Game Notes (July 12)
July 12, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
The Power begins a three-game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers Friday night at First National Bank Field in North Carolina, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. RHP Devin Sweet (4-4, 3.34 ERA) takes the hill for West Virginia, while RHP Osvaldo Bido (10-5, 3.59 ERA) counters for Greensboro.
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THREE HOMERS NOT ENOUGH IN 10-7 LOSS: Manny Pazos, Julio Rodriguez and Nick Rodriguez each homered as a part of three comeback efforts by the Power, all of which ultimately fell short in extras as the Delmarva Shorebirds plated five runs in the tenth to hand West Virginia a 10-7 loss in the series finale Thursday evening at Appalachian Power Park. Both pitchers were brilliant through the first three innings, with Ryne Inman allowing just one hit and Nick Vespi setting down the Power lineup in order the first time through. However, the Shorebirds struck first in the fourth inning on a Seamus Curran solo home run, his second in as many days, to take a 1-0 lead. West Virginia responded immediately in the fourth, with David Sheaffer smoking an RBI single to knot the game at one. Both teams scratched a run across in the fifth as well, with Pazos drilling a solo homer with two outs to knot the game at two. Kyle Hill relieved Inman in the sixth and was battered around for three runs, including a two-run bomb off the bat of Edison Lantigua, but the Power again was able to answer with a long ball of their own when N-Rod blistered a two-run shot in the seventh 403 feet to left-center. Julio provided his game-tying blow in the eighth on the second pitch he saw from Jhon Peluffo, unloading one 442 feet to left that squared the game at five. Sal Biasi was able to hurl a scoreless ninth, but Peluffo subdued West Virginia in the home half to send the game to extras. Delmarva got to Biasi in the extra frame, netting five runs on three hits in the tenth, while the Power managed just a pair off Reed Hayes on an RBI single from Julio and a groundout from Joseph Rosa before N-Rod struck out as the tying run at the plate to end it.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: Following a 2-for-5 night in the series finale, Bobby Honeyman extended his hitting streak to seven games, the longest active streak on the team. In this span, the infielder is averaging .267 (8-for-30) with two RBI and two runs scored, and has only struck out five times. In fact, Honeyman has only fanned five times over his last 12 games, stretching across 49 at-bats. Honeyman is in the midst of his third hitting streak of seven games or longer this year (8 games, 2x, May 13-20 and May 24-June 2 with identical .344 averages).
HOMER HAPPY AT HOME: The Power stroked three home runs in a game for the fourth time this season, and for the first time since May 26 vs. Lexington. Pazos cranked his first home run of the season, and the third of his Minor League career (first since August 27, 2018, with High-A Modesto). Meanwhile, Julio uncorked his second long ball of the month (July 1 vs. Hickory) to give him five on the year, and N-Rod stroked his second homer in four games (July 7 at Lexington) and notched his fourth dinger of the year overall. West Virginia now has 74 home runs as a team, third-most in the South Atlantic League (Greensboro, 89 and Hickory, 98). Across their 45 games inside Appalachian Power Park, the Power has connected for 42 roundtrippers, fourth-highest on the circuit (Asheville, 43; Greensboro, 46; and Hickory, 61).
ALL-STAR ARIAS: Dayeison Arias recorded another stellar outing out of the Power bullpen, hurling 1.2 hitless frames with three punchouts and whittling his ERA down to a miniscule 1.30 mark this season. The righty has only allowed an earned run in four of his 29 appearances this year, and has struck out at least one batter in all but five of them. His 29 appearances are sixth-highest in the league, while his six saves are tied for sixth-most with Grant Anderson (Hickory), Austin Conway (Kannapolis) and Ryan Walker (Augusta).
ROSA TABBED AS SAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Amidst an incredible stretch of six consecutive multi-hit games, Rosa was named the South Atlantic League's Player of the Week (July 1-7), the league announced Monday. This award is Rosa's first weekly honor of his career, and the second weekly league honor for a Power player this season (Clay Chandler, SAL Pitcher of the Week, April 22-28). The last West Virginia slugger to claim this weekly accolade was OF Calvin Mitchell (April 16-22, 2018). Throughout his five-game stretch, Rosa boasted a .632 (12-for-19) clip, the best average in Minor League Baseball, with five extra-base hits, seven RBI and seven runs scored, along with a .947 OPS.
NOT THE BROOMS YOU WANT TO SEE: After sweeping the Delmarva Shorebirds in their first meeting of the season from June 10-12 at Appalachian Power Park, the Power was dealt the same hand following their 10-7 loss in Thursday's series finale. West Virginia had not been broomed by Delmarva since June 14-15, 2014, when the Shorebirds claimed all three games of a rain-shortened series at Appalachian Power Park to close out the first half. The Power suffered their fifth series sweep of the year, and the third inside their friendly confines. Delmarva outscored the Power by 17 runs across the three-game set, the largest run differential against West Virginia in a sweep this season.
POWER POINT: Charlie McConnell has not committed an error in 42 straight games (May 15-present, .989 FLD %).
South Atlantic League Stories from July 12, 2019
- Vientos' Inside-The-Park Homer Welcomes One Millionth Fan to Segra Park - Columbia Fireflies
- Four-Run Eighth Lifts West Virginia to Wild 9-7 Win - Charleston Dirty Birds
- 'Dads Silence 'Birds Bats in Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- RiverDogs Shake Extra Inning Skid to Steal Opener in Columbia - Charleston RiverDogs
- Pitching Leads Tourists to Impressive Win - Asheville Tourists
- Offense Stagnant in 3-1 Loss to Asheville - Augusta GreenJackets
- De La Cruz Homers, But Claws Fall 4-2 on Friday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Lexington Puts Brakes on Drive with 5-4 Victory - Lexington Legends
- Marinconz Scores Three Times in Suns' 4-2 Win - Hagerstown Suns
- Fireflies Game Notes: July 12 vs. Charleston (Game 88) - Columbia Fireflies
- Game Notes (July 12) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Hagerstown Suns: Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Power to Host Chevy Youth Baseball Clinics Next Weekend - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Rome Walks Its Way to 3-1 Victory over Charleston - Rome Emperors
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