Comeback stops short, as the Dash lose, 6-5

Luis Robert: 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Luis Gonzalez: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 3 K

Nick Madrigal: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K

Blake Rutherford: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K

Gavin Sheets: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K **MVP**

Laz Rivera: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K

Kyle Kubat: 5 ²⁄₃ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Tyler Johnson: ²⁄₃ IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Alec Hansen was supposed to get the start today, but the Dash shuffled their rotation and Kyle Kubat got the start. It looked at first like a deft move, as Kubat was cruising for five innings.

However, like all the other games in this playoff series, the Dash could not score. In fact, for the duration of Kubat’s start, the Dash could not even reach base, as they were 0-for-15 and without any walks.

And then, the Astros got on the board because of, that’s right, Seth Beer. He hit a three-run homer off of Kubat to give Buies Creek a 3-0 lead. Beer had 12 home runs during the regular season, and mashed through Dash pitching in this series.

After that, the rails fell off. Connor Walsh got the final out of the sixth inning, but allowed three home runs in the seventh inning to make the game 6-0, Astros.

Eventually, the Dash did end the perfect game and the no-hitter. JJ Muno walked and Luis Robert doubled, but still, no runs. But, for a little happiness interlude, here is Robert’s BP.

The Dash needed to wait until the eight inning to garner any run support. Laz Rivera, who has shot up every prospect ranking list in his first breakout minor league season, hit a two-run homer to left field. Gavin Sheets scored, after his single earlier in the inning.

Nick Madrigal kept the eighth inning going, as he drove in Muno with a single. Robert would also come around to score in the inning on a passed ball. So the comeback was on, after a four-run eighth inning made the game 6-4.

After Blake Hickman got into trouble in the ninth, Tyler Johnson, who had a 1.58 FIP with the Dash, bailed him out. In the bottom of the ninth, Sheets clocked a solo home run to reduce the deficit to one, but that was all. The Dash lost, 6-5, and their promising season is now over.

Here is the last hit the Dash had this season: