CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes

Published on May 6, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


WINSTON-SALEM DASH (9-18) vs. LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (10-15)

Friday, May 6, 2011, 7:00 p.m. | BB&T Ballpark ⌂ Winston-Salem, NC

Webcast available on www.wsdash.com 15 minutes before first pitch

Game No. 28 ⌂ Home Game No. 13 | 2011 Home Record 4-8 | 2011 Road Record 5-10

RHP Andre Rienzo (0-0, 2.36) @ RHP Zeke Spruill (1-2, 2.25)

Cinco de Cry-O: The Dash dropped their series opener with the Lynchburg Hillcats last night, 3-1 at BB&T Ballpark. Winston-Salem grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Jared Mitchell, but the Hillcats scored single runs in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings to take the contest. Lynchburg pitching finished the game in impressive fashion, retiring the last 18 Dash batters in order from the fourth inning on. It was the third time in five games that Winston-Salem has endured long droughts between baserunners. On Tuesday night at Frederick, the Keys retired 23 consecutive Dash batters while the Blue Rocks set down 21 in a row on Sunday. Last night's loss was the Dash's 15th in their last 18 games.

Doyle Rues: Terry Doyle had another solid outing last night but once again, the Dash could not reward him with a win. Doyle dropped to 0-4 despite allowing just two runs over seven innings. The Rhode Islander has lasted seven innings in each of his last two starts and, excluding a rough outing on April 25 against Frederick, has posted a 3.00 ERA this season. Though he has pitched well, Winston-Salem has dropped all six games that Doyle has started this season.

Start Me Up: Doyle's start last night continued a good run for the Dash rotation. Aside from Joe Serafin's subpar outing on Wednesday (3 IP, 5 R), none of the team's starters have allowed more than two runs in a game since last Saturday. Leaving out Serafin's start, the starters have posted a combined ERA of just 1.69 (6 ER, 32 IP) and an opposing batting average of .246 (28 for 114).

No Cork Here: Winston-Salem tied its lowest hit output of the season last night with three against the Hillcats. The mark had been set just three days ago in a loss at Frederick. The Dash are hitting .227 as a team this season, the fourth-lowest in minor league baseball. Only the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (.219), AA Richmond Flying Squirrels (.220), and low-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (.225) have hit for lower averages this season.

Same Green & Gold, Different Hill City Kitties: Tonight the Dash continue their series with the new-look Lynchburg Hillcats. This marks the first series between the teams in 2011 and the first time Winston-Salem has played Lynchburg since it became affiliated with the Atlanta Braves. For the previous 12 seasons, the Braves' Carolina League affiliate was Myrtle Beach, but with the Rangers moving in this season Atlanta had to look elsewhere to house their Advanced-A team. Last year against the Braves-laden Pelicans had the worst record in the Carolina League (58-82) but won nine of 20 games against the Dash, who had the best record in the league (81-58). Winston-Salem is sad to see the Cincinnati Reds leave the Carolina League. With their affiliate in Lynchburg last year, the Dash won 16 of their 20 matchups including the first nine of the season.

Failure to Launch: Former Toldeo Rocket Jake Oester's ten-game hit streak was left on the launch pad yesterday, as the infielder went 0 for 3. It was the first game that Oester had been held without a hit since April 16 when he was still playing with Kannapolis. Since getting a promotion from to Winston-Salem on April 21, Oester is batting .394 (13 for 33) with three doubles, four RBI, and three runs scored. During his ten-game hit streak, he hit back .405 (15 for 37); prior to the hit streak, he had been 0 for 13 on the season.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer: The Dash have played mostly close games this season. Twenty-two of the team's 27 games have been decided by three runs or fewer and the team has had a lead in 21 games this season. Winston has played 11 one-run games and eight two-run games. The Dash are 4-7 in one-run games and 3-5 in two run contests. At this rate, the Dash would play 99 one - or two-run games over the course of the season.

Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Zeke Spruill (1-2, 2.25) makes his sixth start of the season and his first this season against Winston-Salem. He faced the Dash twice last year as a member of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He allowed eight runs on eight hits in 9.2 innings (7.45), taking a loss and a no-decision. Spruill entered last season ranked by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the Braves system but dropped out of the top 30 entering 2011. Last year with the Pelicans, Spruill struggled, going 3-5 with a 5.54 ERA in 14 games (13 starts). His season was interrupted by a broken hand he suffered after his second start of the season, forcing him to miss two months. A 21-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, started his professional career by winning his first 13 decisions over two seasons with the GCL Braves and low-A Rome. He was a South Atlantic League All-Star in 2009, going 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA and one save for Rome. He went 7-0 with a 2.93 ERA for the GCL Braves in 2008 and was named the team's "Pitcher of the Year." Atlanta drafted Spruill in the second round in 2008 (70th overall). He throws a fastball that sits in the low-90s, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup.

Check out the Winston-Salem Dash Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from May 6, 2011


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