Rodon strikes out six in Dash's road loss

ZEBULON, N.C. (June 6, 2017) - Big league left-hander Carlos Rodón, on the Chicago White Sox disabled list with left shoulder bursitis, worked into the fourth inning in his first competitive appearance since March 19, but Winston-Salem dropped Tuesday's doubleheader opener to the Carolina Mudcats by a score of 6-3 on Tuesday at Five County Stadium.
In the bottom of the first, Rodon (0-1) struck out the side on just 10 pitches in his first appearance for Winston-Salem (19-39) since his draft year of 2014. The former NC State star, whom the Sox selected third overall three years ago, also struck out three in the second, but the Mudcats (31-26) plated three runs against him in the frame. Lucas Erceg delivered an RBI double before scoring on a Luis Aviles two-run homer.

Carolina added a run against Rodon in both the third and fourth innings, with the southpaw exiting with one down in the fourth. He surrendered five runs, all of which were earned, on four hits. The Holly Springs, N.C., native struck out six during his 71-pitch outing.
"I felt good," Rodon said after the game. "[My] arm felt good, felt strong. It was good to get out there and pitch again. It's been a little while."
Rodon's former Wolfpack teammate, outfielder Jake Fincher, tried to spark a Winston-Salem comeback in the fifth by coming up with an inside-the-park home run off the wall in left field. This homer, the second inside-the-parker by Winston-Salem this season, pulled the Dash within four at 6-2. 
In the seventh, Winston-Salem tacked on another run thanks to a Danny Mendick RBI single. However, the Dash's rally ended with the tying man at the plate. 
Carolina starter Trey Supak (1-0) limited the Dash to just two runs over five innings for his first Carolina League win, while Brad Kuntz spun the final two innings to clinch the Mudcats' ninth straight win over the Dash at Five County Stadium.
Behind Rodon, Yelmison Peralta gave up one run in two-thirds of an inning before Luis Martinez blanked the Muddies in the fifth and sixth frames.
Winston-Salem will attempt to split this doubleheader and salvage the finale of this three-game series at approximately 7:40 p.m. The Dash will send Dane Dunning (2-0, 4.79 ERA) to the bump against fellow right-hander Marcos Diplan (3-2, 5.19 ERA). Coverage will be available on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv and the TuneIn Radio App.
#YourHomeTeam returns to BB&T Ballpark for a Lowes Foods Thirsty Thursday that features $1 Domestic Cans, $1 Carolina Blonde Drafts, along with a 50 percent discount on all other Foothills Drafts. The Dash will host the Salem Red Sox, Boston's High-A affiliate, from Thursday through Sunday. Tickets start as low as $8 and are available by calling (336) 714-2287 or visiting wsdash.com.