Dash vs. Wilmington: Game #78 Preview
Winston-Salem Dash (40–37) vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks (40-–35)
Thursday, July 7–7:00 p.m.
Truist Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Game 77 Recap
The Wilmington Blue Rocks plated two runs in the top of the 10th to beat Winston-Salem 7–5.
Neither side could push a run across in the first inning, but Wilmington pulled ahead in the second inning. With one out, Darren Baker picked up an infield single down the third baseline, then Cole Daily drew a walk. Then, Jordy Barley cleared the bases with a triple off of the center-field wall to give the Blue Rocks a 2–0 edge. The inning continued on a single by Yasel Antuna to score Barley. After a brief rain delay, Antuna stole second base when play resumed. That put a runner in scoring position for Ricardo Mendez, who drove in Antuna with another single, giving Wilmington a 4–0 lead.
Despite the troubles in the second, Dash starter Chase Solesky bounced back to retire the next six Wilmington batters he faced to keep the game at 4–0. Then in the bottom half of the fourth, Oscar Colas scorched the first pitch of the frame into right-center for a leadoff double. Later in the frame, Bryan Ramos worked a walk, but ball four skipped away from the catcher Israel Pineda and Colas alertly took third base. After a pop-out, Tyler Osik completely changed the tone of the game with a screaming three-run home run into the seats in right, cutting the deficit to 4–3.
Wilmington opened the top of the fifth with a single by Gage Canning. Later, with one out, Omar Meregildo doubled into the right-field corner which plated Canning.
With the Dash down 5–3 now, Alsander Womack worked a leadoff walk. A wild pitch allowed Womack to take second base before Duke Ellis singled and Womack advanced to third. Colson Montgomery then lifted a sacrifice fly ball deep into center field. Womack scored on the play to make it a 5–4 game, and Ellis tagged up from second base and reached third safely. Up next was Oscar Colas, who grounded a 1–2 pitch to the first baseman Omar Meregildo. He threw home to try and nab Duke Ellis, but the speedy left fielder slid under the tag, to tie the game at 5–5.
From there, both bullpens locked things down. For Winston-Salem, Chase Plymell and Skyler Arias combined for 2.1 scoreless innings. On the other side, Jose Ferrer and Garvin Alston worked three scoreless frames. But in the bottom of the ninth, Womack drew another leadoff walk. Montgomery walked as well, then Oscar Colas singled to load the bases. However, Bryan Ramos grounded into a 6–4–3 double play to send the game to extra innings.
Jordy Barley began the 10th as the ghost runner on second base, with Vince Vannelle on the mound for the Warthogs. Antuna walked, then Ricardo Mendez dropped down a well-placed bunt up the third baseline. Unfortunately, the throw to first was off-line, and Barley scored to put the Blue Rocks ahead 6–5. Later, Israel Pineda doubled into left field to plate Yasel Antuna, giving Wilmington a 7–5 lead now.
Ramos was the ghost runner in the bottom of the 10th, but Winston-Salem was retired in order as the Blue Rocks won 7–5. Jose Ferrer took the win, with Jack Sinclair earning the save, and Vannelle suffering the loss.
WINSTON-SALEM WINNERS
Eleven games into the second half, the Dash are tied for first place in the South Atlantic League South Division with a 7–4 record, sharing the top spot with the Rome Braves.
MONTGOMERY MAKING IT ON-BASE
Colson Montgomery has carried over his hot streak from Kannapolis to Winston-Salem. Through nine games he has a .389 average and .477 on-base percentage, including two home runs and seven RBIs. In all of those games, he’s reached base safely, increasing his on-base streak to 42 games.
DUKE DIGGIN’
Duke Ellis has been consistent all year in showing off his contact and speed. On the basepaths, Ellis has been a terror, as he’s first place in the South Atlantic League in stolen bases with 33 and is tied for second place in runs in the league with 55. Meanwhile, from the batter’s box, he’s got on base reliably as he’s in seventh place in batting average in the league with a .308 average.
WINSTON TOWER POWER
Luis Mieses and Bryan Ramos have been two of the most effective hitters in the South Atlantic League when playing at home. Mieses is tied for the league lead in RBIs with 30 while Ramos is tied for fourth with 27. Ramos has also hit the ball out of Truist Stadium six times this year, tied for the eleventh-best mark in the league.
HOME COOKING
In their last 20 games at home, the Dash have been dominant, going 14–6. Winston-Salem took five out of the six games against Greenville before narrowly winning their series, four games to two, against their I-40 rivals, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. The Dash split the series with Hudson Valley through four games but took the latter two to win the series four games to two. The Dash have split the series so far with Wilmington to give them a 70% winning percentage through the last 20 games.
First pitch is slated for 7:00 p.m.
