Game #7 Preview — Dash at Myrtle Beach

Game #7 — Road Game #7
Winston-Salem Dash (2–4) at Myrtle Beach Pelicans (3–3)
Wednesday, April 13–7:05 p.m.
TicketReturn.Com Field (Myrtle Beach, SC)

GAME BACKGROUND:

Behind six sensational innings from Spencer Adams, Winston-Salem edged Myrtle Beach 4–3 on Tuesday night at TicketReturn.Com Field. Adams, who turned 20 today, scattered six hits in what was the longest start from a Dash hurler in 2016. Winston-Salem goes for their first series win of the season on Wednesday.

STARTING LINEUP:

Cleuluis Rondon (above) turned 22 years old on Wednesday. He shares a birthday with pitcher Spencer Adams, who turned 20 (Andrew Dye/ W-S Journal).

Hunter Jones — CF
Louie Lechich — RF
Gerson Montilla — 3B
Nick Basto — DH
Marcus Davis — 1B
Brett Austin — C
Michael Danner — LF
Toby Thomas — 2B
Ryan Leonards — SS
Matt Cooper — RHP

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DASH DOTS:

• Dash first baseman Nick Basto continues to shine in the first week of the season. On Tuesday, the former fifth-round pick went 3-for-4, including an RBI triple in the third inning. Basto has collected at least two hits in four of his five starts, and his .455 batting average (10-for-22) is second-best in the league. He only trails Carolina’s Keith Curcio (.462) among qualifiers. Last year, Basto did not record his 10th hit of the season until May 5, his 24th game.
• Not much has separated the Dash and Pelicans in recent meetings. Tuesday marked the two clubs’ fourth consecutive one-run game. Eight of the last nine have been decided by one or two runs, with Myrtle Beach enjoying a slight 5–4 advantage during this stretch. Since the start of 2015, the Dash and Birds have met 31 times, and Myrtle Beach owns a slight 16–15 edge.
• While the Dash’s starters have been outstanding during this series, the bullpen has scuffled. Winston-Salem’s starting duo of Blair Walters and Adams has blanked the Birds over 10 combined innings of work. On the flip side, the Dash’s bullpen has permitted eight runs (all earned) in seven and a third innings (9.82 ERA).
• Myrtle Beach’s Jonathan Martinez will make his fifth start against Winston-Salem on Wednesday. Most recently, Martinez won the deciding Game 3 of last year’s Southern Division Championship Series (6.0 IP, 2 R-ER). In three regular season outings against the Dash, the righty boasted a 1.13 ERA (16.0 IP, 2 ER). On Opening Night, Martinez limited Frederick to one run in five innings en route to the victory.
• Following Wednesday’s rubber match at Myrtle Beach, the Dash will begin the seventh season inside BB&T Ballpark. Winston entertains the Salem Red Sox for a four-game set that kicks off Thursday night. Since the beautiful downtown facility opened in 2010, the Dash boast a 244–176 (.581) home record, the best in the Carolina League during that span. However, the Dash have not won their first home game since 2012, a 1–0 victory over Carolina.
• In addition to Adams, infielder Cleuluis Rondon is celebrating a birthday, his 22nd.
• Even though they have only committed one error in their last three games, the Dash still pace the circuit in defensive miscues with 11, one more than both Carolina and Lynchburg.
• In his first professional start on Friday at Lynchburg, Matt Cooper gave up just two runs over five innings. He had made 59 relief appearances with the Sox system before transitioning into a starting role.

Wednesday’s game will be broadcast live on wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio app. The Pregame Dash will begin at 6:50 p.m., with the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.

-Joe