Results tagged ‘ Spencer Arroyo ’
Still plenty of positives
Dan Black is shining for Double-A Birmingham after a tremendous 2012 in the Triad (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
Even though the Dash have dropped three in a row, there are plenty of positive notes to hit on during this Tuesday afternoon. How about an optimistic set of Dash Dots? Last time we did that, Winston-Salem mustered a sweep at Frederick (proof here). Here’s hoping for a similar result.
DASH DOTS:
- Dating back to last season, Winston-Salem outfielder Adam Heisler has reached base in 34 straight games, which is tied for the second-longest current streak in Minor League Baseball. High Desert’s Jamal Austin has reached safely in 38 straight games, while Nashville’s Scooter Gennett also has a 34-game run.
- Heisler made his way aboard in the final three contests of 2012 with rookie-level Great Falls before finding his way on base in all 31 games thus far this season (19 with Low-A Kannapolis and 12 with Winston-Salem). Heisler has hit safely in 27 of these 34 games, and he owns a .303 (40-for-132) average with 15 RBIs and 23 runs scored during this streak.
- Winston-Salem leads the Carolina League in fielding percentage (.976), and the Dash are tied with Potomac for the fewest errors on the circuit (28). The Dash stumbled out of the gates defensively, amassing 10 errors in the first four games and 21 in the first 14. Since then, though, the Dash have only made seven defensive miscues in their last 17 games.
- Dash alum Jordan Danks hit a game-winning home run in the eleventh inning against Kansas City Monday, helping the White Sox avoid a sweep against the surging Royals. It was Danks’ first homer of the season.
- In that ballgame, Addison Reed, who shined with Winston in 2011, earned his 11th save. He also has a win, which means that Reed has had some factor in the decision in 12 of the White Sox first 13 wins.
- How about the start for Double-A Birmingham? The Barons are a Southern League-best 20-10 on the season, including a 13-2 record at home. Birmingham just wrapped up a five-game sweep of Chattanooga over the weekend with a thrilling 16-14 win Sunday afternoon.
- Multiple 2012 Dash alums are at or near the top of the SL in a handful of offensive categories. Dan Black is currently leading in batting average (.340) and RBIs (25) and sits second in hits (35). He is only two behind fellow Baron and former Winston-Salem player Marcus Semien, who tops the league in hits with 37. Trayce Thompson also has the second-most runs (24) on the circuit.
- On the pitching side, Steve McCray and Scott Snodgress are two of five pitchers in the SL who have won four games this season, while Erik Johnson (third, 1.30) and Spencer Arroyo (ninth, 2.36) are in the top 10 on the circuit in earned run average. Taylor Thompson is tied for third with five saves thus far this season, too.
- Vine is one of the newest social media platforms, and both Dash players and Dash fans are having fun with it. Check out Courtney Hawkins’ clips from the Dash’s MVP Education Day at BB&T Ballpark last Saturday. Plus, Dash fan Eric Martinez sums up a Saturday night game here.
The Dash try to avoid losing their fourth straight home game, something they have only done once in BB&T Ballpark history, tonight at 7 against Frederick. Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 here.
- Erika, Rob and Brian
Putting a bow on Opening Weekend
BB&T Ballpark hosted some great crowds for Opening Weekend 2013 (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images).
Before we recap this weekend, our thoughts go out to all those affected by the tragedy at today’s Boston Marathon. Baseball takes a back seat to things like that.
The Dash took two out of three games at BB&T Ballpark this weekend against the Carolina Mudcats, giving them a 5-4 record so far this season, and tying them with the Mudcats at the top of the Carolina League’s Southern Division. Some quick notes from a great Opening Weekend:
- The attendance at Friday and Saturday’s games marked the fourth highest two-game total in the history of BB&T Ballpark with 13,874 fans in attendance. A tremendous crowd of 6,963 fans took in Friday’s home opener, while 6,911 fans watched the Dash’s first home victory of the season on Saturday night.
- In yesterday’s series finale, the Dash set season highs in runs (15) and hits (17) in a 15-2 romp over the Mudcats. The 15 runs is one shy of the Dash team record, which was set against Salem on May 8, 2010, and matched at Potomac on June 23, 2012.
- Chris Beck (six innings, no runs Saturday) and Terance Marin (six and two-thirds innings, one run Sunday) became the first two Dash starters to post quality starts in 2013, and both picked up their first win of the season over the weekend.
Courtney Hawkins hit a pair of long balls for the Dash this weekend to give him four already this year (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
- After hitting three home runs (including a Jeremy Farrell grand slam) yesterday, the Dash have now hit home runs in seven consecutive games and lead the Carolina League with 12 long balls. Courtney Hawkins hit two home runs this weekend to bring his season total to four, which is tied for second in the CL.
