Five-run inning lifts Dash in finale at Salem

SALEM, Va. (July 12, 2018) - Thanks to a five-run seventh inning, Winston-Salem outlasted the Salem Red Sox 6-5 on Thursday night at Haley Toyota Field. With the victory, the Dash (14-7, 55-36) split their four-game set against the Red Sox (12-9, 44-45), and they improve to 8-6 against their Northern Division foe this year. 
Trailing 4-1 heading into the deciding frame, the Winston-Salem offense knocked Salem starter Tanner Houck (4-11) out of the game. Mitch Roman started off the inning with a single, and, following a wild pitch from Houck, Gavin Sheets drew a walk. Yermin Mercedes proceeded to single to load the bases, and Ti'Quan Forbes followed by driving home Roman on an RBI single, prompting Red Sox manager Joe Oliver to make a call to the bullpen. 

Jared Oliver came in and struck out Nate Nolan, but Yeyson Yrizarri reached on a fielding error by Salem's shortstop Deiner Lopez, allowing a run to score to make it a 4-3 contest. Luis González then drew a bases-loaded walk to knot up the game at four. 
Laz Rivera ultimately gave the Dash a 5-4 lead by drawing a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, and Roman capped the scoring by registering the second bases-loaded walk of the inning against Oliver. Overall, Winston-Salem sent 11 men to the plate in the seventh. 
The Red Sox managed to cut the deficit to one in the eighth inning against right-hander Connor Walsh on an RBI single from Chris Madera, but Walsh worked out of a two-on, two-out situation by striking out Lopez. 
In the ninth, Danny Dopico put runners on second and third with two outs, but the right-hander struck out Michael Osinski to lock up his fourth save of the year and a Dash victory.
Left-hander John Parke (2-1), who was making his fourth High-A start on Thursday, earned the win by tossing seven innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. 
The Dash's 24th comeback win of the season came to fruition after the Red Sox took an early lead. With the game scoreless in the fourth inning, Osinski doubled with two outs against Parke. Ryan Scott followed with an RBI double to put Salem ahead 1-0. After a walk to Madera, Jordan Procyshen stroked a two-run double to make it a 3-0 contest.
The Red Sox added another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Roldani Baldwin. However, Winston-Salem fortunes changed for good in the sixth, when Rivera drove home Gonzalez, who posted a multi-hit game for the 10th time in 18 games with the Dash, on a sacrifice fly. 
The Dash now return to BB&T Ballpark to begin a four-game series against the Buies Creek Astros on Friday at 7 p.m. Winston-Salem will send right-hander Luis Martinez (6-4, 3.98 ERA) to the bump in the series opener. Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m., and fans can catch all of the action on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv and the TuneIn Radio App. 
Promotions for the homestand include a Fireworks Friday, presented by Dewey's, and a Lowes Foods Family Sunday, and kids can run the bases after the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, powered by New Balance Winston-Salem. Meanwhile, the Dash will celebrate National Ice Cream Day by offering $3 ice cream cones. For tickets and more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.