Bumgarner Dominates Crawdads to clinch GreenJackets Playoff Spot
Published on August 27, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
One night after his selection as the South Atlantic League's Most Outstanding Pitcher, former South Caldwell High School phenom Madison Bumgarner celebrated his selection by pitching the Augusta GreenJackets to a 9-2 victory over the Hickory Crawdads Wednesday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta, GA.
The win by Augusta, combined with a loss by the Columbus Catfish in game one of their doubleheader against the Rome Braves, clinched the second half Southern Division title for the GreenJackets. They will face the Asheville Tourists in a first round best of three playoff series beginning Wednesday, September 3 in Augusta. Games 2 and, if necessary game 3 will be played in Asheville.
Bumgarner extended his scoreless streak to 38 straight innings before giving up a run in the fourth on a ground out by Eric Huber. The scoreless streak by Bumgarner is the longest streak in Minor League Baseball for the 2008 season. The last runs given up by Bumgarner before Wednesday night were on July 22nd against Lake County. In twenty-four starts this season, Bumgarner has allowed twenty-eight total runs, twenty-three of them earned.
In Wednesday's game against Hickory, Bumgarner continued his dominance over the Crawdads during the season. The victory by Bumgarner over Hickory was his third in as many starts. Against the Crawdads, Bumgarner has pitched 16 1/3 innings allowing five runs, two earned, on eight hits and four walks, striking out twenty. Bumgarner struck out ten Crawdad hitters Wednesday night, including eight of the first ten hitters he faced.
Juan Ciriaco was the hitting star for Augusta, as he hit a pair of home runs in the game as part of a 3-5 night. Ciriaco had five RBIs to lead the 'Jackets. Nick Noonan also had a big night for Augusta going 3-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Augusta put the game out of reach by the middle innings as they built a 9-1 lead by the sixth inning. In the first inning Ciriaco's hit his first home run of the night, a two-run blast to left off Crawdads' starter Duke Welker. They added a run in the third on a single by Thomas Neal to score Noonan.
After Hickory scored in the fourth, the Greenjackets rebounded with three runs in their half of the frame before closing out the scoring with three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by Ciriaco's second homer of the night.
Hickory added a run in the eighth inning as Jordy Mercer doubled and scored later in the inning on a Tom Hagan single.
The win by Bumgarner increased his record to 15-3 on the season, while Welker dropped to 3-13 on the season.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 27, 2008
- Captains Sweep Suns - Lake County Captains
- RiverDogs Bite Sand Gnats, 9-3, In Home Season Finale - Charleston RiverDogs
- Tourists dropped by Greeneville - Asheville Tourists
- Suns swept by Captains - Hagerstown Suns
- Bumgarner Dominates Crawdads to clinch GreenJackets Playoff Spot - Hickory Crawdads
- Ciriaco Drives in Five Runs in 'Jackets Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- BlueClaws stumble in finale with Delmarva - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Shorebirds blank 'Claws - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Moviel, Cleto Promoted to St. Lucie - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Jason Heyward Most Outstanding Major League Prospect - Rome Emperors
- Bumgarner Named SAL Pitcher of the Year - Augusta GreenJackets
- Just Three Home Games Left For The BlueClaws - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
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