- While the Dash kicked off their fourth season at BB&T Ballpark over the weekend, Double-A Birmingham opened new Regions Field with a bang. Dash alums Spencer Arroyo, Erik Johnson, Steve McCray and Scott Snodgress all started for the Barons this weekend, and all four were victorious during the Barons’ five-game sweep of Mississippi.
The Dash are back on the road again today, traveling to Myrtle Beach to battle the Pelicans for the first time this year. First pitch for tonight’s series opener is set for 7:05. Join Brian here at 6:50 for the Pregame Dash!
- Rob
52 Days Later…
The Dash are back in Wilmington for the first of three against the Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium. While walking from the clubhouse to the broadcast booth, I couldn’t help but reminisce back to the Dash’s last trip to Delaware.
Winston-Salem arrived June 14 with a three-game cushion on Salem with four days left in the first half. The Dash’s magic number was two. After a series-opening loss Thursday night, the Dash corralled a thrilling 2-1 victory Friday to set up a clinch chance on a Saturday night in Wilmington.
That night was 52 days ago, and it was a memorable one for the Dash. Despite spoiling an early five-run advantage, Winston-Salem pulled away for a 9-5 victory that officially punched the Dash’s ticket to the Carolina League playoffs for the 25th time in franchise history.
Since that euphoric Saturday night in the First State, nine of the 24 players have left the active roster. The White Sox plan is working well because seven of those nine have advanced to Double-A Birmingham (Spencer Arroyo, Miguel Gonzalez, Nick McCully, Jake Oester, Jake Petricka, Carlos Sanchez and Brady Shoemaker), while another (Matt Heidenreich) is in Double-A with Houston’s organization after a deadline deal.
Check out some of the links below that take us all back to that incredible final weekend of the first half:
- Setting the tone the night before the clinch
- Highlights from the division-clinching win
- Post-game interviews after the victory
- The first half’s theme: “Best team I’ve ever been on…”
The Dash won’t be clinching anything over the next three days, but today begins a long stretch of mostly road games. Winston-Salem will play 14 of its next 17 away from home. Once this run is over, more clinching opportunities will present themselves with the playoffs on the horizon.
- Brian
Collop Takes No-Hitter Into Sixth Inning
Photo courtesy of Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash.
Winston-Salem starter Justin Collop took a no-hitter into the sixth inning during his start Friday at Myrtle Beach. Teodoro Martinez’s double down the left field line ended the run with two away and the bases clean in the home half of the sixth.
It was the longest no-hit bid of the season by a Dash pitcher. Two other pitchers have taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning, with both of those instances also coming against Myrtle. Matt Heidenreich tossed five and a third innings of no-hit baseball May 17, while Spencer Arroyo’s bid ended against the leadoff hitter in the sixth inning against the Pelicans in a double dip opener May 15.
Collop entered the outing 6-2 with a 4.39 earned run average in 20 appearances, seven of which were starts. He had only tossed one inning against the Pelicans this season, recording a scoreless inning of relief May 16 at BB&T Ballpark.
Winston’s defense robbed Myrtle Beach multiple times before the no-no bid came to an end. Carlos Sanchez threw out Brett Nicholas from the outfield grass for a 4-3 putout to end the first. Ross Wilson’s leaping catch at the left field wall robbed Tomas Telis of extra bases in the second. In the third, David Herbek’s stabbed a hot shot bouncer near the third base bag and threw out Santiago Chirino at first base. Finally, Michael Earley made a galloping catch to once again cost Telis a hit in the fifth.
When the no-hitter ended, the Dash had a 5-0 lead over Myrtle Beach. Catch the end of the play-by-play call here.
- Brian
Left Never Felt So Right
Spencer Arroyo pitched for the Dash, but he never came out of the bullpen (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
When Matt Wickswat made his first 2012 appearance with the Dash Wednesday night, Winston-Salem finally did something that all big league squads took care of within the season’s first few weeks.
The Dash finally used a left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen.
It took Winston 90 games, but the club finally pulled off the feat. Shockingly, one other full-season minor league team still has not used a lefty out of its bullpen. The Akron Aeros, Cleveland’s Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League, have played 90 games without using a southpaw as a reliever.
For what it is worth, both the Dash (53-36-1) and the Aeros (52-38) have the best records in their leagues.
The state of Ohio does not like lefties, it seems. The only two other full-season squads who have used a left-handed reliever less than 10 times are in the state of Ohio. Low-A Dayton (Cincinnati) has used a lefty reliever four times, while Low-A Lake County (Cleveland) has done so on eight different occasions.
Wickswat is only the third lefty to work for the Dash this season. Wednesday night’s starter Blair Walters is the only other one still on the roster, while Spencer Arroyo made 14 starts before a promotion to Double-A Birmingham.
