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SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Game Notes (April 8)

April 8, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The Power begins a three-game series against the Lexington Legends tonight at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. LHP Steven Moyers makes his first start for the Power.

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DRIVE WALKS IT OFF IN EXTRAS TO TAKE FINALE: West Virginia rallied back from a pair of deficits to force extra innings, but was unable to capitalize in the extra frame, while Greenville brought their placed on runner home to claim a 6-5, 10-inning win in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Fluor Field at The West End. The Power scored in the opening frame for the second straight day, as Onil Pena torched an RBI single to left for a 1-0 lead. However, Greenville responded with two runs in the second and one in the third against Oliver Jaskie, who worked into the fourth inning before being lifted for Elias Espino. The 3-1 Drive edge carried into the seventh, until Julio Rodriguez cracked a two-run double down the right-field line that tied the game at three, and Joseph Rosa brought him home after he reached on a fielding error. The Drive answered right back, though, tacking on two runs in their half of the seventh to regain a 5-4 advantage. Down to their final out in the ninth, Rosa came through again, driving in Rodriguez with a first-pitch single to knot the game at five. In the tenth, West Virginia stranded Manny Pazos at third, while Greenville took advantage of a passed ball to move Tyler Esplin to third, who later scored on Triston Casas' walk-off sacrifice fly.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS BOURBON: Rodriguez was on fire in the team's opening four-game series against the Greenville Drive, averaging a team-best .471 (8-for-17) with three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. The 18-year-old is the only member of the Power to hit safely in all four games thus far, and one of three to reach base in all four contests (Jarred Kelenic and Rosa). Rodriguez also posted three multi-hit games, including a three-hit game Sunday.

SHINING LIKE A CHAMPIONSHIP RING: Rosa had a banner series to open the season as well, boasting a .462 stroke (6-for-13) after going 0-for-3 in the season opener Thursday. He has notched three consecutive multi-hit games and is tied for the team lead with three RBI. Three of the four run-scoring plays he has been a part of have come in the seventh inning or later and either tied the game or given the Power the lead (two on Sunday, one in the 8th and the 9th).

LOCKING IT DOWN LIKE PRISON MIKE: West Virginia's bullpen has been quite stellar to start the year. Espino hurled four very solid innings in relief of Jaskie, striking out four and walking just one despite allowing two runs in his final inning. Nolan Hoffman, a Mariners' top-30 prospect, spun two sterling innings, ceding just one hit and fanning a pair, while Devin Sweet recorded a strikeout and did not give up a hit in his two-thirds of an inning. The Power pen ultimately worked 6.2 innings Sunday and surrendered two runs on five hits while fanning seven Drive batters. After four games, West Virginia's bullpen is hoisting a 1.27 mark (21.1 IP/3 ER), with six relievers still possessing spotless ERAs.

TIGHT (W)NIT FINISHES: All four games of the Power's 2019 season have been decided by one run. Last year, West Virginia did not fare well in one-run contests, posting a 16-26 record (.381), the third-lowest winning percentage in the SAL. The Power has not had four consecutive games decided by one run since May 20-23, 2018, against Lexington and Columbia. West Virginia and Greenville are the only two teams in MiLB with all four games decided by one run.

WORSE THAN A BROKEN PHONE LINE: The Power has not been able to convert very well with runners in scoring position in 2019. Following a 3-for-17 effort with 12 men left on base Sunday, West Virginia now holds a .118 (6-for-51) clip with 42 men left on base. The Power's RISP mark is the eighth-lowest average in Minor League Baseball (Rochester Red Wings, MIN Triple-A, 0-for-17), as well as second-lowest in the South Atlantic League (Columbia, .089, 4-for-45).

WALK-OFF WOES: Greenville tallied a pair of walk-off wins against West Virginia to split the opening series at two games apiece. Last season, the Power was 6-7 in walk-off outcomes, but started the year 5-0 until Columbia snapped that streak May 22. However, West Virginia's last six walk-off scenarios in 2018 were all losses, though they did notch their lone second-half walk-off win against Lexington July 6, when Oneil Cruz ripped a 10th-inning single in an 8-7 win.

TAKING A QUICK TIMELAPSE: West Virginia concludes its opening seven-game road swing with a three-game series in Kentucky to renew their rivalry with the Lexington Legends. The defending South Atlantic League champion Legends took the series convincingly last season, claiming 11 of the 18 match-ups, including five of the six games played in the second half. The Power and Legends will meet 15 times this season, with 11 of them at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.

POWER POINTS: The Power turned two double plays in a game for the first time this season Sunday... Ryan Ramiz matched his career-high with three hits in a 3-for-6 effort in the series finale... Hoffman tied his career-high in innings pitched (2.0) for the fifth time Sunday... West Virginia did not commit an error in a game for the first time this season.

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