SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Game Notes

Published on May 14, 2012 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


Lexington Legends (17-18) at West Virginia Power (12-24)

Game 37 | May 14, 2012 | Appalachian Power Park | Charleston, WV

Radio: ESPN Radio 104.5 FM & 1490 and wvpower.com Air Time- 6:45 p.m.

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

RH Mike Foltynewicz (4-1, 1.60) vs. RH Nick Kingham (1-2, 7.43)

Foltynewicz: Allowed 2 R on 5 H with 4 K and 4 BB over 6.0 IP in 5/08 ND @ ASH (4-3 Tourists)

Kingham: Surrendered 6 R on 7 H with 4 K and 2 BB over 3.1 IP in 5/08 Loss @ GBO (10-2 Hoppers)

POWER REPLAY: West Virginia beat Charleston 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Zack Dodson and Josh Poytress combined to limit the RiverDogs to one run on two hits with Poytress notching the win. Francisco Diaz doubled and scored on a groundout to tie the game at one in the sixth. Jose Osuna hit a solo home run lead off the seventh to give the Power the lead and Alen Hanson added a solo shot in the eighth for insurance.

SKID SNAPPED AT SEVEN: The Power had lost seven straight games prior to Sunday's win against the RiverDogs. Of West Virginia's 24 defeats this season, 22 of them have come during some sort of losing streak. The Power lost five straight during the opening road trip of the season, seven in a row from April 16 through 24, three in a row April 27-29, and this recent seven game slide from May 4 though May 12. West Virginia was outscored 62-20 during their most recent losing streak.

FIRST BIG FLY OF 2012: Jose Osuna's home run Sunday was his first this season. West Virginia's first baseman hit four home runs last season in the GCL and sent 10 out of the yard in the VSL during the 2009 season. Osuna took 128 at bats this year, spanning 34 plus games, to hit his first of 2012.

POWER V. LEGENDS: West Virginia has played Lexington more than any other team dating back to the 2005 season and meet for the first time this year tonight. The Power lead the all-time series 72-65 but have only gone 33-35 at Appalachian Power Park against the Legends since the stadium opened. West Virginia holds a nine-game edge in Lexington, going 39-30 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.

HELLO OLD FRIEND: Josh Bonifay returns to Charleston as a member of the Lexington coaching staff. Bonifay was a coach on Gary Green's 2010 Power staff before taking a job as a hitting coach in the Houston Astros system last season. The long-time Pirate minor leaguer was with the Greeneville Astros last season and is serving in that same capacity for Legends this year.

QUARTER MILE POST: After 35 games, the Power were 11-24, had a team average of .265, and a staff ERA of 5.96. The .314 winning percentage was the lowest through 35 games since West Virginia became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009 and the second lowest since the move to Appalachian Power Park in 2005 (.286 in 2005 (10-25)). The .265 average ranked as the second highest average since 2005 (.289 on 2007). The staff ERA was the highest ever after 35 games in the seven plus seasons of the franchise, nearly two full runs more than then next high mark of 4.89 in 2009.

HANSON'S HOMER DROUGHT ENDS: Alen Hanson's home run on Sunday was his first since 4/15 against Greenville. The shortstop had four longs balls over the season's first 11 games and went 23 games with launching another. Of Hanson's five home runs this year, three have come at home.

PROMO UPDATE- MAY 25: The Power will play a day-night doubleheader on May 25 against Kannapolis. The first game will start at 11:05 am and will be the final Grand Slam School Day of the season. The 7:05 pm nightcap will serve as a Hometown Heros game with a special discounted ticket package available for local law enforcement, fire, and life safety personnel.

POWER POINTS: . The Pirates transferred Josh Poytress back from Altoona and sent Porifiro Lopez down from Bradenton to the Power roster on Friday...

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION: Pittsburgh knocked off the Houston Astros 3-2 in 12 innings at PNC Park. Josh Harrison singled in the winning run in the 12th... Indianapolis lost 2-0 to Norfolk... Altoona was doubled up 4-2 by Erie... Bradenton did not play Sunday and opens a three-game series at St. Lucie tonight. Tyler Waldron is slated to start for the Marauders.

ON THE AIR: All 140 West Virginia Power games can be heard on ESPN 104.5 FM and 1490 AM in Charleston, WV, across the state on the Power Radio Network, and online at milb.com. Adam Marco will call the action for each of the 70 home games this season, while the home team will provide coverage while the Power are on the road.

Check out the Charleston Dirty Birds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from May 14, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central