I wouldn’t expect other teams to adopt the “don’t use a left-hander out of the bullpen” philosophy, but it has worked well for the Dash. And Wickswat did post a perfect eighth inning of relief, so southpaw bullpen arms are working on a perfect season in Winston-Salem.
- Brian
Dash All-Star Promotion
A new month brings another promotion. This call up will be a tough one to stomach though for Dash fans. Carolina League All-Star Brady Shoemaker moves up to Double-A Birmingham for the first time in his career. It is an inevitable part of minor league baseball when a player does well at a lower level he moves up through the system. It is great to see Shoemaker get rewarded for a spectacular season, but the Dash will have to find a way to replicate the solid offense he brought to the team.
In a corresponding roster move Ross Wilson was recalled from Kannapolis. Wilson started the season with the Dash and played eight games in the infield, hitting just .167 before being sent down. However, in Kannapolis he prospered while developing into a multi-faceted infield and outfield player.
Wilson also found his power in Kannapolis. In his eighth game with the Intimidators Wilson drove in a career-high eight runs and slugged three home runs. He played in 64 games, finishing with a .277 average, seven HR and 33 RBI.
Brady Shoemaker leaves Winston-Salem after playing in 78 games with the Dash, compiling a .331 batting average, 13 HR and 59 RBI. He departs the Carolina League as the league leader in batting average, RBI, runs (61) and total bases (156). Shoemaker was also in the top five in a number of offensive categories, including home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and extra-base hits.
Brady Shoemaker moves up to Double-A for the first time after hitting .331with 13 HR and 59 RBI for the Dash (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
Shoemaker was named to an All-Star team for the second straight season after being named to the South Atlantic All-Star team in 2011. This year, Shoemaker represented the hometown Dash in the All-Star Game at BB&T Ballpark and won the Home Run Derby, beating former Winston-Salem Warthog C.J. Retherford in the final round.
The Dash will miss and possibly struggle to replace the offensive output Shoemaker contributed to the team, but what will be impossible to duplicate is his presence in the clubhouse. Shoemaker was well-respected by everyone on the team and essentially a de facto leader on the field. Shoemaker played in left field for 68 of his 78 games with the Dash. That stability and consistent production can be hard to find in the minors.
Shoemaker joins fellow position players Daniel Wagner and Jake Oester in Birmingham. Kyle Bellamy, Andre Rienzo, Spencer Arroyo, Nick McCully and Jon Bachanov comprise the Dash pitching that was promoted to the Double-A level during June.
A new month kicks off with more changes, and the Dash will move forward with a new look in left field.
-Mike
Midseason Promotions Around High-A Baseball
The Carolina League All-Star break occurs at approximately the same time as multiple other leagues around the minors. Thus, it becomes a popular time for promotions. The Dash sent Spencer Arroyo, Daniel Wagner and Jake Oester up to Double-A Birmingham the day after the All-Star Break and received Blair Walters from Kannapolis. While the Dash did not lose any of their three All-Stars to promotion, the same wasn’t true for all representatives of the California-Carolina League All-Star Game. Here are a few of the big names who have recently departed the High-A level.
Cody Buckel made his Double-A debut Sunday (Alex Yocum-Beeman/Frisco Roughriders).
Cody Buckel- The Rangers called up the 20-year-old Buckel the day after he pitched a scoreless second inning for the Carolina League All-Stars. Their 2nd round pick in 2010 led the league in every major statistical category for a pitcher. He finished with a 5-3 record and a 1.31 ERA. Buckel also had 91 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.98. He made his Double-A debut Sunday night but picked up the loss after allowing five hits and two runs in four innings.
Buckel is a good friend of Trevor Bauer, the Arizona Diamondbacks top pick in the 2011 draft. Bauer was called up to the big league club Sunday night and will be the first member of the 2011 class to make it to the majors when he makes his debut Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves.
Jackie Bradley, Jr.- To the relief of every Carolina League pitcher, Jackie Bradley, Jr., was called up to Double-A Portland. The Red Sox center fielder set the tone for Salem in the leadoff spot, going on to record league bests in batting average, doubles, on-base percentage and walks. In his first four games at the Double-A level Bradley Jr. is hitting .375 and has scored four runs. Outside of his offensive numbers, Bradley also has tremendous defensive range in center field.
Jeremie Tice- The Mudcats masher during the first-half of the season carried his big bat up to Double-A Akron. Tice was primarily a designated hitter for Carolina but spent a few games in left field and first base. In 52 games during the first half of the season, Tice hit .282 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI and a league-best slugging percentage of .580. In three games with Akron, Tice is hitting .417 with a homer and five RBI.
Sugar Ray Marimon- The former Wilmington right-hander punched his way into Double-A after compiling a 4-2 record and 2.12 ERA in nine starts. Marimon struck out 60 batters and walked 18 in 68 innings. He will make his debut for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Monday afternoon.
