Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes
Published on August 22, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release
WINSTON-SALEM DASH (30-26, 62-64) @ SALEM RED SOX (24-32, 55-70)
Monday, August 22, 2011, 7:05 p.m. | LewisGale Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark | Salem, VA
Webcast available on www.wsdash.com 15 minutes before first pitch
Game No. 127 | Road Game No. 63 | 2011 Home Record 35-29 | 2011 Road Record 27-35
LHP Matt Wickswat (5-4, 4.23) @ LHP Drake Britton (1-13, 7.03)
Thunderstruck: What started out looking like a dominating effort by the Potomac Nationals on Sunday ended as anything but, as the Dash rebounded from one of their worst offensive performances of the season the night before with definitively their best in 2011. Winston-Salem shrugged off two early runs (and a missed opportunity the score more) by the Nationals and cruised to a 15-3 thrashing yesterday at Pfitzner Stadium to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the hosts. Luis Sierra tied the game in the second inning with a two-run home run and Ian Gac gave the Dash their first lead with a solo shot in the third. The Gac homer was the first of five straight two outs hits for Winston, ending with a two-run, bases-loaded single by Sierra to make it 5-2. Tyler Saladino homered in the fourth and in the fifth, he and Daniel Wagner had back-to-back RBI triples to increase the lead to six. After a 50-minute severe weather delay, the Dash scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before erupting for five runs in the ninth inning to cap a long, triumphant day. Yesterday's offensive onslaught set new season-highs for the Dash in both runs (15), hits (23), and hits in any inning (six in the ninth) and came one day after the team managed a season-low two hits in a 4-1 loss to Potomac on Saturday.
Star Performers: Every player in the lineup yesterday managed at least one hit and all but Kevin Dubler (1 for 6 with a run scored) had a multi-hit game. Tyler Saladino and Daniel Wagner led the way with four hits each while Andy Wilkins and Luis Sierra both had three-hit games. Saladino tied his career-high with four hits and came within a double of hitting for the cycle; he homered in the fourth inning, tripled twice - in both the fifth and sixth - and singled in the ninth. Wagner's four hits also tied a career-high, as did his three runs scored. Sierra set a new season-high with three hits and his four RBI tied the most he has had in any one game in his eight-year professional career. Kyle Colligan, who went 2 for 4 with a double and two walks set a new season-high with three runs scored.
First is the Worst: Typically, scoring first is a major advantage in baseball, and that has been the case for Winston-Salem over the bulk of the season, winning roughly two-thirds of the games during which the team scores first. Lately, however, the opposite has been true for the Dash, as the team scored first in four straight games from August 17 - 20, only to lose all four contests. Yesterday Potomac scored first, but the Dash went on to a resounding win.
Second's Not the Best: The Dash snapped their season-high-tying five-game losing streak yesterday, but a stretch of 8 losses in their last 11 games has sent Kinston into first place in the Southern Division. The Indians also won yesterday to maintain their half-game lead in the division, while Winston-Salem remains three games ahead of Myrtle Beach and six games in front of last place Salem.
Bring Sally Up: Today Dash shortstop Tyler Saladino was named the Carolina League "Player of the Week" for his performance from August 15 - 21. This is first time he has earned an award like this in his professional career. The honor was well earned, as Saladino led all minor leaguers in batting average at .630 (17 for 27), was first in triples (3), and tied for second in extra-base hits (8). In his last five games, Saladino is 16 for 24 (.667) with four doubles, three triples, a home run, seven RBI, and five runs scored. Prior to the last five games, he had gone 11 straight without a multi-hit contest. He twice matched his career-high with four hits in games over the week and with the monster performances, the San Diegan raised his batting average 31 points from .234 to .265.
Terre Hot: In addition to Saladino's hot performance, the Dash have also been getting good production from right fielder Nick Ciolli. Since last Sunday, Ciolli is 13 for 29 with two home runs eight RBI, five runs scored, and seven walks (including the game that was suspended on June 28 and resumed in the bottom of the first on Monday night). During this hot streak, Ciolli has raised his batting average from .247 to .265.
G-Man: Ian Gac hit his 32nd home run of the season yesterday to snap a tie game in the third inning. The home run also tied his career-high for a season, which he previously set in 2008 with low-A Clinton and Advanced-A Bakersfield (Texas Rangers). Sixteen of his 32 homers this season have either tied the game or given the Dash the lead. Gac leads the Carolina League in home runs and is second in all of minor league baseball (the Iowa Cubs' Bryan LaHair has 34). Gac has 12 more home runs that any other player in the CL and his 87 RBI are nine more than second place. Gac is also first in the CL in games played (126, the only player in the league that has played every game), first in at bats (468), ninth in batting average (.277), tied for second in hits (128), tied for fifth in doubles (28), first in slugging percentage (.538), second in extra-base hits (60), first in runs scored (84), first in total bases (252), and first in HR/AB ratio (1/14.63). He is on pace to hit 36 home runs this season, which would surpass the Winston-Salem record (Ed Olivares set the current record of 35 home runs in 1960 for the Winston-Salem RedBirds) and also would be the most in any Carolina League season since Tolia Solaita hit 49 for the Hi-Toms in 1968. Gac has 159 career homers in nine professional seasons.
Winning Formula: The odds are pretty good for Winston-Salem to come away with the victory when Ian Gac homers. The Dash are 21-8 in games Gac hits a home run, good for a .724 winning percentage. The Dash are just 41-56 (.423) when Gac does not homer. The Dash are 10-6 (.625) when Andy Wilkins hits a home run, but have won 10 of the last 12 games during which the Oklahoman has homered.
¬ËMaul Rat: Since giving up two runs in an outing on June 2 against Potomac, Kussmaul has been nothing short of spectacular. He has allowed four runs (two earned) on nine hits in his last 19 appearances, sporting a 0.64 ERA (2 ER, 28.1 IP) with a .117 batting average against (11 for 94) and 51 strikeouts (seven walks) in the process. Kussmaul leads all Carolina League relievers with 14.09 strikeouts per nine innings, nearly two more full K's than second-place Eliecer Cardenas (12.35). He is second among all full-season minor league pitchers in the category. Kussmaul is second on the Dash in strikeouts (83) despite only ranking seventh among all 2011 Winston players in innings pitched (53.0). He is also second among CL relievers with a .167 opponents' batting average and is second in fewest baserunners/9 IP (8.83).
Today's Opposing Starter: LHP Drake Britton (1-13, 7.03) makes his 23rd start of the season and his third against the Dash. He is 0-1 against Winston-Salem, allowing six runs (four earned) in five innings. He has lost 11 consecutive decisions and has completed five innings in only five times this season. Walks have been one of the biggest reasons for Britton's struggles, as he is ninth in the league in walks (50) but only 37th in innings (80). 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 August 22, 2011
- Bayer Deals Four Scoreless to Earn Victory - Salem RidgeYaks
- Decisive Sixth Sends Salem to 6-3 Victory - Winston-Salem Dash
- Jimenez Suffers Loss in Shutout Defeat - Kinston Indians
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
- Saladino Named CL "Player of the Week" - Winston-Salem Dash
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