The Week in Winston: Dash update, May 19-25

By / / FutureSox

Untimely hitting and poor pitching have combined to send the Dash to a 3-4 weekly record, a rare seven-game, seven-day stretch that included the makeup of a rain-delayed game from earlier in the month. They are 7-14 in May after a >.500 April. 

Top pitching performances

Jordan Mikel (May 24 start): 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, BB, 2 K, balk (season: 28 ⅔ IP, 17 R (17 ER), 9 BB, 26 K, 5.34 ERA, 1.12 WHIP)

Jesús Valles (relief/starting): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, K, HBP (season: 26 ⅔ IP, 14 R (13 ER), 9 BB, 17 K, 4.39 ERA, 1.46 WHIP)

Cooper Bradford (relief): 4 ⅓ IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (season: 15 ⅔ IP, 8 R (5 ER), 13 BB, 13 K, 2.87 ERA, 1.66 WHIP)

Trey Jeans (relief): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K, HBP (season: 11 ⅔ IP, 6 R (2 ER), 7 BB, 17 K, 1.54 ERA, 1.54 WHIP)

Top hitting performances

Terrell Tatum (RF/LF/DH): 13-for-19 (!!!?), 5 2B, HR, 6 R, 9 RBI, 3 BB, K, HBP, 2 SB, 1 CS (season: .313/.468/.479)

Luis Mieses (DH/RF): 9-for-25, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 4 K (season: .305/.356/.463)

Duke Ellis (LF/CF/DH): 6-for-22, 7 R, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K, HBP, 3 SB (season: .341/.417/.480, 20 SB, 1 CS)

Honorable mention: Tyler Osik went 3-for-10 in three games, scoring two runs, knocking one in, walking twice, and striking out three times. Over 29 games, he is batting .302/.380/.415.

Weekly Rundown

The Dash fought back from a 6-2 deficit to come within one run of the Asheville Tourists on May 19, but then allowed three eighth-inning runs to ensure their own defeat. All six of those early Tourists runs were scored off Dash starter Luis Moncada. The 24-year-old lefty gave up an RBI double and sacrifice fly in the first, then in the second, loaded the bases with nobody out, retired the next two batters, and allowed back-to-back doubles for four runs.

The Tourists were not alone in scoring twice in the first inning; with two outs in the bottom of the frame, Jason Matthews drew a walk, Oscar Colás hit his eighth double to score him, then was himself scored on Luis Mieses’ 16th double.

They moderately-sized-balled their way to another run in the fifth when Terrell Tatum doubled to lead the inning off and was subsequently grounded to third base and across the plate by Duke Ellis and Matthews, respectively. In the seventh, trailing 6-3, Tatum bunted his way on base, Ellis walked directly afterwards, and both advanced a base on a Matthews fly ball. Tatum scored on a balk, making it 6-4, and Ellis scored when Colás grounded out to make it 6-5.

In the top of the eighth, Everhett Hazelwood pitched inning number two of his Dash debut, having handled the seventh without drama. He got two outs into the inning before a walk, two singles, a wild pitch, and another single pushed three more runs across the plate, 9-5 Tourists. In the bottom of the inning, the first four Dash batters reached base on a single and three walks, including one with the bases loaded. The opportunity was there, but Ellis grounded out (scoring one more), then Matthews and Colás both struck out to end the threat. Dash lose 9-7.

There was another not-quite-enough comeback late on May 20 as the team lost their third game in a row. Matthew Thompson again struggled, giving up five runs for the second straight outing. The bullpen also faltered behind him; while Karan Patel gave up no runs of his own, he did allow his one inherited runner to score, and Ty Madrigal and Zach Cable also contributing to the deepening hole. Luis Amaya was the one pitcher to avoid damage, walking one and striking one out over a scoreless inning and a third.

