Brooklyn Bested By Winston-Salem In Walk-Off, Seesaw Affair

• BOX SCORE

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (August 31, 2024) — DH Nick Morabito tallied a pair of hits and RBI, adding a stolen base, but 3B Wes Kath’s walk-off two-run home run helped the Winston-Salem Dash outlast the Brooklyn Cyclones, 9-8, on Saturday night at Truist Stadium.

Brooklyn (27-32, 60-65) jumped in front in the top of the first inning when C Chris Suero walked and 1B Ronald Hernandez was plunked by a pitch with two out. CF D’Andre Smith followed with a run-scoring single to right to put the Cyclones up by one.

Winston-Salem (26-33, 57-68) quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk before 1B Ryan Galanie’s infield single chased in a run.

The Cyclones regained the lead with a three-run fourth inning. Brooklyn filled the bags with one out on a walk and back-to-back knocks from 2B Junior Tilien and RF Omar De Los Santos. A two-run single to right by LF Kellum Clark and a RBI ground out from SS Boston Baro provided a 4-1 advantage.

After the Dash pulled back within a run on a throwing error and a ground out in the fifth, Brooklyn rapidly regained a three-run edge in the top of the sixth.

With the bases empty and two out, Morabito smashed a solo home run onto the left field berm. The 21-year-old’s third home run of the season pushed the margin back to two. Three batters later, Hernandez slapped an RBI single to left to make it a 6-3 contest.

It did not remain that way for long, as Winston-Salem promptly slashed the deficit back to one in the bottom of the frame on a SS Wilber Sánchez ground out and a sacrifice fly from 2B Rikuu Nishida.

An inning later, DH Casey Saucke followed a leadoff walk by hammering a two-run home run over the wall in left. The 2024 fourth-round selection’s second professional long ball put the Dash in front for the first time, 7-6.

Brooklyn responded with a crooked number of their own in the eighth. De Los Santos started the frame with a walk, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch before scoring the tying run on Morabito’s single up the middle. The inning’s second wild pitch chased home the go-ahead run, placing the Cyclones back in front, 8-7.

Alas, the Dash would walk off winners for the second time in the series. Kath tailed a leadoff walk with a two-run blast around the pole in right to give Winston-Salem a 9-8 victory.

The 22-year-old’s home run was his second in as many days and his second walk-off RBI of the series.

Neither starter factored into the decision. RHP Jack Wenninger yielded three runs (one earned) on five hits in 4.1 innings, striking out five, for the ‘Clones. Dash LHP Hagen Smith permitted one run on two hits in 2.2 innings in his second professional start.

RHP Jarold Rosado (1-0) collected his first High-A victory for Winston-Salem, tossing 2.0 innings of hitless and shutout relief.

Brooklyn’s RHP Alan Perdomo (1-1) was saddled with his first High-A defeat after surrendering the tying and winning runs in the ninth.

The Cyclones will look to secure a series victory in the road regular-season finale on Sunday evening. LHP Felipe De La Cruz (3-8, 4.41) projects to make his second start of the week for Brooklyn. The Dash are scheduled to counter with LHP Shane Murphy (1-3, 4.48). The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.