CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes

Published on July 2, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


SixyBack: The Dash avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Nationals last night, posting a 7-2 victory in the series finale in Woodbridge, Virginia. Winston-Salem turned a one-run lead into a 6-0 advantage with a five-run sixth inning. After scoring just eight runs over the previous 31 frames, the Dash used concerted offensive effort to blow open the contest. The first six batters of the inning reached on five hits and a walk and five came around to score. The P-Nats avoided the shutout with two runs in the eighth inning, but Andy Wilkins helped Winston slam the door shut with a long solo home run in the ninth inning to finish the scoring.

SeraWIN: Dash lefty Joe Serafin earned his long-awaited first win of the season last night at Potomac in one of his finest outings of the 2011 campaign. Serafin pitched seven scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the eighth. He struck out a season-best seven batters, keeping Nationals batters off-balance with his fastball-curveball combination. The win was Serafin's first since September 2 of last year, ending a string of 15 consecutive starts without a victory.

Firestarter: For the second time in a week, Tyler Saladino started a game with home run after last night's leadoff shot in the first inning against Cameron Selik. Saladino also homered to start off the ballgame on Saturday, June 25 at Frederick. His homer last night made it two dingers in as many at bats going back to his eighth inning home run on Thursday. After missing the first month of the season with a broken hand, the former Oral Roberts standout has taken off offensively. He has a base hit in 16 of his last 19 games and a multi-hit game in nine of those games. Since June 5, Saladino is batting .342 (25 for 73) with seven doubles, a triple, five homers, 12 RBI, and 11 runs scored. He has raised his batting average 73 points to .255 during this period.

Bash Brothers: Last night's offensive assault was powered by middle-of-the-order sluggers Ian Gac and Andy Wilkins. The two combined to go 6 for 10 at the plate with three doubles, a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored. Both players had been battling hitless skids prior to the ballgame, as Gac had been 0 for 7 in the first two games of the series and Wilkins was hitless in his previous ten at bats. Wilkins' ninth-inning home run gave him 13 on the season and moved him into sole possession of second place in the Carolina League. He only trails Gac, who has hit 19 this season (11 that have either tied the game or given Winston-Salem the lead). Gac also leads the league in games played (78), extra-base hits (42), runs scored (52), total bases (157), and HR/AB ratio (1/15.47). He also ranks among the league leaders in at bats (3rd, 294), RBI (2nd, 53) doubles (3rd, 23), and slugging percentage (4th, .534).

Happy Birthday, Jason Bour!: Today Dash catcher Jason Bour celebrates his 25th birthday. The Centreville, Virginia native had the chance to celebrate a little early with his friends and family on the road trip to Potomac; Pfitzner Stadium is only about 25 minutes from Bour's home and he had plenty of friends and family in town to watch him play. Bour starts a big month for birthdays on the Dash roster, as Daniel Wagner (July 12), Tyler Saladino (July 20), Luis Sierra (July 23), and Jose Martinez (July 25) all celebrate birthdays in July.

When You're in Trouble, Just Call D.W.: Despite an 0 for 4 game last night that ended his five-game hitting streak, Daniel Wagner has quietly started to heat up at the plate after a vexing first half of the season that saw the second baseman consistently hit laser beams right to opposing defenders that were converted into outs. Wagner has hit in 11 of his last 14 games. Over this stretch, the Kannapolis native is hitting .391 (16 for 55) with four doubles, one RBI, and five runs scored. He has raised his season average 15 points to .225 during this period.

Recovery Summer: Jose Martinez' first full healthy season as a professional continues to proceed swimmingly. Martinez missed roughly two full seasons worth of baseball from 2008-2010 after a series of right knee injuries that required three separate surgeries. Café is hitting .303, good for third in the Carolina League. After a six-game stretch when he went 1 for 23 that spanned the end of May and beginning of June, Martinez has hit in 19 of his last 22 games. He is batting .319 (29 for 91) during this period with 11 RBI.

Today's Opposing Starter: RHP Anthony Ranaudo (1-3, 3.86) makes his sixth Carolina League start of the season and his first against Winston-Salem. Ranaudo spent the first two months of the 2011 season with low-A Greenville before receiving a promotion to Salem. He was a South Atlantic League All-Star for the Drive, going 4-1 with a 3.33 ERA in ten starts, striking out 50 batters and walking 16 in 46 innings. Ranaudo is ranked by Baseball America as the top Red Sox pitching prospect and the organization's second-best prospect overall. The LSU alumnus entered the 2010 college season rated as one of the best draft-eligible college pitching prospects, but he hurt his elbow in his first start and missed a month of action. When he returned to the mound, his mechanics were altered and he struggled, posting a 7.32 ERA. His injury and mound struggles caused him to drop in the draft and the Red Sox snagged him with the 39th overall pick in the first sandwich round. After not allowing an earned run in 30 innings in the Cape Cod Summer League (Brewster Whitecaps), he signed with Boston at the August 16 deadline for $2.55 million, the seventh-highest bonus awarded in the 2010 draft. In his sophomore year at LSU, Ranaudo and helped lead the Tigers to the 2009 national championship along with Dash center fielder Jared Mitchell, who was named the MVP of the College World Series. That season, Ranaudo went 12-3 in 19 starts with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 159 batters in 124.1 innings. He was limited to 12 innings as a freshman with elbow tendonitis. A native of Jackson, New Jersey, Ranaudo Starred at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, going 21-4 with a 1.44 ERA and 240 strikeouts with three no-hitters. He won a state championship, was an All-American, and was drafted in the 11th round by Texas, but elected to go to school. Ranaudo stands 6'7", 230 lbs. and uses his size to produce driving downward movement on his 91-95 mph fastball. He also features a 76-79 hammer curveball that grades out to a plus pitch and a low-80s changeup.

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Carolina League Stories from July 2, 2011


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