Drive clip Dash 7-4 in penultimate game of the season

Nelly Taylor powered a two-run homer in third inning, and Yordanny Monegro spun seven strikeouts in five innings of work in his last start of the season as the Greenville Drive (36-29, 62-69) downed the Winston-Salem Dash (29-36, 60-71), 7-4 Saturday at Fluor Field.

Monegro, who had not given up an earned run through 44 ⅓ innings, extended his streak to 48 innings before giving up a two-run, two-out double in the fourth inning, ending the dominating streak for one of the Drive’s best prospects.

He ultimately allowed two hits on the night with three walks to go with his seven strikeouts.

The Drive struck early on Saturday, loading the bases in the second inning with no away before Juan Chacon hit into a double play that brought in the first run. Luis Ravelo notched a triple one pitch later to Drive in another run and extend the lead to 2-0.

In the third, Justin Riemer walked, made it to second on a botched pickoff attempt, made it to third on a balk by reliever Jose Ramirez, and later scored on Ramirez’s second balk of the inning to make it 3-0. Taylor notched his two-run homer a batter later to make it 5-0.

The Dash responded with two runs in the fourth but the Drive responded as well with two runs of their own. Ravelo and Fraymi De Leon knocked back-to-back doubles to make it 6-2 before Zach Ehrhard scored De Leon to make it 7-2.

The Dash picked up two more runs across the sixth and seventh innings as Ryan Galanie knocked a sac-fly and Samuel Zavala chipped in an RBI single. Adam Smith, relieving Monegro, worked three innings allowing two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

But the Drive held firm and Jeremy Wu-Yelland tossed the final frame, picking up a strikeout and sealing the Drive’s victory and earning his first save of the season.

The Drive return to action on Sunday, September 8 at Fluor Field for the final game of the series with the Dash and the final game of the season. The Dash lead the series, 3-2.