The Dash matched the Tourists in hits with nine, a full third of those coming off the bat of Mieses, all singles. Harvin Mendoza opened Dash scoring with an RBI base hit in the second, then in the third, Tatum went deep for the first time all year and second as a professional to give Winston a short-lived 2-1 lead. Several innings and many Tourist runs later, the Dash mounted an ultimately ineffectual rally. With one out, Mieses singled and advanced on a wild pitch and Tyler Osik walked. After Adam Hackenberg flied out, Luis Curbelo singled to load the bases, then Mendoza and Alsander Womack both walked to force in runs. Tatum then also walked, but was cruelly robbed of an RBI by a run-scoring passed ball during his at-bat. Dash lose 7-5.

Finally, a late crooked number worked out for the Dash on May 21. Before that, though, there were a couple of early crooked numbers. In the first inning, the Dash executed the Duke Ellis Special: Ellis walked, stole second base, and scored on Tatum’s double. Tatum himself then scored when Bryan Ramos, showing signs of life, singled him in. Two more runs came in the second, Womack and Ellis both reaching and scoring on another Tatum double. Tatum started this week batting .148 with a .546 OPS and ended it at .313 with a .952 OPS.

Chase Solesky had a decent enough start, two runs over eight innings with both runs coming on solo shots, but Wilber Perez also gave up two runs over only 1⅓ innings to let the Tourists tie it up. He was bailed out a three-run Dash seventh; with two outs, Osik, Mendoza, and Womack all hit RBI singles, sandwiched around the ejection of the Tourists pitcher and also their interim manager. Fraser Ellard, Isaiah Carranza, and Vince Vannelle all struck out two over at least one scoreless inning apiece for the seventh, eighth, and ninth. Dash win 7-4.

On May 22, the Dash led 2-0 after one, led 2-1 after two, trailed 5-2 after three, trailed *8*-2 after the top of the eighth, trailed just 8-7 after the bottom of the eighth, tied it 8-8 in the ninth, trailed 10-8 after the top of the 10th, then walked it off with three runs scored in the bottom of the 10th. It was a back-and-forth affair, is what I’m trying to say.

Drew Dalquist delivered another ehhhh outing, three of his five runs unearned over three innings. Even with the unearned runs, his ERA rose and is now at 7.03 over 32 innings pitched (24 walks, 23 strikeouts). Bradford and Jeans both put down two scoreless innings, then Hazelwood made his second appearance for the Dash, again in the eight, and again gave up three runs. Amaya gave up a couple of runs as well, one unearned due to the ghost runner, but he was also credited with the win so at least he has that.

The Dash scored first in the first and then not again until the eighth, ninth, and 10th. That first run came on a modified version of the Duke Ellis Special, with Ellis singling and taking third on a Tatum single, in so doing not having the opportunity to steal second; however, he did steal home while the Tourists were busy trying (unsuccessfully) to stop Tatum from stealing second. Tatum then scored when Mieses singled.

Then, the eighth, down 8-2: Womack hit a lead-off single, Matthews doubled him to third, Ellis walked the bases loaded, and Tatum cleared them with yet another double. Mieses obligingly knocked him in with his own 17th double of the season; he sits comfortably atop the South Atlantic League leaderboard. Mieses was himself knocked in by Adam Hackenberg.

They entered the ninth needing one run to tie, and Matthews provided that run at the very start of the inning with his first home run of the season. This game almost ended shortly thereafter: Ellis was hit by a pitch, was singled to third by (who else) Tatum, and Colás was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out. Mieses and Hackenberg both grounded out, two consecutive forces at the plate, but Mendoza struck out to end the inning.

After Amaya gave up those two crucial 10th-inning runs, the Dash turned it on. They did not make an out as a batter in the bottom of the 10th. Mendoza started the inning as the ghost runner at second base, took third on a Curbelo single, and scored on an infield pop-up single by Womack. Matthews was hit by a pitch, again loading the bases with nobody out, and Ellis hit a single good for one RBI but not two, as Womack was out at home on the throw. Considerately, the Tourists re-loaded the bases by hitting Tatum, then Colás laced a single to left for the walk-off. Dash win 11-10.

