Bats Stifled in 5-1 Loss
August 27, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Savannah, GA - The Savannah Sand Gnats got a masterful 2009 debut from young righty Armando Rodriguez, striking out nine Augusta GreenJacket hitters en route to pitching his new team to a 5-1 win over the GreenJackets on Thursday night.
Savannah took two of three from Augusta in the series and with the division-leading Asheville Tourists rained out on Thursday, the GreenJacket loss drops them four games back in second place with 11 games to play in the 2009 second half.
The Sand Gnats took the early lead in the second on their first two extra base hits in the series. Raul Reyes led off the inning with a triple and scored on Nick Giarraputo's double. Previously, the Sand Gnats had gone 22 innings in the series without a hit for extra bases. Giarraputo scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to put the Gnats up by two.
Savannah extended their lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth before the GreenJackets attempted a comeback. Rodriguez began to falter, walking the bases full in the fifth before leaving the game in favor of Rhiner Cruz with two outs. Cruz came on to walk Perez to put the Jackets on the board before getting Johnny Monell to ground out, stranding the bases loaded to end the fifth inning.
That was as close as it would get for the GreenJackets, as Savannah scored on a Wilmer Flores RBI single in the sixth to make it a 5-1 lead and Augusta had just two baserunners the rest of the way.
Rodriguez (1-0) was impressive in his debut, fanning nine in 5.2 innings of one-run, one-hit baseball despite four walks to get the victory.
Mike Loree (8-10) kept the GreenJackets in the game through 5.2 tough innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The GreenJackets bullpen was a bright spot, as Eric Stolp, Bryan Millikan and Steve Calicutt combined to finish the game with 2.1 scoreless innings of two-hit ball.
Augusta travels to Charleston for their final three-game series of the year against the RiverDogs. Aaron King (6-5, 3.84) takes the ball in the series opener to face Cory Arbiso (4-7, 4.56). First pitch from Joseph P. Riley Park is at 7:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on WRDW-AM 1630 and online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.
On Monday, the GreenJackets return home for a three-game series against the Sand Gnats. First pitch comes at 7:05 p.m. on Monday and the game will be broadcast on WRDW AM 1630 and online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com. You may purchase seats by calling 706-922-WINS or online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 27, 2009
- Drive Can't Recover From Intimidators Early Scoring, Lose 7-3 - Greenville Drive
- RiverDogs Eek By Rome, 2-1 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Intimidators run streak to 12 with 7-3 win in Greenville - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Wild Suns Loss Completes Winless Series - Hagerstown Suns
- BlueClaws Sweep Suns - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Legends errors help Hickory in comeback win - Lexington Legends
- Leach Stalls Hot Rods - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Armando Rodriguez Fans Nine In Gnats Win - Savannah Sand Gnats
- De Los Santos Throws Five No-Hit Innings On Thursday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Bats Stifled in 5-1 Loss - Augusta GreenJackets
- Crawdads score 8 straight for 8-4 win - Hickory Crawdads
- Hot Rods Surpass 200,000 Fans - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Tourists, Grasshoppers Washed Out - Asheville Tourists
- Suns' Second-To-Last Home Series Of 2009 Will Run Through Weekend - Hagerstown Suns
- RiverDogs, Force Protection, Team Up to Salute Military - Charleston RiverDogs
- Joseph Named July's Topps Player of the Month - Charleston RiverDogs
- McMullen Traded to Kingston - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Former South Rowan High star joins Intimidators - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
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