Winston-Salem Dash Surge Into All-Star Break: Five-Homer Finale Caps Strong Series

Five home runs turned a rain-delayed Sunday in Asheville into the Dash's loudest answer before the All-Star break. Winston-Salem powered past the Tourists 10-4 on July 12, 2026, blasting five homers to earn a split of their six-game road series against a division contender and carry offensive firepower into the South Atlantic League All-Star break.

The soggy finale at HomeTrust Park sent a statement to the South Division that Winston-Salem's bats were ready for the second-half push.

Jeral Perez sparked the outburst with a leadoff solo homer in the second inning. James Taussig followed with a solo shot in the third to extend the early lead.

Then came the separation.

Shortstop Ryan Burrowes crushed a two-run homer in the fourth. Arxy Hernandez delivered the game-breaking swing in the seventh, a three-run blast that put the game out of reach. George Wolkow finished the power display in the eighth, sending a solo shot to center.

Burrowes arrived at the break as one of the league's hottest hitters. Burrowes, shortstop for the Winston-Salem Dash, was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for his July 7-12 performance, during which he hit.423 with four home runs, five stolen bases, and ten runs scored.

The victory sent Asheville into the All-Star break tied for first place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division with Bowling Green, while Winston-Salem stood 1.0 game behind the division leaders. The All-Star break ran from Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16, 2026, with regular-season play resuming on Friday, July 17.

The Dash carry a 12-9 second-half record in the South Division. The South Atlantic League uses a half-season playoff format where first-half and second-half division winners from both the North and South Divisions advance to the postseason. The playoff format includes best-of-3 Division Championship Series where North Division winners play each other and South Division winners play each other, followed by a best-of-3 League Championship Series between the division champions. A strong second-half finish could bring playoff baseball back to Truist Stadium in Winston-Salem, where the Dash play their home games.

For Dash fans, the five-homer finale offered more than a satisfying final score. Production came from multiple spots in the lineup, and Burrowes's Player of the Week performance signals the kind of sustained offensive excellence that can fuel a division title run. Just 1.0 game back with the second half resuming, Winston-Salem fans have tangible reason to believe this team can deliver a winning stretch and bring playoff baseball back to Truist Stadium.