Rivera, Mercedes power Winston to 5-1 win

KINSTON, N.C. (Aug. 4, 2018) - Laz Rivera and Yermin Mercedes each hit a homer in Saturday's middle match, as Winston-Salem secured a 5-1 victory over the Down East Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium.
With the game scoreless heading into the second, Mercedes and Gavin Sheets helped set up Rivera's blast. Mercedes began the frame with a double to left against Rollie Lacy (1-2), and Sheets followed with a single to center to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Then, on a 3-1 pitch from Lacy, Rivera crushed his fifth High-A homer, a three-run shot to left-center that put Winston-Salem (25-15, 66-44) ahead 3-0.

Rivera, who is rated by MLB Pipeline as the 28th-best prospect in the White Sox system, finished the game 2-for-4. The 23-year-old is now 6-for-9 with three singles, a double, a triple and a homer in the Dash's current series against Down East (13-30, 48-65).
Dash starter Lincoln Henzman began his night by tossing two scoreless innings before giving up an unearned run in the third. With the bases loaded and two outs, Chuck Leblanc reached on a fielding error by third baseman Ti'Quan Forbes that allowed a run to score.
However, right-hander Drew Hasler (5-2) relieved Henzman and worked out of the frame by inducing a fielder's choice. Hasler earned the victory by tossing 2.1 scoreless innings and allowing two hits while walking one and striking out one. 
In the sixth, Mercedes continued his red-hot hitting in the second half. On a 2-1 pitch from Royce Bolinger, Mercedes blasted his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot to left-center to give Winston a 4-1 lead. Since the All-Star Break, Mercedes is posting a .362 average with a 1.016 OPS. 
Winston-Salem added its final run of the game when Zach Remillard scored on a wild pitch from Bolinger in the seventh. Meanwhile, left-hander HunterSchryver, who was acquired by Chicago in a trade with Tampa, registered two scoreless innings in his debut as a White Sox farmhand. Right-hander Tyler Johnson  wrapped up the ballgame with two strong innings, during which he walked one and struck out four.
In the win, Nick Madrigal 's strikeout-less streak to start his professional career came to an end in the second inning when Lacy punched him out swinging. The fourth overall pick in 2018 MLB Draft out of Oregon State University, Madrigal had entered his second inning at-bat with 72 plate appearances without a strikeout to start his career. The 21-year-old finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch in his second High-A game.
Winston-Salem wraps up its three-game set against the Down East Wood Ducks on Sunday at 2 p.m. Left-hander John Parke takes the hill for the Dash against Wood Ducks righty Steven Bruce (4-6, 3.49 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m., and fans can catch all of the action at wsdash.com/broadcast and the TuneIn Radio App.
The Dash return to BB&T Ballpark on Monday to begin a homestand of six games in seven days. Winston-Salem's homestand features a three-game series against the rival Myrtle Beach Pelicans and the only visit this season from the Potomac Nationals. Promotions for the homestand include a Free Food Tuesday, a Pups in the Park outing (presented by North Davidson Animal Hospital & Camel City Goods) on Wednesday, a Lowes Foods Thirsty Thursday, Cancer Survivor Night (presented by Great Clips) on Friday, a Chick-fil-A Four Pack Night on Saturday and a Rayados Day on Sunday.
Plus, part-owner and NBA superstar Chris Paul will be making an appearance at BB&T Ballpark on Saturday, August 11. The first 2,000 fans on Saturday will receive a photo of the nine-time NBA All-Star. For tickets and more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.