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Hillcats rally to defeat Dash 6-5
Winston-Salem's bullpen costs starting pitcher Carter a shot at beating Lynchburg
Journal Photo by Jennifer Rotenizer
Anthony Carter of the Dash pitched well in a losing effort.
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Published: May 15, 2009
The Winston-Salem Dash's bullpen spent the final 22/3 innings undoing all that starter Anthony Carter had done over the first 71/3 yesterday in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats.
And, considering that the Dash took a 5-0 lead into the eighth, that took some doing.
As it turned out, it was a reliever who began the season with the Dash who finally nailed the door shut for the Hillcats in front of 451 at a morning matinee at Wake Forest Baseball Park. Michael Dubee, a right-hander who was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Andy Phillips on April 7, survived a two-out single by Salvador Sanchez to pick up his second save with the Hillcats.
Staked to a lead by Matt Hague's solo homer off Ricky Brooks in the top of the 10th, Dubee helped himself out by throwing first-pitch strikes to all four batters he faced.
"When you get strike one, when you look at it statistically, the averages go down probably 200 points or so," Dubee said. "It gives you that many more options and that many more pitches you can go to.
He acknowledged a little extra satisfaction from his performance against the organization that traded him. Dubee was 5-7 with a 4.37 ERA in 30 appearances last season for Winston-Salem.
"It's just the adage that you know all these guys and they're your friends," Dubee said. "You've lived with some of them. You've been with them so many days on the road. It makes it that much more fun.
"It's like we're kids in the backyard having fun again."
The Dash will begin a three-game series tonight at Salem before returning home Monday for the first game of a four-game series against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
The late turnaround yesterday marred a strong start by Carter, who bounced back from two rocky outings (14 earned runs in his previous seven innings) to hold the Hillcats to just one hit through seven innings. Throwing 59 of his 87 pitches for strikes, Carter struck out seven and walked just two.
"Carter was outstanding today, and we weren't able to hold the lead," Manager Joe McEwing said. "At that point he deserved to win, but that's why you play 27 outs."
Kent Gerst, promoted yesterday from Kannapolis of the low Class A South Atlantic League, made a strong initial impression by hitting solo homer in the third and adding an RBI single in a four-run fourth inning that extended the Dash's lead to 5-0. McEwing said that Gerst, who was hitting only .115 in nine games for the Intimidators, will play regularly in center field with the Dash's opening day center-fielder, Jordan Danks, having been promoted to Class AA Birmingham on Monday night.
Carter, after throwing 75 pitches through seven innings, faltered in the eighth when he hit the first batter he faced and walked the third. That prompted McEwing to go to the bullpen, with disastrous results.
After Hector Santiago gave up a single and a bases-loaded walk for the Hillcats' first run, Kevin Asselin stopped the bleeding temporarily by striking out Hague for the third out of the inning.
The Dash appeared primed to break the game open in the bottom of the eighth when it loaded the bases with one out, but reliever R.J. Rodriquez escaped by getting Logan Johnson to ground into a pitcher-to-catcher-to-first double play.
Asselin then immediately pitched himself back into trouble by walking the first batter in the top of the ninth. Alex Presley followed with a single and Jared Keel sliced the lead to 5-3 with a two-run double to deep center.
Gerst got turned around breaking back on the hit, which just cleared his glove and landed on the warning track. Asselin was relieved by closer Santo Luis, who leads the Dash with five saves.
Luis threw a first-pitch strike to Maiko Loyola, who drove the next pitch over the fence in right field for a two-run homer that tied the game at five.
Luis retired the next three batters in order, striking out two, but the damage had been done. Dale Mollenhauer singled for the Dash with two out in the bottom of the ninth, but was cut down trying to steal second. Dubee then set the Dash down in the 10th for the save.
"It was a tough loss," McEwing said.
■ Dan Collins can be reached at 727-7323 or at dcollins@wsjournal.com.
LYNCH. ab r h bi W-S ab r h bi
DLSnts 2b 4 0 1 0 Mlnhr 2b 5 0 1 0
Mercer ss 4 0 0 1 Paiml ss 5 0 0 0
Alvrez 3b 5 0 0 0 Gllghr 1b 4 1 2 0
Hague 1b 5 1 1 1 Snchz rf 5 1 2 0
Drham rf 4 1 0 0 Morel 3b 5 0 1 0
Prsly cf 5 1 3 0 Mrrero dh 3 1 2 1
Keel dh 4 1 1 2 LJhnsn c 3 0 0 1
Loyola lf 4 2 1 2 Shlton lf 4 1 1 1
Collins c 3 0 0 0 Gerst cf 4 1 2 2
Totals 38 6 7 6 Totals 33 5 11 5
Lynchburg 000 000 014 1 -- 6
W-Salem 001 400 000 0 -- 5
E--LJohnson 2, Paiml. DP--Lynchburg 2. LOB-- Lynchburg 7, Winston-Salem 6. 2B--Keel, Morel, Gallagher 2, Shelton, Marrero. 3B--Presley. HR--Loyola, Hague, Gerst. SF--LJohnson. SB--De Los Santo, Presley, Gerst, Sanchez. CS--Mollenhauer.
Lynchburg IP H R ER BB SO
Uviedo 6 8 5 5 0 2
Molleken 1 0 0 0 0 1
RRdriguez, W (3-0) 2 2 0 0 2 1
Dubee, S (2) 1 1 1 0 1 0
Winston-Salem IP H R ER BB SO
Carter 7 1/3 1 1 1 2 7
Santiago 1/3 1 0 0 1 0
Asselin 1/3 2 3 3 1 1
Luis 1 1 1 1 0 2
Brooks, L (0-1) 1 2 1 1 0 2
PB--LJohnson, HBP--by Carter (Keel); T--2:54. A--451
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