There were zero games on Monday the 23rd, but there were two seven-inning games on May 24, with the Dash getting exactly three hits in both as they were swept. Jordan Mikel pitched well in doubleheader game one, protecting a 1-0 lead until the fifth, when he allowed a lead-off dong and then a series of singles, which, combined with a balk, led to another run, this one fatal. Carranza struck out two in a scoreless sixth. This game was played in Winston, but because it had originally been rained out in Hickory, the Crawdads served as the home team for game one and did not have to bat in the bottom of the seventh.

Similarly, the Dash didn’t really bat all game. Their sole run was scored in the first on an absolutely classic Duke Ellis Special: Ellis walked, stole second for his 20th bag of the year, took third on the error, then scored on a Tatum ground out. Despite stealing nearly every time he is on base and being on base quite a lot, Ellis is only second for the SAL lead in stolen bases, trailing Johan Rojas by one (you know, Johan Rojas!).

Tatum, Womack, and Matthews were the owners of the three Dash singles. Tatum stole a base as well. The team had seven total baserunners all game and Mieses still managed to ground into a double play (to be fair, his first all year). Dash lose 3-1.

It was not a different story in game two, except in the sense that they were shut out on three hits instead of just scoring one run on three hits. Ellis, Mieses, and Osik had those three singles, and this time it was Colás who somehow grounded into a double play.

Jesús Valles got the start, allowing three runs over three innings. He had a shaky April but has since been much more solid, throwing 13 innings in May to date and allowing just four earned runs, the three from this game included. Patel and Madrigal also allowed runs out of the bullpen, although Madrigal’s was unearned due to an error by Ivan González in right field.

González—a catcher—was called up from Kannapolis that same day and made his High-A debut in right field, a position he had never played before in his professional career. He also threw out a runner at home. Dash lose 5-0.

It may be inaccurate to say the Dash crushed the Crawdads on May 25, since it wasn’t a blowout until the actual ninth inning, but still a good win. Moncada made up for his shoddy start earlier in the week with five one-run innings, good enough to get him the W. Wilber Perez struck out three over two scoreless and Jeans struck out two over one. Jeans, repeating the level, has thrown 11⅔ innings this year and has allowed just two runs, walking seven and striking out 17. Vince Vannelle pitched the ninth and allowed one run, but at that point it didn’t matter, not that anything ever really matters.

Tatum’s reign of terror continued pretty much instantly in this one; he tripled with one out in the first inning and scored when the next batter, Colás, grounded out. In the third, Ellis dispensed with the niceties and went deep, his fourth home run of the season making it 2-0 Dash. Another run came in the fourth: Ramos and Hackenberg singled and so did Mendoza, but only Ramos was able to score, as Hackenberg was Easley thrown out at home (Jayce Easley, Crawdads right fielder).

They could have left it there and still come out on top, but instead, they scored six runs in the ninth. That inning went Mieses single, Hackenberg single, Mendoza walk to load them up, Womack two-RBI single (5-1), Matthews RBI single (6-1), Ellis strikeout, Tatum force out, Colás reach-on-error (7-1), Ramos reach-on-error (8-1), Mieses RBI single (9-1), Hackenberg ground out. 

Despite the inning-ending out, Hackenberg blazed back to life overall in this game with three hits, while Ellis, Mieses, and Womack each had two. Colás was the only batter to go hitless and is batting .261/.331/.452 over 26 games. Dash win 9-2.

Coming up, the Dash put this Hickory series behind them and return home to start a new one against the Greenville Drive, a battle for fourth place. They will be joined by pitcher Garrett Schoenle, a 6’5” lefty signed as an undrafted free agent who limited opponents in the Carolina League to a .127 batting average and four earned runs over 23 innings for the Intimidators, walking 12 and striking out 33 over that span. Zach Cable was sent down to Kannapolis in return.

1 thought on “The Week in Winston: Dash update, May 19-25”

  1. Red_Hair_White_Sox

    The video of the Colas throw to double off the runner at 1st was maybe the worst baserunning I’ve ever seen.

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