Record
3-3 (August 28-September 3)
58-69 (overall)
27-34 (second half)

The Dash broke even this week, grinding out three wins in six games. Of those three wins, two were thrilling walk-off victories, while the other was a convincing win that was spearheaded by an outstanding pitching performance. Ryan Galanie slashed .462/.563/.769 during this stretch, while Shane Murphy and Aldrin Batista led the way among pitchers.

August 28: Brooklyn Cyclones 6, Winston-Salem Dash 2
Despite a great start by Lucas Gordon, the Dash lost handily to the Cyclones. Lucas Gordon lasted six innings and only allowed one run on three hits. An RBI single by Caden Connor in the sixth guaranteed that Gordon would not take an unlucky loss. However, right after Gordon left the game, the Dash allowed a big seventh frame that put the game away. Reliever José Ramírez did not have his best stuff, as the Cyclones were all over his pitches that inning. Wilber Sánchez hit an RBI double in the eighth, but that was not nearly enough for Winston-Salem to come back.

GAME MVPs
Caden Connor (LF) 2-for-4, RBI
Lucas Gordon (LHSP) 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Casey Saucke (RF) 3-for-4
Jordan Sprinkle (3B) 1-for-2, 3-for-3 stolen bases
Wilber Sánchez (SS) 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, 2-for-2 stolen bases

August 29: Winston-Salem Dash 6, Brooklyn Cyclones 5 (10 innings)
In a thrilling game filled with back-and-forth moments, the Dash prevailed with a walk-off in the bottom of the 10th. Dash starter Jake Bockenstedt (5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K) was nothing special, but thanks to Winston-Salem’s hot start, Bockenstedt left the game in line for the win. Winston-Salem scored its first run in the third, when Samuel Zavala scored on a wild pitch, and Jordan Sprinkle hit an RBI single. Entering the bottom of the fifth, the Cyclones had a 3-2 lead, but Zavala made sure to intervene again, this time with a two-run blast to put the Dash in front.

Brooklyn tied it on a double in the eighth, so the game went into extras. Dash reliever Tyler Davis had a great outing, but he allowed the free runner to score in the top of the 10th. The Winston-Salem offense faced quite a bit of pressure in the bottom half, needing one to tie and two to win. At that crucial point in the game, Caden Connor reached on an error that tied the game at five, and Wes Kath reached on a fielder’s choice where Brooklyn tried to retire Nishida at home. Ultimately, Nishida was too fast, and the Dash pulled through with an exciting victory.

GAME MVPs
Samuel Zavala (CF) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
Rikuu Nishida (2B) 3-for-4, BB
Tyler Davis (RHRP) 2 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K

August 30: Brooklyn Cyclones 9, Winston-Salem Dash 2
The Dash were unable to ride their momentum from Thursday night’s close victory into Friday, when they lost rather easily. The Cyclones scored five runs on six hits in the first against Seth Keener, and the situation hardly got any better afterward. Wes Kath launched a solo homer in the second for his 14th blast of the season. That put the Dash on the board, and Winston-Salem scored one more in the third, when Casey Saucke singled to make the score 5-2. However, that was as close as the Dash got, as they lost by seven.

GAME MVPs
Ryan Galanie (1B) 3-for-4
Wes Kath (3B) 1-for-4, HR
Tommy Vail (LHRP) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Patrick Maybach (LHRP) 3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K

August 31: Winston-Salem Dash 9, Brooklyn Cyclones 8
With their backs against the wall, the Dash rallied for a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth. First round draft pick Hagen Smith started and went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits for a decent outing. Smith has made a good first impression in his first two starts with the Dash, posting a 1.59 ERA and 3.89 FIP. An RBI single by Ryan Galanie in the first tied the game and ensured that Smith would not leave with a loss. Reliever José Ramírez continued his rough week by allowing three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, with all of those runs scoring in the fourth. The Dash clawed their way back into it in the fifth, when a double-steal and an error allowed them to get within two. A productive ground out by Casey Saucke made the score 4-3. The teams traded runs in the sixth, with the Cyclones and Dash each scoring two that inning. Then, in the seventh, Saucke launched a two-run homer to give Winston-Salem its first lead of the game.

However, the Cyclones were not finished, as an RBI single off Jared Kelley and a wild pitch by Jarold Rosado resulted in Brooklyn retaking the lead. The score remained 8-7 until the bottom of the ninth, when the Dash desperately needed another rally. Saucke built on his big day with a single to finish 3-for-5 with a homer. Then, Wes Kath stepped up to the plate, and he crushed a 1-1 pitch out to deep right field. What a way to end it.

GAME MVPs
Wes Kath (3B) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Casey Saucke (DH) 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Jarold Rosado (RHRP) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
Rikuu Nishida (2B) 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, 1-for-1 stolen bases

September 1: Brooklyn Cyclones 6, Winston-Salem Dash 2
Dash starter Shane Murphy was on top of his game, delivering six shutout innings and only allowing one hit. Murphy allowed a single to the first batter of the game, but nobody else reached base against him. However, when Murphy’s outstanding outing was over, the Dash did not have a lead, as the Dash offense got cold. As soon as the Dash turned to its bullpen, the Cyclones put an enormous inning together, scoring six runs on eight hits. The first six Cyclones to bat that inning reached base safely, as reliever Luke Bell could not catch a break.

In garbage time, Samuel Zavala reached on an error that allowed Winston-Salem to score its first run in the bottom of the ninth. Wilber Sánchez followed with an RBI double to pull the Dash within four. However, that was the last time the Dash managed to score.

GAME MVPs
Shane Murphy (LHSP) 6 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Wilber Sánchez (SS) 1-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI

September 3: Winston-Salem Dash 4, Greenville Drive 0
Starter Aldrin Batista and the bullpen had a terrific day, and as a result, the offense did not need to do much to come away with the victory. Batista delivered five shutout innings, only allowing three hits and striking out six. Batista has been an ace for the Dash so far, as his ERA with Winston-Salem is now only 1.04.

The game was still scoreless after four innings, but Ryan Galanie and the Dash were determined to break the tie. Galanie led off with a double, Calvin Harris singled to put runners at the corners, and Galanie scored on a wild pitch. The Dash led for the rest of the game, and they were not done scoring. With two outs, Miguel Santos and Caden Connor hit back-to-back singles that increased Winston-Salem’s lead to three. For good measure, Galanie added a solo homer in the eight to make it 4-0, and the score remained that way.

GAME MVPs
Aldrin Batista (RHSP) 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Ryan Galanie (DH) 2-for-3, HR, 2B, BB

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Caden Connor photo: Winston-Salem Dash