The Weeeek in Winston: Dash update, Sept. 1-11

By / / FutureSox

Wow! It’s over, thank god. The Dash lost all but the first and the last two games of September, going 3-7 to close out the year. This left them with a second-half record of 25-41, last in the division, and an overall record of 58-74, second-to-last in the division.

These last 10 games, they were one-hit once, three-hit three times, four-hit once, and five-hit twice (once in a seven-inning doubleheader). They had eight hits twice (once in the other half of the doubleheader) and 11 hits once. They did not homer or triple. Of their 51 total hits, six were doubles and 45 singles.

There were, of course, extenuating circumstances in this second-half collapse, most of them involving the Birmingham Barons, but let’s not jump to the season recap just yet.

Top pitching performances

Hunter Dollander (September 1): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (season, three levels: 66 IP, 58 H, 29 R (27 ER), 12 BB, 73 K, 3.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) 

Chase Solesky (September 2): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K (season, two levels: 113.1 IP, 56 R (53 ER), 33 BB, 82 K, 4.21 ERA, 1.35 WHIP)

Tommy Sommer (two starts): 10 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 9 K, WP (season, two levels: 123 IP, 92 H, 44 R (37 ER), 41 BB, 129 K, 2.71 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) 

Luis Moncada (September 9): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (season, two levels: 66 IP, 78 H, 53 R (47 ER), 33 BB, 52 K, 6.41 ERA, 1.68 WHIP) 

Ángel Acevedo (relief): 6.2 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K (season, three levels:  72.1 IP, 70 H, 45 R (42 ER), 30 BB, 61 K, 5.23 ERA, 1.38 WHIP)

Luis Amaya (relief): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K (season: 46 IP, 45 H, 21 R (17 ER), 26 BB, 62 K, 3.33 ERA, 1.54 WHIP)

Skylar Árias (relief): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (season, three levels: 24.1 IP, 16 H, 15 R (12 ER), 18 BB, 40 K, 4.44 ERA, 1.40 WHIP)

Top hitting performances

Caberea Weaver (LF/CF): 10-for-31, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 11 K, HBP, 3 SB-1 CS (season, three levels: 75 games, .179/.252/.302, 7 HR, 14 SB-3 CS) 

Alsander Womack (2B/3B/DH): 8-for-34, 6 R, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, HBP, SF, 2 SB-1 CS (season, two levels: 83 games, .268/.358/.387, 8 HR, 5 SB-4 CS)

Weekly rundown

Sept. 1

The week started well with a series lead taken against the rival Greensboro Grasshoppers. Hunter Dollander shut the Grasshoppers out for six strong innings, just two baserunners allowed total on two singles, no walks and seven strikeouts. The bullpen of Cooper Bradford, Wilber Perez, and Luis Amaya matched him in quality and the full pitching line for the Dash was 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K, one of their best efforts of the year.

It was a show at the plate as well, four players — Alsander Womack, Colby Smelley, Riley Jepson, and Caberea Weaver — racking up two hits apiece and everyone minus Womack in that group drawing a walk as well. The first Dash hit didn’t come until there were two outs in the third, but it did spark a two-run inning: Weaver and Womack both singled and executed a successful double steal of second and third. Smelley walked, loading the bases for Jepson, who obliged by donking a two-run double (2-0 Dash).

Their next five runs all came in the seventh, still against a scoreless Grasshoppers team: James Beard began the inning with an infield single and was swapped for Jason Matthews in a force out. Keegan Fish singled and a wild pitch got the baserunners to second and third. Weaver walked, again loading the bases with one out. Womack’s bat stayed hot with an RBI single (3-0) and so did Smelley, who singled in Fish and Weaver (5-0).

Not yet sated, Jepson drew a walk to re-load the bases, still with one out, and Atwood singled in another two runs (7-0) before Harvin Mendoza and Beard both made outs to end the inning.

Weaver pushed one more run across the plate in the top of the eighth, his single scoring Fish from a walk and wild pitch. Dash win 8-0 with 11 hits.

Sept. 2

And then the nosedive began. The Dash did score one run on three hits—or really, they scored one run on one hit, Weaver’s double to lead off the sixth inning and break up the no-hitter, with the left fielder soon scoring on a pair of groundouts.

The other two hits were both in the seventh and utterly fruitless, Atwood and shortstop Taishi Nakawake singling back-to-back with two outs, then heading to the dugout after Beard struck out. The team walked five times and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

On the mound, hybrid starter/reliever (we have the technology!!) Luis Moncada went three innings, half of his four runs allowed very technically unearned on a pickoff error he made himself. Everhett Hazelwood was next in line, but was forced to depart mid-at-bat with an injury; his replacement Chase Plymell finished the AB with a walk, then also made a pickoff error, but it ultimately led to no damage.

