Cordero Delivers 10th Straight Win in 10th Inning on Fourth

Published on July 4, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


SAVANNAH, GA - Albert Cordero singled sharply into center field to bring home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Savannah Sand Gnats a 6-5 win over the Rome Braves Monday night in front of 3,937 raucous fans at Savannah's Historic Grayson Stadium. The win extended Savannah's winning streak to 10 straight games, their longest as a Mets affiliate.

The Gnats (11-1/50-31) are 19 games over .500 for the first time in 2011.

In a 5-5 game in the bottom of the tenth, SS Wilfredo Tovar was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Asked to bunt, RF Rafael Fernandez dropped a beautiful bunt base hit down the third base line that was ruled an infield hit. Braves' 3B Edward Salccedo, rushing to get the ball to first against Fernandez's speed, threw errantly down the right field line. Tovar, running from first on the play, went to third on the throw, and then was caught in a rundown between third and home. He stayed in the rundown long enough to allow Fernandez to finish the play at third base. After 3B Aderlin Rodriguez grounded out weakly to third, Cordero laced his single into center bringing home Fernandez with the winning run. Cordero finished 2-4 with a double, the game winning RBI, and a walk.

The Gnats hopped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. CF Darrell Ceciliani walked, and Tovar drove him home with a line drive triple into the right field corner. Tovar then scored on Fernandez's RBI groundout.

The Braves (2-10/27-55) took a 4-2 lead with a four-run top of the fourth against Savannah starter Yohan Almonte. The big hit was a three-run home run by Braves' catcher Evan Gattis. Almonte recovered and worked through the fifth and sixth without incident before departing with two outs in the seventh.

The Gnats answered Rome's big inning with little innings in their next two turns at bat. Joe Bonfe tripled and scored in the fourth to bring the Gnats within a run at 4-3. In the fifth, Rodriguez's two-run double put the Gnats in front 5-4.

Rome tied the game with two outs in the top of the ninth against reliever Hamilton Bennett. With two on and two out, 2B Tommy La Stella bounced a ball over the head of Sam Honeck at first base to bring home the tying run. Fernandez ended the inning by throwing a strike from right field to nail the runner trying to go first to third to keep the game tied at 5-5 and send the game to extra innings.

Ronny Morla, who recently rejoined the Gnats from advanced-A St. Lucie earned his first Savannah win by working a 1-2-3 top of the tenth inning. Tyler Hess was charged with the loss, his third, for Rome.

The Gnats play game two of their seven-game home stand Tuesday, when they send RHP Ryan Fraser (5-5, 3.58) to the hill against Rome RHP Aaron Northcraft (2-4, 4.33). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. Gates will open at 6 pm. The broadcast on News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com will begin at 6:50 pm.

Tuesday: KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets and Two-for-Tuesday

KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets: Buy 1 Ticket, Get 1 Free from KRAFT Singles with purchase. Bring your package wrapper to a Sand Gnats game on Tuesdays for a steal of a deal! Visit kraftsingles.com for more info! Exclusions apply.

Two-for-Tuesday: Two-for-One Natty Lights!

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 4, 2011


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