SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Game Notes (April 15)

Published on April 15, 2019 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The Power begins a three-game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park. RHP Logan Gilbert (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the mound.

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MOYERS DEALS IN 2-1 WIN: Steven Moyers fired the best start of his Minor League career, going seven strong innings as the Power held on for a 2-1 win over the GreenJackets Saturday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park. Moyers allowed just five hits over his career-high seven frames while striking out a career-best nine and not walking a batter on 74 pitches (59 for strikes). West Virginia got on the board first in the fifth inning after Keaton Winn relieved Augusta starter Seth Corry. Winn allowed the first three batters he faced to reach via two singles and walk, bringing Ryan Ramiz to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. Ramiz grounded into a fielder's choice on the right side, plating Ryne Ogren for a 1-0 lead. Following Moyers' brilliant outing, Ben Onyshko set down the GreenJackets 1-2-3 in the eighth on just seven pitches. In the home half of the inning, Cesar Trejo provided an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right-center field, extending the Power's lead to 2-0. Dayeison Arias scuffled to start the ninth, surrendering a leadoff bomb to Aaron Bond, but settled down to retire the side and pick up his second save of the season.

QUITE THE QUALITY STAFF: Moyers turned in the third quality start in the Power's last four games Saturday afternoon, as well as the first seven-inning stint by a West Virginia starter this year. The University of Rhode Island product never used more than 15 pitches in a single inning, including eight or less in three of his final four frames. Clay Chandler spun the team's first quality start in Wednesday's series finale in Lexington, going six innings and ceding one run on five hits with six strikeouts, while Ryne Inman hurled a six-inning gem Thursday in the home opener. Thanks to these quality outings, the starting staff's ERA has dropped from 4.50 to 3.00.

PILING UP THE STRIKEOUTS: The Power struck out 11 more batters Saturday afternoon, upping their total to 113, which is second-best in the South Atlantic League (115, Charleston RiverDogs). With his 17 strikeouts through two starts, Moyers sits tied for fourth place among all qualified hurlers in the league in Ks (Shawn Semple, Charleston RiverDogs, 21), while Inman is in seventh with 15 and today's starter, Logan Gilbert, is tied for eighth-most (14) with eight other pitchers. West Virginia's arms compiled 35 strikeouts during the Augusta series, nearly equaling Augusta's 48 offensive strikeouts they had in their first six games, which was lowest in the South Atlantic League. The GreenJackets are still striking out the fewest amongst the SAL, but now have just seven less than the Power for the lowest mark.

KELENIC STARTING TO KELE-CLICK: Jarred Kelenic has busted of his road woes in a major way in the first three games of this series against the Augusta GreenJackets, racking up six hits, a home run, a double and three RBIs. The Mariners' second-best prospect per MLB.com and Baseball America stroked his first South Atlantic League home run Friday, blasting one 369 feet to right-center field in the fifth inning for his seventh career Minor League homer, and his first since August 23, 2018. He recorded his first two RBI of the season and posted West Virginia's third three-hit game of the year Thursday. Prior to this series, Kelenic was mired in an 0-for-11 slump and had started the year 2-for-25.

STRUGGLING TO CONVERT: Through their first 10 games, West Virginia has struggled mightily with runners in scoring position. West Virginia went 1-for-9 with RISP Saturday afternoon, stranding nine men on base. As a team, the Power is averaging .140 (14-for-100), second-worst in the SAL (Columbia Fireflies, .133 [14-for-105]).

THE BULLPEN IS BACK: Onyshko tossed another scoreless inning in Saturday's 2-1 win, his seventh consecutive to start the 2019 season. He has allowed just five hits while striking out seven in his seven innings of work, and is one of four Power relievers who have yet to give up an earned run (Nolan Hoffman, Bryan Pall and Devin Sweet). Despite giving up a home run for his first earned run of the season in the ninth, Arias secured his second save of the year, tied for the most in the South Atlantic League with five other relievers, as well as the most in all of Low A ball.

THE KINGS OF THE NORTH(ERN DIVISION): Following Sunday's postponement against Augusta, the Power welcomes the Lakewood BlueClaws to town for a three-game series beginning Monday evening. Last season, the BlueClaws claimed the Northern Division crown in both halves, as well as won the Northern Division Championship Series with a 2-0 sweep of the Kannapolis Intimidators. However, Lakewood has gotten off to a rough start in 2019, currently sitting in the basement of the Northern Division. The Power and BlueClaws will duel 17 times this season.

POWER POINTS: West Virginia played its shortest game of the season Saturday afternoon, with a game time of two hours and 15 minutes... Gilbert has yet to give up an earned run over his first nine professional innings... The Power played their fourth errorless game of the year, pushing their fielding percentage to .972, fifth-best in the South Atlantic League.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 15, 2019


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