ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Luis Rodriguez threw five pitches Tuesday night before clutching his shoulder and walking off the mound. What followed was one of the most complete bullpen performances of the season.
Five Asheville relievers combined to throw 8.2 innings, allowing just two runs and striking out seven to back an 11-3 win over the Winston-Salem Dash in the series opener. The Tourists didn't need their starter, and they didn't back down from the White Sox's 2026 Opening Day starter either.
Rodriguez's exit after just one batter was a concerning moment. He allowed a hit and exited clutching his shoulder, leaving the status of one of Asheville's most reliable starters uncertain. Garrett Apker came in and allowed an RBI double to George Wolkow that was charged to Rodriguez's line. 1-0 Dash.
Then the offense took over and never looked back.
Winston-Salem had received Shane Smith on a rehab assignment. Smith was the Chicago White Sox's Opening Day starter this season and an All-Star in 2025. The Tourists didn't flinch. Alejandro Nunez singled to center to tie the game in the second. John Garcia grounded out to score another from third. Then Brandon Nigh, promoted from Single-A Fayetteville just that morning, stepped in and doubled to score another. 3-1 Asheville, and the newest Tourist had announced his arrival.
Jack Moss put the game further out of reach in the third with a 417-foot bomb to right for a solo shot. 4-1. Garcia went deep in the fourth, launching one to the bullpen in left for his first home run of the season at HomeTrust Park. 5-1. Nehomar Ochoa Jr. added a sacrifice fly to push it to 6-1.
Nigh wasn't done. He stepped back up in the fifth and delivered a two-RBI single to right to make it 8-2, giving him three RBIs on his first day in Asheville. Just weeks ago he was playing for the Boise Hawks of the independent Pioneer League. Tuesday night he was the best hitter in the Tourists lineup.
A wild pitch from Winston-Salem reliever Madison Jeffrey scored another in the sixth. Caden Powell added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 10-2. Wolkow hit a moonshot to right in the eighth to pull one back for the Dash, and a Jeral Perez error at third allowed Zach Daudet to score the final run. 11-3.
Apker, Jordan Carr, Connor Steinbaugh, Colby Langford, and Francisco Frias combined for the remainder of the night after Rodriguez's exit, allowing just two earned runs across 8.2 innings to keep the game firmly in hand.
Nigh led the team with three hits and three RBIs in his debut. Moss matched him with three hits and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Asheville improves to 11-5 in the second half and extends its lead over Winston-Salem to two games in the South Atlantic League Southern Division. The two teams meet again Wednesday night at HomeTrust Park. Yeriel Santos takes the ball for Asheville against Winston-Salem's Justin Sinibaldi. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.