Game Notes (August 6)
August 6, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
The Power concludes their four-game series with the Rome Braves this afternoon at Appalachian Power Park, with first pitch set for 12:05 p.m. LHP Nate Fisher (0-1, 6.91 ERA) toes the slab for West Virginia, while RHP Jose Olague (9-6, 3.71 ERA) takes the mound for Rome.
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NEVAREZ'S FOUR-HIT NIGHT LEADS TO 5-2 WIN : Dean Nevarez collected a career-high four hits and Josias De Los Santos spun his fourth career quality start as the Power downed the Rome Braves, 5-2, Monday evening at Appalachian Power Park. Rome struck in each of the first two innings with a solo homer, as Justin Dean and Griffin Benson went deep to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. West Virginia answered in the fourth, as Nevarez began the inning with a single and Onil Pena blasted a two-run homer to right that knotted the game at two. Meanwhile, De Los Santos settled down, retiring the final 11 men he faced through the sixth while tallying seven strikeouts. The Power tacked on another run in the sixth, as Charlie McConnell beat out an infield single that also plated a run. Bobby Honeyman and Nevarez padded West Virginia's edge in the seventh with a pair of RBI singles, while Elias Espino spun two hitless innings and Dayeison Arias fired a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 11th save of the season.
HONEY BUNCHES OF HITS : Since the start of his season-long 18-game hitting streak July 3 (ended July 23), Honeyman has been one of the most consistent hitters in the South Atlantic League. He has reached base safely in 27 of his 28 games in that stretch, tied for the third-most games played by any slugger in the league. In this span, Honeyman is averaging .388 (45-for-116), the second-highest mark in the league, with two homers, 19 RBI, 21 runs scored and just 13 strikeouts. The Stony Brook product is now in the midst of his second hitting streak of nine games or more this year, as well as West Virginia's sixth overall. Honeyman is boasting a .514 (18-for-35) clip during his streak with six RBI and seven multi-hit games.
BUSTING OUT OF A SLUMP : After going 4-for-42 in an 11-game stretch from July 15 to August 2, Pena has really broken out in the last two games. He has posted back-to-back multi-hit games, as well as homered in his last two contests against Rome. The Power has now had a slugger go deep in back-to-back games eight times this year (Jarred Kelenic, 3x, April 26 and 27 vs. Asheville; May 21 and 22 vs. Greensboro and May 26 and 28 vs. Lexington; Pena, 3x, May 13 vs. Kannapolis and May 14 at Charleston and July 13 and 14 at Greensboro; Ryan Ramiz, July 14 at Greensboro and July 15 vs. Columbia; Julio Rodriguez, July 28 and 29 at Rome). Pena now has 14 homers on the season, the most on the team and tied for the fourth-most among current South Atlantic League sluggers. The first baseman has five hits in his last nine at-bats with three RBI.
HOMER HAPPY : Pena's bomb in the fourth inning marked West Virginia's 95th home run of the season, third-most in the South Atlantic League (Greensboro, 110 and Hickory, 124). The Power has hit 54 of their 95 homers at Appalachian Power Park, the third-highest home long ball total in the league (Hickory, 76). The 2019 West Virginia squad has the fifth-most homers a Power team has posted in team history. West Virginia's highest home run total since becoming the Power is a whopping 128 dingers in 2007.
LIFTING HIMSELF TO NEW HEIGHTS : Nevarez had a career night Monday evening, tallying his first-ever four-hit game in the Minor Leagues. The backstop's first three hits all came on the first pitch he saw of his at-bat, while his fourth single of the night brought in an insurance run in the seventh. Nevarez notched the fifth four-hit game by a Power batter (Honeyman, Kelenic, David Sheaffer and Cesar Trejo) this year. He was hitless in his last eight at-bats before his four-hit night.
SURGING SANDERS : With his 1-for-5 effort Monday, Matt Sanders extended his hitting streak to eight games. During this streak that dates back to July 28, Sanders has a .324 (11-for-34) average with a homer and two RBI. Thanks to this recent surge, Sanders has raised his average with the Power from .255 to .288. In 19 games with West Virginia, the former Troy infielder has two homers and nine RBI.
DOMINANT DAYEISON : Arias has really turned it on over his last few outings, spinning five consecutive hitless innings dating back to July 25. The right-hander's 11 saves are the most by a West Virginia reliever since Nick Neumann recorded a Power-franchise record 17 saves in 19 opportunities in 2015. His 11 saves are second-most in the South Atlantic League (Alexander Martinez, Asheville, 14) and in the Mariners' system (Art Warren, Double-A Arkansas, 14). Arias has only allowed an earned run in six of his 36 total appearances.
POWER POINTS : McConnell has not committed an error in 59 consecutive games (May 15 at Charleston)... The Power went 3-for-15 with RISP, stranding 10 men... Espino has twirled seven consecutive scoreless frames going back to July 27... Julio posted his 21st multi-hit game of the year... De Los Santos tied his career-high in innings for the fourth time.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 6, 2019
- Watson, Lantigua Power 'Birds Comeback Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Big Eighth Downs Los Perros Santos, Dogs Settle for Series Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Hickory Takes Series Finale with 8-3 Victory - Augusta GreenJackets
- Greenville Falls to Greensboro on Green Day - Greenville Drive
- Bird Goes Career-High Six Innings; Earns Win - Asheville Tourists
- Claws Fall 5-2 on Tuesday in Road Trip Finale at Asheville - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Rome Shuts Off Power with Late Comeback - Rome Emperors
- Corry, Labour Named Minor League Players of the Month for July - Augusta GreenJackets
- Pena Homers in Third Straight Game in 8-6 Loss - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Intimidators Unable to Overcome Early Deficit; Split Series with Legends - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Columbia Sweeps Hagerstown, Mauricio Sets New Hits Record - Columbia Fireflies
- Suns Fall to Fireflies in Extras - Hagerstown Suns
- Fireflies Game Notes: August 6 at Hagerstown (Game 111) - Columbia Fireflies
- Game Notes (August 6) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Hagerstown Suns: Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Power Defeat Braves 5-2 as Lineup Stalls - Rome Emperors
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