What did lead to damage was Plymell allowing a walk, a double, and a single in the fifth inning, putting the Grasshoppers up a total of 6-0 at that point. Nick Gallagher also allowed a run over two innings, while Skylar Árias squeaked his way through a scoreless two-walk eighth. Dash lose 7-1.

Sept. 3

This was also a three-hit game for the Dash, but this time they scored twice as many runs as the day before. Sodson Brandon Bossard drew a two-out walk in the third and one batter later, Ben Norman doubled him to third base, the first Dash hit of the day. Womack then singled them both in and even stole second, but that was where he would remain.

Those two runs matched Greensboro’s total for most of the game. Chase Solesky tied his season high in strikeouts with six, so in that way it was not a typical Solesky start, but his two runs allowed on just three hits and one walk over five innings was much more in line. In seven starts between July 17 and this one (included), he gave up no more than five hits in any of them, and departing after just three innings in that one. In the other six starts, he went at least five innings, allowing four hits or fewer. 

Ángel Acevedo was bumped down from the Barons after a disappointing two-inning stint right before Project Birmingham began, and while he also had struggled with his original club, the Cannon Ballers, he enjoyed a good amount of success in a small sample size at the High-A level. Here, he pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, walking none and striking out one. Ty Madrigal followed up with three strikeouts in 1.2 innings as well, shepherding it to the 10th still tied 2-2.

After a walk and two steals but also three swinging strikeouts in the Dash half of the 10th, Haylen Green entered the game and was victimized by a sacrifice bunt, getting the ghost runner to third. It turns out the ghost runner would have scored anyway, as the next batter hit a walk-off double. Dash lose 3-2.

Sept. 4

It’s fair to consider September 4 a season low point. The Dash were one-hit by the Grasshoppers (the Grasshoppers!!), had no baserunners at all until there was one out in the ninth, and their own starting pitcher couldn’t finish the first inning. Brooks Gosswein’s first inning started with a strikeout and only deteriorated; a single, wild pitch, single, walk, single, walk, and hit by pitch ended Gosswein’s day, trailing 3-0. Bradford quickly induced a double play to escape the inning. Given the circumstances, this was, of course, enough for a loss for Gosswein, who was also on the losing end of the last Dash one-hitter on August 18 (he pitched much better there though).

Bradford went on to give up a pair of solo dongs in the second and, after two scoreless innings from Jordan Mikel, Perez gave up one more. Karan Patel and Amaya were both perfect in their one-inning appearances, Patel with two strikeouts and Amaya striking out the side.

The one hit was Weaver’s ninth-inning, one-out single (on August 18, the one hit was Bryan Ramos’s ninth-inning, one-out single). Beard then drew the one walk, but Womack and Atwood did nothing much and the game and series ended in ignominy. Dash lose 6-0.

Sept. 6

The Dash broke out with eight hits to start the final series of the season, hosting the Brooklyn Cyclones at home. However, those eight hits produced just two runs, which was not as many as six, the number of runs the Cyclones scored.

Tommy Sommer (rides the highway) overcame minor early-season tumult to really shine, pitching 88 innings with a 2.15 ERA in 17 starts after May 19 (split between the Ballers and the Dash). In that span, he struck out 87 and walked 25. Over six innings against the Cyclones, he gave up just four hits and one run, striking out six and walking one. He left with a 2-1 lead.

It was a lead that Plymell could not hold, allowing a single and walking two before Green relieved him, allowing one inherited runner to score on a single and another on a ground ball out, giving Brooklyn a 3-2 lead. Green was culpable for one more run in the eighth on a single and a double. Nick Gallagher’s two-run appearance (double, home run to the first two batters faced) in the ninth only further dimmed the chances at a comeback.

Unfortunately, the Dash were done scoring after two innings. Atwood executed a beautiful Duke Ellis Special in the first, drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second, taking third on a ground ball, then scoring on Smelley’s single (the only way it could have been more classic is if he had scored before the single on Norman’s ground out). In the second, with two outs, Matthews, Atwood, and Womack all singled, Womack’s scoring Matthews for the second and final Winston run of the game. Dash lose 6-2.

Sept. 7

Dollander was not so strong this time out and the Dash’s five hits were not enough to overcome the five runs he allowed in 2.2 innings. Power was rare this series for both teams (the Dash, again, did not homer in the month of September), but the Cyclones swatted two of their three total dingers off Dollander in the third inning.

In relief, though, Acevedo, Patel, Bradford, and Árias were nails, Bradford the only one experiencing any real trouble with three walks. Combined, the bullpen went 6.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight while walking just those three.

