For the first time since 2003 -- when they played in the Carolina League, went by the Warthogs, and had a roster with only Michael Morse as a future major league fixture -- the Winston-Salem Dash have won a league title.
The Dash swept their way through the South Atlantic League Playoffs, following up their two-game sweep of the Bowling Green Hot Rods in the Divisional Series by taking both games of the Championship Series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Fittingly, Tuesday night's score was 2-0.
Grant Umberger, who struck out 11 over 6 ⅓ innings of one-run ball to clinch the first round, fared even better to seal this series. He once again struck out 11, but this time he threw 7 ⅔ scoreless innings, scattering just three hits, three walks and two hit batters. He almost made it eight full innings, but after issuing one of those walks and one of those HBPs with two outs, Guillermo Quiroz went to Carlton Perkins, who retired all four batters he faced for the save.
The pitching needed to be that stout, because he only received a pair of solo homers for support. They both came in the fifth, when Rylan Galvan and Nick McLain homered against Jack Anker over the course of three hitters for the night's only scoring.
A White Sox affiliate has now won a league title in three straight seasons, with the Dash following up the Birmingham Barons' back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. Quiroz has a two-year championship streak at two different levels. He was right to not consider it a demotion.
Norfolk 4, Charlotte 2
- Rikuu Nishida went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Ryan Galanie singled and struck out thrice.
- Junior Pérez was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
- Drew Thorpe: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 46 of 79 pitches for strikes.
- Huascar Brazobán: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 12 of 16 pitches for strikes.
- Shane Smith: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 11 of 18 pitches for strikes.
Winston-Salem 2, Greensboro 0
- Nick McLain went 1-for-3 with a homer, walk, strikeout and stolen base.
- Javier Mogollón and Kyle Lodise both were 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- James Taussig singled and struck out thrice.
- Jeral Perez was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Braden Holcomb went 1-for-4.
- Grant Umberger: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 11 K, 2 HBP, 69 of 107 pitches for strikes.
