Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes
May 15, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
Another Day in Paradise: Last night the Dash answered a late-inning rally by the Red Sox with one of their own to win 5-4 in ten innings at LewisGale Field. After Salem scored a run in the first inning to take an early lead, Winston-Salem tallied single runs in the third and fourth to go ahead by a run. The Red Sox tied things in the seventh inning and scored two more in the eighth to build a 4-2 advantage. After Jose Martinez singled to start the ninth, Jared Mitchell followed with a game-tying two-run home run. After Brandon Kloess got through the bottom of the inning unscathed, Luis Sierra opened the tenth with a solo home run, his first of the season, to give the Dash the lead for good. Two batters reached against Kloess in the bottom of the tenth, but Kolbrin Vitek struck out looking to end the game and send Winston-Salem to the win, the team's seventh in eight games.
Against All Odds: Saturday night's game was a statistical anomaly for both teams in a variety of ways. Winston-Salem had been 0-14 when trailing after eight innings and Salem was 20-0 when leading after eight... Jared Mitchell was 0 for his previous 14 prior to hitting his game-tying homer run in the ninth... the Red Sox were a perfect 14 for 14 in save opportunities before Kendal Volz blew the save last night... Luis Sierra's home run was his first of the season and his first in 88 plate appearances dating back to last year... The Dash scored just their fifth third-inning run of the season last night; the third is by far the team's lowest scoring inning in 2011...
One More Night: By coming back to beat the Red Sox, Winston-Salem gets another chance for its first series sweep of the season. The Dash have not swept an opponent this season and recently had a chance to do so against the Nationals on Wednesday, but dropped the series finale 10-4. Even if the Dash does not sweep, Winston has still won three consecutive series for the second time this season. The team won its first three series of the season before dropping its next five. The series victory was Winston-Salem's first at Salem since the team won two out of three from August 18-20, 2008. At that time Winston went by the Warthogs and Salem was still the Avalanche and an affiliate of the Houston Astros.
In the Air Tonight: Jared Mitchell was in the air in more ways than one last night, single-handedly producing a legendary ninth inning to save the Dash and send the game to extra-innings. In the top of the inning, Mitchell belted a two-run home run over Salem Memorial Ballpark's prodigious right-center field fence. It was his fourth homer of the season and it tied the game at four, just moments after Salem appeared to have stolen the momentum for good with three runs in the previous two innings. In the bottom of the inning, Mitchell kept the Red Sox from putting the potential winning run in scoring position. With one out, Michael Almanzar blasted a ball to deep center field, where Mitchell made a spectacular diving catch on a ball over his head. The catch was incredibly reminiscent of Roger Bernadina's amazing catch on Friday night in the Washington Nationals' game against the Florida Marlins. Mitchell flew through the air like Lynn Swann going after a football and held on to the ball for the second out of the inning. Brandon Kloess got out of the inning without allowing a run to send the game to extras, making Mitchell's contributions quite meaningful.
Easy Lover: Ian Gac hit a laser-beam of a home run Friday night in the fifth inning to extend the Dash's lead to 5-0. Gac has hit three home runs in the last five games and he is on pace to hit 44 dingers this season. He leads the Carolina League in two of the Triple Crown categories, as he has 25 RBI, one more than three other players. He is tied for CL lead in games played (35), is fifth in at bats (130), first in slugging percentage (.615), fifth in doubles (10), first in extra-base hits (21), tied for first in runs (28), first in total bases (80), and first in best home runs per at bats ratio (1/11.82).
No Jacket Required: Nick Ciolli has been heating up as the month of May progresses. Although he was 0 for 2 last night, he drove in a go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. In his last five games, Ciolli is 7 for 15 (.467) with a home run, a double, two triples, and seven RBI, raising his batting average from .204 to .261 in the process. Eight of his 18 hits this season have gone for extra bases, and his .478 slugging percentage is second on the Dash (behind only Ian Gac). In ten games with Winston-Salem near the end of last season, Ciolli hit .375 with seven of his 15 hits going for extra bases.
Hang in Long Enough: The Dash have played mostly close games this season. Twenty-eight of the team's 35 games have been decided by three runs or fewer and the team has had a lead in 28 games this season. Winston has played 13 one-run games and 11 two-run games. The Dash are 6-7 in one-run games and 6-5 in two run contests. At this rate, the Dash would play 96 one- or two-run games over the course of the season.
Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Pete Ruiz (1-2, 6.26) makes his seventh appearance and sixth start of the season for the Red Sox. In five previous starts, he is 1-1 with a 6.94 ERA, and most recently was hit with a loss on May 10 against Wilmington. In five innings, he allowed three runs (all earned) on six hits and struck out four. He picked up his lone win of the season on April 29 against Potomac when he threw 5.1 innings and gave up two runs (one earned) and struck out a season-high six. Ruiz was originally drafted in the 12th round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Santa Barbara Community College, where he originally started as a corner infielder. He spent 2010 with the low-A Greenville Drive and went 10-8 with a 4.19 ERA in 26 appearances (20 starts). He was tied for second in the Red Sox system in wins and was third in strikeouts (109). Over his last eight starts of the season, he was 5-1 with a 1.91 ERA. He throws an 88-91 two-seam fastball, a 92-94 four-seamer, a curveball, and a changeup.
Carolina League Stories from May 15, 2011
- Eury-Ka: Nats Win Series with Perez - Potomac Nationals
- Dash Complete Sweep, 6-5 in 10 Innings - Salem Red Sox
- Winston Sweeps Salem in Extras - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kobernus' Single Wins It for Potomac - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Terdoslavich Homer Lifts 'Cats Past Birds - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Pelicans Drop Rubber Game to Hillcats - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Frederick Jumps to First Place with 9-1 Win in Kinston - Frederick Keys
- Frederick's Defense Holds The K-Tribe to Just One Run - Kinston Indians
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Kinston Indians Game Notes - Kinston Indians
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
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