Again, both Dash runs were scored early with nothing else for the rest of the game. Atwood hit a leadoff single in the first and Womack followed it up with one of his own, then Norman singled in Atwood. Jepson’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0 Dash, temporarily. The team only mustered two hits after the first inning, Fish’s seventh-inning single and Atwood’s single leading off the eighth. Dash lose 5-2.

Sept. 8

Atwood broke up the no-hitter early in this one, doing so with a single in the very first Dash at-bat of the game, but it was one of only four total hits en route to another shutout loss. Two brutal early double plays erased any shot at scoring early, and nothing stirred up enough late to push anything across the plate. The first double play, hit by Smelley in the first, stranded Atwood at third to end the inning and the second, off the bat of Bossard, erased Weaver’s single and stranded Jepson at second after a leadoff walk.

Nakawake singled to lead off the third, staying there as the next three struck out, and Smelley topped it off with a doubling to start the third, remaining on second through two more strikeouts and a fly ball for out number three.

Jonah Scolaro had a memorable (in the bad way) Single-A debut after a strong start to the year with Kannapolis. Like Gosswein before him, he couldn’t finish the first, although he did get two outs amidst the two singles, double, walk, steal, and wild pitch. Three runs scored, obviously enough for the loss. Perez finished the inning and pitched two more scoreless, as did Amaya. Mikel had a rough going of it, walking four and allowing two runs in 2.2 innings, and Madrigal allowed one more run in the ninth. Dash lose 6-0.

Sept. 9

Seemingly against all odds, Moncada delivered one of the best starts of his career and definitely the best appearance, starting or otherwise, of the season. He went five innings on just 66 pitches, a double and two singles the only baserunners against him, walking none and striking out three. 

This beautiful start was spoiled both by the Dash being shut out on three hits and by Mets prospect Joe Suozzi (of course the Mets have a guy named Joe Suozzi), who went deep off Green as part of a three-run Cyclones seventh. Gallagher took over with two on and let in one inherited run with a single but not the other, pitching two more scoreless innings and striking out five.

The perfect game here was broken up fairly early, Norman walking with one out in the second before Ivan González grounded into a double play, but the no-hitter persisted a little longer, until Atwood’s two-out double in the fourth. This was followed by a Womack almost-RBI single, but Atwood was thrown out at home.

Their third and final hit resulted in something similar: Mendoza singled with two outs in the fifth and was not successful in going for the double. Norman’s eighth-inning leadoff walk (stranded there) was their next and last baserunner of the game. Dash lose 3-0 and seven in a row.

Sept. 11, Game 1

Sept. 10 was rained out, so the season ended on a 9/11 doubleheader, both games scheduled to be seven innings long. Gosswein lasted into the fourth this time out and joyfully, the Dash were not one-hit. Womack and Norman both singled with one out in the first and Smelley reached on a fielder’s choice-error combo by the shortstop and second baseman that allowed Womack to score. Smelley and Norman double-stole second and third, but Mendoza and Fish struck out for no further capitalization.

They broke out for two more in the third; Womack walked, Norman doubled him to third, and Smelley singled him home to give the Dash the lead. Mendoza came through with a run-scoring base hit to put the Dash up by two.

The last and eventual game-deciding Dash run scored in the fourth; Beard led off and doubled, was bunted singled to third by Atwood, then scored on the classic double play ground ball by Womack.

Still, Gosswein left with the game with a lead and Bradford gave up a run but also exited leading (getting the win as well). Árias and Amaya were the only two to not allow runs. Regardless, Dash win 5-4.

Sept. 11, Game 2

Tommy Sommer (moves like lightning) was dominant again in his last start of the year, throwing just four innings, but four two-hit shutout innings. In support, the Dash scored three: two in the third after Nakawake and Bossard both walked and double-stole third and second, a wild pitch scoring Nakawake and Womack’s sac fly scoring Bossard (2-0 Dash), then one more in the fourth after González singled, was passed-balled to second, and scored on Mendoza’s base hit (3-0). In that inning, Weaver and Beard both reached as well to load the bases with nobody out, but they couldn’t get that crucial run across.

On the mound, Scolaro made a surprise appearance to get some work in, pitching one scoreless inning of relief. Plymell did not fare so well; he retired two in the sixth but also put two on, then gave up three straight singles to make it a 3-3 tie. Madrigal helped him out of the inning and Acevedo put a bow on his season with two scoreless innings, including one in extras.

The Dash were mostly quiet until the eighth, extras in minor-league-doubleheader-land. Womack was the ghost runner at second and he quickly found himself at third after a wild pitch. González drew a one-out walk and the Cyclones intentionally walked Mendoza to get to Weaver, showing an intense lack of scouting; Weaver hit an infield single to walk it off and end the season on a high note. Dash win 4-3.