roster after missing a combined 53 games. Garcia has sat out the last 18 with an ankle injury he suffered on May 14th at Lynchburg. Williams missed 35 games after he strained his knee on April 27 against Frederick. The Dash is still missing one player from its opening day lineup, catcher Josh Phegley.
Bruising Closer to the Record: Dash 1B Seth Loman was hit by a pitch three times during the road trip, raising his season total to 17 HBPs. He is more than two-thirds of the way to breaking the 21-year-old single-season Carolina League record of 24 HBPs, which is held by former Winston-Salem Spirit Rusty Crockett. If Loman were to keep up this pace and play the entire season in the Carolina League, he would be drilled an astounding 45 times.
First Half Playoff Race: With less than a quarter of the season's first half left to play, the race for the playoff spot in the Southern Division is heating up. Winston owns a four-game lead over Salem and a five-game advantage over the surging Kinston Indians. Winston's magic number stands at 14. Any combination of 14 Dash wins or Red Sox losses over the final 17 games in the first half will give Winston-Salem the first half crown and a playoff spot.
Best Record Watch: Despite a 3-6 road trip, the Dash is still tied for the fourth-best record in all of minor league baseball. Only the AA Altoona Curve, High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, and Low-A Lake County Captains (all 35-18) have better records in the minors.
Law of Averages: Winston's team batting average has been slowly, but steadily falling over the last two weeks. The Dash's season average stands at .299 after yesterday's game, down 22 points from the team's season-high of .321 where it stood on May 13. Despite the drop, the batting average is still the second-best in professional affiliated baseball. The AAA Albuquerque Isotopes (.310) is the only team with a higher average. Winston's average is still the best in the Carolina League by 26 points (Lynchburg is the closest with a .273 average). Winston has four players in the top ten in the league in batting average: Brandon Short (2nd, .346), Jon Gilmore (5th, .325), Justin Greene (6th, .322), and Ozzie Lewis (8th, .310). Drew Garcia would also be among the league leaders (.323 average), but he does not have enough at bats because of the time he has missed with an ankle injury. The Dash has scored the most runs in all of affiliated baseball with 320 (53 more than Salem, the next-closest Carolina League team).
Greene Keeps Going: Justin Greene is the only player in the Carolina League who has played in every game this season. He has started all 53 Dash games in 2010.
Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Marty Popham (0-0, 0.90) makes his third Carolina League start and his second straight against the Dash. He did not get a decision against Winston-Salem this past Saturday, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. Popham started the season with low-A Lake County and went 3-1 with a 3.71 ERA in eight games (four starts). After beginning 2009 in extended spring training, he went to short-season Mahoning Valley, where he went 6-1 with a 2.76 ERA and was named a New York-Penn League All-Star. He struck out 83 batters last year, good for second in the NYPL, and only walked ten in 75 innings. Popham was the Indians' 20th round selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Union College (KY). He is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and attended Butler Traditional High School, the alma mater of former Kinston pitcher Travis Foley and former Potomac shortstop Seth Bynum. Popham was a first-team NAIA All-American at Union in 2008, going 17-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 123 innings as a junior. His 17 wins led the NAIA. Popham throws a low-90's fastball, a slider, and a changeup. His fastball is his best pitch, but he showed tremendous improvement in his secondary pitches last year.
Carolina League Stories from June 3, 2010
- Dwyer Does In Potomac - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Julius Clobbers 'Cats, Keys Win 7-4 - Frederick Keys
- Johnson Homers Again in Rout of Indians - Winston-Salem Dash
- Pelicans Take Series Opener from Sox, 8-2 - Salem RidgeYaks
- After Spotting Salem One, Birds Roll in Opener - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- P-Nats Drop Sloppy Opener in Wilmington - Potomac Nationals
- Keys Blast Past Cats in Series Opener - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Dash Drops K-Tribe, 11-4 - Kinston Indians
- K-Tribe Game Notes - Kinston Indians
- Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Joe Bisenius Joins P-Nats; Luis Garcia Sent To Hagerstown - Potomac Nationals
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
- Williams Activated Off D.L. - Winston-Salem Dash
- Potomac Nationals Game Notes - Potomac Nationals
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