Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes
Published on July 3, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
Wilk Stud: Andy Wilkins ended a long and wild night at BB&T Ballpark with a three-run, walk-off home run the bottom of the tenth to send the Dash to a 12-10 win over the Red Sox in the series opener. Winston-Salem led for most of the first six innings and took a 4-3 lead into the seventh. The game rapidly transformed into a slugfest at that point, as the teams combined to score at least one run in each of the next eight half-innings. The Red Sox scored four in the seventh to take a three-run lead, but Wilkins hit a two-run double in the bottom of the inning to close the gap to 7-6. After both teams scored in the eighth, the Red Sox scored another in the ninth to move ahead 9-7. Winston tied the game in the bottom of the ninth when Mike Blanke hit a two-run single with one out. After the Dash left the bases loaded to push the ballgame to extra innings, Salem went ahead once again with a sac fly to make it 10-9 Sox. With Michael Gleason on the mound for Salem in the bottom of the inning, Winston stroked a pair of singles before Wilkins sent the home crowd into a state of delirium with his three-run homer. The Dash are now 0.5 games behind the first-place Kinston Indians and a playoff spot in the Southern Division.
Earning Time and a Half, Time and Again: Playing and winning in extra innings has been nothing new for Winston-Salem. The Dash have played 14 extra-inning games this season, the most of any minor league baseball team. Only the major league Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Atlanta Braves (15 each) have played more extra-inning games this season. Winston is 8-6 this season when the game goes beyond regulation with three of those wins against the Red Sox.
Andy Comes in Handy: Dash first baseman Andy Wilkins has come alive over the last two games after an 0 for 10 stretch earlier in the week. Wilkins went 5 for 6 last night with three singles, a double, a home run, and five RBI. His five hits set a new career high-he had never had more than three hits in a game since turning professional last year-and his five RBI tied a career high he set last year for Great Falls. In his last two games, Wilkins is 8 for 11 with two doubles, two homers, and seven RBI. He has raised his batting average 19 points in the last two games and has moved into second place in the CL in home runs (14), third in RBI (45), fifth in total bases (129), and fourth in HR/AB ratio (1/20/14).
Last Night's Leftovers: The Dash and Red Sox finished last night's contest in three hours, 51 minutes, making it the second-longest game Winston has played this year. The longest was a three-hour, 54 minute affair in Myrtle Beach that went 12 innings... The Dash's 19 hits and 12 runs were both season highs. Five Dash players had multi-hit games (Jared Mitchell, Jose Martinez, Ian Gac, Andy Wilkins, and Nick Ciolli)... The teams combined 22 runs, 33 hits, and 48 baserunners... The win was the 12th for Winston in its final team at bat and its fifth walk-off win... The game was the third this season that the Dash have won when trailing after eight innings, the most of any Carolina League team this season. Two of those victories have been against the Red Sox...
First Round's on Me: Last night Tyler Saladino hit the first home run into the new outfield bar at BB&T Ballpark, a solo shot in the fifth inning that gave the Dash a 4-2 lead. It was the third straight game with a home run for Saladino, who now has ten dingers on the season, tying him for sixth in the Carolina League. If he had the requisite number of plate appearances, he would rank second in the league to Ian Gac in best HR/AB ratio (1/16.5). 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 17 of his last 20 games and a multi-hit game in nine of those games. Since June 5, Saladino is batting .338 (26 for 77) with seven doubles, a triple, six homers, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored. He has raised his batting average 73 points to .255 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 went 3 for 6 last night to raise his batting average to .307, 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 20 of his last 23 games. He is batting .330 (32 for 97) during this period with 11 RBI.
Today's Opposing Starter: LHP Drake Britton (1-7, 7.19) makes his 14th start of the season and his second against the Dash. He lost to Winston-Salem on May 13 in Salem after allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks in three innings. He has lost five consecutive decisions and has completed five innings in only one of his last nine starts. Britton entered 2011 ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox' third-best minor league prospect. He spent all of 2010 in low-A Greenville, his first full year back since recovering from Tommy John surgery. He went 2-3 with a 2.97 ERA for the Drive in 76 innings. He blew out his elbow near the end of 2008, his first professional season, and came back to pitch in seven games near the end of 2009. Britton was drafted in the 23rd round out of high school in 2007. His draft stock fell due to a commitment to play ay Texas A&M and inconsistent velocity. Since recovering from elbow surgery, he throws 92-94 mph with his fastball, which is deemed to be the best in the Red Sox system according to Baseball America. The publication also rated his curveball as the best among Boston's minor leaguers.
Carolina League Stories from July 3, 2011
- Brentz' Blast Boosts Sox on Sunday Night - Salem Red Sox
- Brentz Bashes Baby Bosox by Winston - Winston-Salem Dash
- Another Big First Paces Lynchburg Past Pelicans - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Leonard Leads Hillcats Over Pelicans - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Rain Suspends Play at Potomac - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- P-Nats and Rocks Suspended in Fifth - Potomac Nationals
- Keys Control K-Tribe, 4-1 - Frederick Keys
- Dash Announce July 4th TV Color Commentator - Winston-Salem Dash
- Frederick Hands Kinston a 4-1 Defeat - Kinston Indians
- Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Kinston Indians Game Notes - Kinston Indians
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