Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes
May 28, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
WINSTON-SALEM DASH (21-27) @ KINSTON INDIANS (23-24)
Saturday, May 28, 2011, 6:30 p.m. | "Historic" Grainger Stadium | Kinston, NC
Webcast available on www.wsdash.com 15 minutes before first pitch
Game No. 49 | Road Game No. 24 | 2011 Home Record 11-14 | 2011 Road Record 10-13
RHP Andre Rienzo (1-1, 2.59) @ RHP Toru Murata (0-2, 4.19)
A Pair of Threes: The Dash got three-run home runs from Ian Gac and Andy Wilkins and terrific pitching from Terry Doyle and Addison Reed en route to a stress-free, 6-1 victory over the Indians on Friday night. It was only Winston's third win of the season by more than four runs and the second such victory against the K-Tribe in 2011. The win leveled the series at one game apiece ahead of tonight's rubber game.
Wilk Stud: Andy Wilkins stayed hot last night, blasting a home run for the third straight game. His three-run shot doubled Winston's lead to 6-0 and was his eighth longball of the season, tying him with two other players for fourth in the CL. Wilkins homered in the ninth inning on Thursday and in the third inning on Wednesday. The Oklahoma native hit home runs in back-to-back games twice last year, but this is the first time in his career he has homered in three consecutive contests. Over his current six-game hit streak, Wilkins has eight RBI, three doubles and five runs scored.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part: The long wait for a win for Terry Doyle ended last night, as Doyle earned his first victory of the season with a terrific effort against the K-Tribe. Doyle pitched seven innings and allowed one run on five hits while tying his season-high of eight strikeouts, a number he first reached on opening night at Grainger Stadium. Despite having five quality starts in his first nine outings of the season, Doyle had not picked up a win before last night. His last regular season win came on September 3, 2010 and 266 days passed between victories for Doyle.
My Sao Paolo Pal: Andre Rienzo looks for his third consecutive quality start after allowing two total runs in 12 innings over his last two starts. The Brazilian has picked up in the Carolina League where he left off in the South Atlantic League last season. In his last ten starts for low-A Kannapolis, Rienzo did not allow more than two earned runs in any of his last ten starts. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his first nine starts as a member of the Dash, making his ERA 1.95 (24 ER, 110.2 IP) in his last 19 starts dating back to last season.
Deep-Sixed: A trio of Dash hitters are carrying six-game hit streaks into tonight's series finale. Nick Ciolli (.304, 7 for 23), Tyler Saladino (.240, 6 for 25), and Andy Wilkins (.454, 10 for 22) all have hit in their last six ballgames. The streaks are season-highs for Ciolli and Saladino, while Wilkins also has an eight-gamer in 2011.
Who's Your Gac Daddy': Ian Gac ended his 33-at bat homerless drought in the first inning last night with his league-leading 14th home run of the season. It was Gac's 141st career home run and his fifth in eight games against the K-Tribe. He has 12 RBI against the Indians this season, nearly one-third of Winston's 39 versus Kinston in 2011. Gac is on pace for a 41-home run season which would demolish his previous career-high of 22, a number he reached while playing for Bakersfield in 2009. Gac is first in the CL in RBI (35), first in games (48), fourth in at bats (178), second in slugging percentage (.567), first in extra-base hits (26), first in runs scored (37), first in total bases (101), and first in best HR/AB ratio (1/12.71).
Get Outta Here: With two more home runs last night, the Dash extended their league-leading homer total to 46. Winston-Salem has hit 12 more longballs than its closes competition (Salem with 34) and more than double than last place Kinston (20). The Dash led the Carolina League in dingers last year with 112 and the team is on pace to blast 134 in 2011.
Keeping ¬Ëem Close: The Dash have played mostly close games this season. Thirty-eight of the team's 48 games have been decided by three runs or fewer and the team has had a lead in 36 games this season. Winston has played 19 one-run games and 13 two-run games. The Dash are 8-11 in one-run games and 6-7 in two run contests. At this rate, the Dash would play 93 one - or two-run games this season.
Espresso Shot: Jose Martinez went 2 for 4 last night and upped his league-leading batting average to .324, one point higher than Salem's Reynaldo Rodriguez. He is tied for second in games (47), third in at bats (182), first in hits (59), and fifth in runs scored (31). Café has hit especially well against the K-Tribe, batting .485 (16-33), the best average of any Indians opponent with at least 15 at bats in 2011.
Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Toru Murata (0-2, 4.19) makes his fourth start and ninth appearance of the season tonight against the Dash. He has had mixed results as both a starter and a reliever this season, but in his last start he allowed just two hits over 3.2 shutout innings. Murata signed with the Indians last December after he was released by Japan's Yomiuri Giants. He was the Giants' first-round pick in the 2007 draft out of Osaka University of Health & Sports Sciences. Murata never made Japan's version of the major leagues, instead pitching for three seasons in the Eastern League, Japan's secondary level minor league. Last year he was 0-4 with a 4.25 ERA in six games. In three years he was 2-10 with a 4.56 ERA in 41 games with 64 strikeouts and 41 walks in 96.2 innings. He got his first experience pitching stateside in the Arizona Fall League in 2009 for Scottsdale. In nine games he went 1-2 with a 5.73 ERA. Scouting reports indicate that Murata throws two different fastballs (topping out at 92 mph) a cutter, forkball, slider, curveball, and changeup.
Carolina League Stories from May 28, 2011
- Arguelles Ejected In Shutout Loss - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Hillcats Get Two Wins In Potomac - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Hillcats Sweep Twinbill, Nats Lose Sixth Straight - Potomac Nationals
- Wieland Leads Birds to Fourth Straight Win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Indians Down Dash with Three-Run Seventh - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kinston Wins Fourth Straight Series with a 5-2 Win Over Winston-Salem - Kinston Indians
- Frederick Prevails in Salem, 6-3 - Frederick Keys
- Moreau Shines in Salem, Downing Sox 6-3 - Salem Red Sox
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