Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes
May 19, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
WINSTON-SALEM DASH (18-21) vs. MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (24-15)
Thursday, May 19, 2011, 7:00 p.m. | BB&T Ballpark | Winston-Salem, NC
Webcast available on www.wsdash.com 15 minutes before first pitch
Game No. 40 | Home Game No. 22 | 2011 Home Record 10-11 | 2011 Road Record 8-10
LHP Hector Santiago (2-2, 3.75) vs. RHP Barret Loux (2-3, 4.29)
Splitters: The Dash and Pelicans split a pair of entertaining ballgames yesterday at BB&T Ballpark, with Winston winning game one 6-3 and Myrtle taking game two 6-4. In game one, the Pelicans scored runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Ian Gac sent the game to extras with a solo home run. After Myrtle scored again the eighth, Nick Ciolli tied things once again with a solo home run to lead off the home half of the inning. With two outs and two aboard, Gac ended things with his second home run of the day, a three-run walk-off shot to win it for the Dash. In game two, the Pelicans scored single runs in the first, third, and fifth innings before Jared Bolden hit a three-run homer in the sixth to make it 6-0 Myrtle. The Dash rallied for four runs in the seventh, all with two outs, but Kyle Colligan flied out to centerfield representing the tying run to end the game and sent the Pelicans to a victory. Tonight, Winston-Salem looks for a split of the four-game series in the finale.
Homer Happy: In game one of yesterday's doubleheader, the Dash set a new season-high for home runs in a ballgame with four. All of Winston-Salem's runs in the game came via the long ball. Jose Martinez started the barrage with a solo shot off starter Robbie Erlin in the fourth inning to get the Dash on the board. Ian Gac hit his first home run of the day in the seventh to tie the game at two and Nick Ciolli led off the eighth inning with a game-tying home run to make it 3-3. Gac's second home run of the day was a three-run, walk-off blast off of Johan Yan to win the game for the Dash.
Four of a Kind: The Dash struck for a pair of four-run innings during yesterday's doubleheader. The team scored four times in the eighth inning of game one yesterday and had a four-run seventh in game two. Winston-Salem scored all four of its runs in the second game with two outs, nearly erasing a 6-0 deficit in the process.
Pumping up at the Gac Station: Ian Gac's two home run game yesterday was the first multi-homer game for any Dash player this season and the 11th of his career. His second home run gave him 140 career dingers in nine professional seasons. Gac leads the Carolina League in homers and is on pace to hit 47 this season. He appears well on his way to surpassing his previous career-high of 22, a number he reached while playing for Bakersfield in 2009. Gac is first in the CL in RBI (29), tied for first in games (39), first in slugging percentage (.621), first in extra-base hits (23), first in runs scored (32), first in total bases (90), and first in best HR/AB ratio (1/11.15).
Big Stretch: The Dash are in the midst of a defining stretch for the first half of the season with ten straight games against the top two teams in the Carolina League: Salem and Myrtle Beach, two teams that happen to be in the same division as Winston-Salem. The Dash are 4-2 through six games against the Red Sox and Pelicans and can put themselves into position to make some noise for a potential playoff berth if they come out ahead during these important games.
No Rhyme or Rienzo: Andre Rienzo gave the Dash a little bit of everything yesterday in the first game of the doubleheader. He allowed only one run on two hits over six innings for his second quality start of the season. He struck out six batters to raise his team-leading total to 47 (fifth in the CL), but he also walked a season-high six Pelicans on the day. Rienzo leads the CL in walks with 25, but has not seemed to let that affect the runs he allows, as the Brazilian ranks 13 in the league with a 2.74 ERA. Rienzo's six strikeout, six walk performance comes off the heels of his last outing, a start during which he struck out five and also walked five men.
Rotation Revolution: Rienzo's outing continued a strong stretch for Winston-Salem's starting pitchers. The Dash have quality starts from their starters in seven of the last nine games and the rotation has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 16 of the last 19 contests, posting a 3.00 ERA (36 ER, 108 IP) in that stretch.
Colombian Exchange: Luis Sierra's tough start to the season is now a fading memory, as the Colombian catcher has been red-hot over the last two and a half weeks. Sierra started the season just 2 for 27 (.074) at the plate, but appears to have rediscovered the form that led him to post a career-best year in 2010. Since the slow start, Sierra is hitting .343 (12 for 35) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI, and nine runs scored. For the month of May, he leads the Dash in batting average, on-base percentage (.410), and OPS (.953).
Keeping ¬Ëem Close: The Dash have played mostly close games this season. Thirty-two of the team's 39 games have been decided by three runs or fewer and the team has had a lead in 30 games this season. Winston has played 15 one-run games and 12 two-run games. The Dash are 7-8 in one-run games and 6-6 in two run contests. At this rate, the Dash would play 97 one - or two-run games this season.
Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Barret Loux (2-3, 4.29) makes his eighth start of the season for the Pelicans and his first against the Dash. Most recently, he gave up six runs (all earned) in 4.2 innings on May 13 against Lynchburg. He got the loss in that game, his second straight losing effort. Loux was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft, but failed a physical and was declared a free agent on September 1. He signed with the Rangers on November 22, 2010. Loux attended Texas A&M University, where he went 11-2 with a 2.83 ERA during his junior season (2009). He was named Third Team All-American by Louisville Slugger and was a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, eventually won by Nationals prospect Bryce Harper. Loux was a college teammate of current Dash outfielder Kyle Colligan, and is ranked by Baseball America as the 24th-best prospect in the Texas Rangers organization.
Carolina League Stories from May 19, 2011
- Early Lead Not Enough for 'Cats, Fall 4-3 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Agonizing Streak Continues as Salem Falls 1-0 - Salem Red Sox
- Kinston Wins Third Straight, 4-3 Over Lynchburg. - Kinston Indians
- Santiago Superb, But Dash Fall 3-1 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Loux's Arm, Zaneski's Bat Win Series for Birds - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Barrage of Homers Dooms Keys - Frederick Keys
- P-Nats Slug Six Home Runs, Win 14-6 - Potomac Nationals
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Dash to Host MVP Day at the Ballpark - Winston-Salem Dash
- Dash Announce Television Package with WXII - Winston-Salem Dash
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