CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes

Published on June 8, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


WINSTON-SALEM DASH (28-30) @ MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (33-25)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011, 7:05 p.m. | BB&T Coastal Field | Myrtle Beach, SC

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

Game No. 59 | Road Game No. 27 | 2011 Home Record 16-16 | 2011 Road Record 12-14

RHP Andre Rienzo (1-1, 2.91) @ RHP Justin Grimm (2-0, 1.42)

Bird Droppings: Winston-Salem used a four-run tenth inning to beat Myrtle Beach for the second straight night, 6-2 at BB&T Coastal Field. The Dash led 2-0 until the eighth, when the Pelicans scored their first run. They forced extra innings with a two-out RBI single by Jared Prince in the ninth inning, but Jose Martinez broke the tie with a three-run home run off closer Ryan Kelly and the Dash added one more to pick up the four-run victory. Winston-Salem has won the first two games of the four-game series and three in a row overall. The win was the Dash's seventh in their last nine games and the team is 9-4 in its last 13 contests.

Yes way, Jose: Jose Martinez's fourth home run of the season broke open a 2-2 game in the tenth inning last night to propel the Dash to the win. It was Café's first home run in 83 at bats, his last one coming on May 18 against Pelicans. Since a 1 for 23 stretch that spanned the first six games of Winston's most recent home stand, Martinez is 6 for 13 with a double, a homer, five RBI, and three runs scored. The homer last night was quite reminiscent of a home run he hit in the playoffs last year against the Kinston Indians. In game three of the Southern Division Championship Series at Grainger Stadium, Martinez hit a three-run home run off Matt Langwell to snap a 5-5 tie in the top of the 12th inning. The Dash went on to win the game 10-5 to sweep the three-game series and move on to the championship round of the postseason.

Doyle Still Rules: Last night's late-inning dramatics nearly overshadowed another outstanding performance by Winston starter Terry Doyle. The right-hander allowed his only run in the eighth inning but did not receive a decision, as J.R. Ballinger blew the save in the ninth. Doyle scattered five hits and one run over eight innings. It was his second straight terrific outing and neither provided him with a win to boost his deceiving 1-5 record. In his last two starts, Doyle has allowed two runs, one earned on 11 hits in 17 innings with nine strikeouts and just two walks. He lowered his ERA to 2.84 last night, good enough for tenth in the CL.

Working Overtime: The Dash played their 11th extra-inning game of the season last night, the most for any team in the Carolina League. Myrtle Beach has played in six such contests, the second most in the league. Winston-Salem improved to 7-4 in extra-inning games this season. The Dash are tied with the AAA Norfolk Tides for the most extra-inning games played in 2011 and they are also tied with the Advanced-A Jupiter Hammerheads for the most extra-inning wins this season with seven.

Longball Leaders: The Dash homered three times last night as Jake Oester, Jared Mitchell, and Jose Martinez each went deep to left at BB&T Coastal Field. Oester's homer was his first of the season and his first since July 27, 2010 with Kannapolis, ending a streak of 172 consecutive homerless at bats. Mitchell's home run was his seventh, while Martinez hit his fourth. Winston-Salem leads the CL in home runs with 53, eight more than second-place Lynchburg. The Dash led the CL in homers last year 112 and are on pace for 128 this season.

Sixpence All the Richer: Jared Mitchell's homer extended his hitting streak to a season-best six games. He is 6 for 23 during the streak for a batting average of .261 to go along with four doubles, one home run, two RBI, and five runs scored.

Momentary Loss of Control: Pelicans starter Joe Wieland's unreal streak of consecutive batters faced without issuing a walk ended against the same team against which it started. Wieland waked Andy Wilkins in the sixth inning on April 18 and then did not issue a single base on balls to any of the next 227 batters he faced. Jake Oester was the lucky recipient of walk that broke the streak as Wieland fell behind 3-0, came back to run the count full, but ended up walking Oester on a pitch that was down and away. Wieland has still only walked four batters all season in 72 innings pitched, half of that charity going to Dash hitters.

Enjoying some Four Play: Something about playing in a four-game series at BB&T Coastal Field seems to sharpen the Dash's performances in Myrtle Beach. Winston-Salem swept a four-game series at the home of the Pelicans in April of last year, but was swept in three straight three-game series at BB&T South since. But in another four-gamer here, the Dash have now won the first two games and are threatening for another sweep.

Dramatic Dash: Winston-Salem is starting to rack up the late wins. Last night the Dash won in their team final at bat for the second straight game and for the tenth time this season. It was the fourth time in the last eight days the team has accomplished that feat. Last Tuesday, Jared Mitchell hit a two-run walk-off double to defeat the Nationals 4-3 and on the following night, Andy Wilkins scored from third on a wild pitch to give Winston-Salem a walk-off 2-1 win in ten innings over the P-Nats. On Monday night, Jason Bour's RBI fielder's choice in the ninth inning snapped a tie game to send Winston to a 3-2 victory.

Playing them close to the vest: The Dash have an inordinate number of close games this season, as 45 of the team's 58 games have been decided by three runs or fewer and the team has had a lead in 45 games this season. Winston has played 22 one-run games and 15 two-run games. The Dash are 11-11 in one-run games and 8-7 in two run contests. At this rate, the Dash would play 89 one - or two-run games this season.

Reed it and Weep: Addison Reed needed all he could muster to make it through his two-inning stint to finish Monday night's game. Reed threw 42 pitches, including 13 to Ryan Strausborger at the end of the game. Ironically, Reed was trying to retire Strausborger to finish the game; two years ago Reed was finishing games for Stephen Strasburg at San Diego State as the team's closer. Reed did not allow a run in his two innings last night, making it six straight appearances and 12 straight innings without allowing a run. His ERA sits at 1.71 in 26.1 innings with the Dash. Among relief pitchers in the CL, Reed is second in K/9 IP (11.96) and first in fewest BB/9 IP (1.37).

Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Justin Grimm (2-0, 1.42) makes his third start for the Pelicans and his first against Winston-Salem. Grimm won both of his Carolina League starts, allowing just two total runs in 12.2 inning with 11 strikeouts and three walks. He started his season with low-A Hickory, where he made nine starts and went 2-1 with a 3.40 ERA and 54 strikeouts/18 walks in 50.1 innings. He struck out a career-high 11 in a start against the White Sox low-A team, the Kannapolis Intimidators. Grimm entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the 18th-best prospect in the Rangers minor league system. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 draft out of the University of Georgia but signed late for an above-slot bonus of $825,000 and did not make his professional debut until this season. Statistically, Grimm's college career was not overly impressive. In his junior year with the Bulldogs, he went 3-7 with a 5.49 ERA, but led the team with 73 strikeouts. He had a better sophomore season, when he went 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA and tied teammate and eventual Nationals prospect Trevor Holder with 72 strikeouts to lead the ‚¬ËœDawgs. While his numbers did not impress, Grimm's pitch arsenal is certainly capable of doing so. He throws a heavy fastball 92-96 mph and features an 82-83 curveball that has the makings of being a very good pitch, while his changeup is a work in progress. The Red Sox originally drafted the Bristol, Virginia native out of high school in 2007 in the 13th round after he went 9-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 93 strikeouts/18 walks in 54.2 innings as a senior at Virginia High School. A broken arm forced him to miss all of his junior season, but he recovered to help take VHS to the state baseball tournament.

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Carolina League Stories from June 8, 2011


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