A few players from the California League were selected as All-Stars but had already been promoted from their High-A clubs. Most notably, Tony Cingrani of the Cincinnati Reds organization was sent from Bakersfield to Double-A Pensacola after compiling a 5-1 record and 1.11 ERA in the notoriously hitter-friendly California League. Cingrani also struck out 71 batters in just 56 and two-thirds innings. Cingrani has made four starts with the Double-A Blue Wahoos, with his best coming against Birmingham on June 8 when he pitched six scoreless innings, striking out nine batters.
Mid-season promotions change the dynamic of a team but are a necessary part of minor league baseball. The Dash lost many pieces from a title-winning first-half team, but, for the moment their three All-Stars remain on the roster. With each of the Southern Division teams losing key members, the Dash could be in line to win the second half as well.
-Mike
Transaction Thursday
Spencer Arroyo is heading to Double-A for the first time in his career (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
The day after the All-Star break is a popular one to make roster moves, and the White Sox certainly threw in their share of promotions, demotions and activations. Six moves from today’s flurry of activity affect the Dash, while another one happened two days ago. Without further ado, here are the tweaks to the Dash’s roster.
- LHP Spencer Arroyo (5-3, 4.33 ERA in 14 starts with the Dash) promoted to Double-A Birmingham
- INF Daniel Wagner (.253, 1 HR, 18 RBI in 51 games with the Dash) promoted to Double-A Birmingham
- INF Kyle Shelton (.368, 1 HR, 5 RBI in 5 games with the Dash) rejoins Winston-Salem from Triple-A Charlotte
- LHP Blair Walters (3-3, 2.88 ERA in 13 starts with the Intimidators) promoted to Winston-Salem from Low-A Kannapolis
- INF Marcus Semien (.249, 5 HR, 25 RBI in 45 games with the Dash) activated off the disabled list (right hamstring strain)
- RHP Taylor Thompson (0-1, 7.71 ERA in 11 relief appearances with the Dash) activated off the disabled list (right triceps strain)
- (Note: this was made official Tuesday) RHP Ryan Buch 4-5, 5.98 ERA in 13 appearances with the Dash) assigned to Low-A Kannapolis
To make a long story short, the Dash’s roster looks much different than it did during the first half finale in Wilmington Sunday. Congrats to Arroyo, Wagner and Walters, all of whom have been promoted to a level for the first time in their minor league careers. Plus, it is great to have Semien, Shelton and Thompson back with the squad.
Winston-Salem kicks off the second half tonight at 7:05 against the Potomac Nationals in Woodbridge, Va. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:50 here. I’ll talk with you then.
- Brian
Many Dash Heroes in Salem
Facing a drop to second place in the Carolina League’s Southern Division, the Dash turned in one of their most complete efforts in a 6-4 victory over the Salem Red Sox Tuesday night. Many players had a significant effect on the game, which was one of Winston-Salem’s most important in 2012.
Here’s to Dan Black, who doubled home two runs in the first inning to establish the game’s momentum before Salem could swing a bat.
Here’s to Spencer Arroyo, who posted the ninth five-plus inning effort in his last 10 games and held the Sox’s strong lineup to just one run in five and two-thirds innings.
Here’s to Chris Bassitt, who struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. (the owner of the Carolina League’s best batting average) in the sixth inning with two on and two down in a one-run game.
Here’s to Trayce Thompson, who shrugged off a recent slump by crushing a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to give Winston-Salem some much-needed insurance.
Here’s to Brady Shoemaker, who continued his all-around season with a pair of hard-earned walks that later turned into runs.
Here’s to Nick McCully, who earned the toughest five outs of the game to earn his fourth save of the season.
Here’s to this Dash club, which now leads the Southern Division by a game and a half with 13 to go.
This is fun.
- Brian
Petricka Set to Start Monday
(Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash)
Three days after a scary incident at Carolina, Dash right-hander Jake Petricka will return to the mound for game one of this afternoon’s doubleheader with the Frederick Keys.
On the fourth pitch of Petricka’s Friday start against the Mudcats, Tyler Holt hit a line drive off Petricka’s right elbow. He tried to stay in the game, but the fifth-best prospect in the White Sox system (according to Baseball America) could not throw a warm-up pitch and headed for the clubhouse.
Petricka had a noticeable bruise on his right elbow after the game, but he said it felt OK after initial pain in the minutes following the play. The righty was aiming to make his next start, and the elbow healed so quickly that he will pitch two days early.
Ryan Buch will start the nightcap this evening against the Keys, with Matt Heidenreich putting his 16-inning scoreless streak on the line Tuesday. Then, Justin Collop takes to the hill Wednesday, and Spencer Arroyo concludes the set Thursday.
- Brian
