Astros outmuscle Dash in Wednesday's doubleheader finale

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (May 23, 2018) - Luis Basabe and Joel Booker both homered in Wednesday's twin bill finale, but Winston-Salem fell to Buies Creek 10-4 in game two at BB&T Ballpark to split the twin bill with the Astros.
The Dash (24-22) played as the away team in Wednesday's second contest due to a rainout that occurred at Jim Perry Stadium last Thursday. Winston-Salem went down in order to start the game, and Buies Creek (26-20) responded by plating five runs against Dash starter Danny Dopico (0-3) in the bottom of the first.

Osvaldo Duarte led off with a triple on Dopico's first pitch of the game and scored on Ronnie Dawson's RBI double. Then, Abraham Toro crushed a home run to right field to put the Astros up 3-0. Dopico then proceeded to load the bases via a hit-by-pitch, a single and a walk, and Alfredo Angarita followed by driving in two more runs with an RBI single that made it a 5-0 contest.
Blake Hickman replaced Dopico in the bottom of the second and retired the first batter he faced on a flyout. However, J.J. Matijevic followed with a line-drive home run to the right-field corner to extend Buies Creek's lead to 6-0.
In the bottom of the third, the Astros added three more runs to blow the game open. After Angarita and Duarte singled, Dawson hit a long three-run home run to right center to make it 9-0 Buies Creek.
However, in the top of the fourth inning, Basabe followed with a homer of his own, as he drove a solo shot onto the bridge beyond the right-field fence. The home run was the first hit of the game for the Dash against Buies Creek starter Gabriel Valdez (1-2), and it cut the deficit to eight.
After Yelmison Peralta entered the game in the bottom of the fourth and tossed a scoreless frame, the Dash plated another run in the top of the fifth. Mitch Roman led off the inning with a single to right field and advanced to third on Basabe's one-out single. Then, with Micker Adolfo batting, Valdez threw a wild pitch that allowed Roman to score.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, though, Buies Creek got the run right back, as Matijevic hit his second home run of the game onto the Nature's Select Knoll in left field to make it 10-2 Astros.
Matt Foster entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and tossed a perfect 1-2-3 inning, striking out two Astros in the process. Then, in the top of the seventh, the Dash proceeded to close the gap. Roman led off the inning with a triple to center field, and Booker followed with a home run to left field, his fourth of the season.
Winston-Salem proceeded to load the bases on singles by Basabe and Adolfo and a walk from Gavin Sheets, but the Dash rally came up short, as Yeyson Yrizarri fouled out to end the game.
Winston-Salem's series with Buies Creek will conclude at BB&T Ballpark on Thursday night at 7 p.m. Dash right-hander Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.12 ERA), the White Sox fifth-best prospect per MLB Pipeline, will get the start against Astros starter Brett Adcock (3-1, 2.00 ERA).
Thursday's game will be the first of seven Dash telecasts this season with NBC Sports Chicago. The contest will air live on the station, and it will be streamed on NBCSportsChicago.com/WatchLive. It will also be made available via the NBC Sports app on tablets and smartphones.
Meanwhile, the series finale will be broadcasted on WSJS Sports (600 AM & 101.5 FM), wsjssports.com, MiLB.tv and the TuneIn Radio App. Pregame radio coverage begins at 6:45 p.m.