Game #8 Preview — Dash vs. Salem
Game #8 — Home Game #1
Winston-Salem Dash (3–4) vs. Salem Red Sox (3–4)
Thursday, April 14–7 p.m.
BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem, NC)
GAME BACKGROUND:
After a 1–4 start to this road trip, Winston-Salem bounced back with consecutive wins, the most recent a 4–2 squeaker against Myrtle Beach on Wednesday night. The Dash return home to BB&T Ballpark on Thursday for their 2016 home opener.
STARTING LINEUP:
Hunter Jones — CF
Louie Lechich — RF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Nick Basto — 1B
Marcus Davis — DH
Brett Austin — C
Mason Robbins — LF
Toby Thomas — 2B
Cleuluis Rondon — SS
Thad Lowry — RHP
DASH DOTS:
- For the first time in 218 days, the Dash will take the field at BB&T Ballpark on Thursday night. Since moving into the facility in 2010, Winston-Salem boasts a 244–176 (.581) home record, which is the best in the Carolina League during that span. The Dash have posted a winning mark at home in five of their first six seasons, with 2014 the exception (34–35). Over the next 24 games through May 8, the Dash will play 17 games at home, with 14 of them against division rivals Myrtle Beach and Salem.
- Even though the Dash have enjoyed tremendous success at BB&T Ballpark, the home opener has been a different story. Winston-Salem has not claimed the lid-lifter of its home schedule since 2012, a 1–0 victory over Carolina. Since then, the Dash have dropped three home openers in a row by a combined five runs. In all, Winston is 2–4 in the first home game at BB&T Ballpark.
- Infielder Nick Basto has been the strongest offensive option for Winston-Salem thus far this season. Within the Carolina League, Basto is tied for second in hits (11), tied for second in RBIs (6), tied for third in total bases (17), fifth in slugging (.654) and sixth in average (.423). The former fifth-round pick already has four multi-hit games in just six starts.
- Once again this year, Winston-Salem struggled in its first series and thrived in its second. The Dash fell to 5–13 in the first set of the season over the last five years after dropping three of four to Lynchburg. However, thanks to this series win at Myrtle Beach, Winston-Salem is 10–5 in the second series during the same span. Though it only collected one victory, the Dash’s starting rotation shined to the tune of a 2.51 ERA (9 ER in 32.1 IP). Two of the Dash’s three wins came in the last at-bat, while Winston struck first in all but one game on the road trip.
- Thursday starts a busy first half between these two division rivals. Winston and Salem will meet 20 times before the All-Star break, with 12 of those contests in the Triad. Last week, Baseball America claimed that Salem possessed the best Opening Day roster in the Minors. The Sox have three of the top 20 prospects in all of baseball: 2B Yoan Moncada (3), OF Andrew Benintendi (15) and 3B Rafael Devers (18).
- After punching out five on Wednesday, Sanburn has whiffed 11 in 7.2 scoreless innings over three appearances.
- In his High-A debut against Lynchburg on Saturday, Thad Lowry retired the first six he faced and blanked the Hillcats until the fifth, when they ousted him from the contest with four runs.
- Former Dash southpaw Carlos Rodon tossed six shutout innings in the White Sox 3–0 win at Minnesota on Wednesday.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Television coverage of Thursday’s home opener will be available on My 48. A full channel guide is available here. The game will also be on 600 AM-WSJS, wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App. The Pregame Dash will begin at 6:45 p.m., with the first pitch at 7:00 p.m.
-Joe
