Sports stats



SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Game Notes (June 26)

June 26, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The Power concludes their three-game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers with a Wednesday afternoon rubber match at First National Bank Field. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. RHP Devin Sweet (3-2, 3.09 ERA) heads to the bump for West Virginia, while Greensboro opposes with RHP Osvaldo Bido (9-4, 3.09 ERA).

--------------------------------------------------------------

PENA'S BIG NIGHT HEADLINES 12-6 WIN: Onil Pena launched two home runs and compiled a career-high six RBI to help West Virginia thump the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 12-6, Tuesday evening at First National Bank Field. After Greensboro took a 2-0 lead in the first, the Power responded with four two-out hits in the second to tie the game at two. Jack Herman quickly untied it with a solo shot to lead off the second against Ryne Inman, but Pena answered with his first blast in the third, a two-run shot to dead center that gave West Virginia its first lead of this series. Mason Martin knotted the game at four after he led off the third with a solo bomb, but the Power served back stronger, tallying eight unanswered runs from the fourth through the sixth inning to snare a commanding edge at 12-4. J.R. Davis came up with the go-ahead knock in the fourth, slicing an RBI single, while Pena drove in Bobby Honeyman with a base hit in the fifth and then came around to score on a throwing error by Herman. In the sixth, Jake Anchia delivered with the bases-loaded, stroking a two-run single to center, and then Pena stepped up and went yard again, this time to 376 feet to right-center for a three-run dinger. Inman battled his way through six innings, allowing four runs on six hits while punching out seven. Sal Biasi struggled in his lone inning of work, serving up a two-run homer, but David Ellingson worked a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to preserve the win.

OH MY ONIL: Pena posted the first two-homer game of his career along with a career-best six RBI Tuesday evening. The first baseman became the first Power slugger to notch a six-RBI night since Deon Stafford accomplished the feat August 11, 2018, at Rome. Pena is the fourth West Virginia batter to stroke two homers in a game, joining Dean Nevarez (April 26 vs. Asheville), Jarred Kelenic (April 27 vs. Asheville) and Anchia (May 9, Game 1, vs. Augusta). The Dominican product's previous career-high in RBI was four, which he set back on June 21, 2014, in the DSL.

THE LONG BALL: With his two home runs Tuesday, Pena became the third Power batter to reach the 10-homer plateau this season (Kelenic, 11 and Anchia, 10). West Virginia had four batters reach double-digit homers in 2018 (Rodolfo Castro, Oneil Cruz, Calvin Mitchell and Stafford). Overall, The Power has hit 63 home runs as a team, third-most in the league (Greensboro, 76 and Hickory, 83). Conversely, the pitching staff has also given up the third-most homers in the SAL (61). West Virginia has left the yard six times in six games at First National Bank Field this season.

MAKING A STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION: With his 2-for-5 day with a double Tuesday, David Sheaffer tallied his fourth multi-hit game since joining West Virginia during their final series of the first half in Hagerstown. Overall, the utility man is averaging .480 with a home run, five RBI, six doubles and four runs scored. He has reached base in all seven games he has played in with the Power.

WELCOME BACK, JULIO: In his 13 games back since his return from the injured list June 10, Julio Rodriguez has surged back onto the scene with the Power. The Mariners' fourth-best prospect per Baseball America (fifth per MLB.com) is averaging .320 (16-for-50) over this 13-game span, the highest mark on the team. Since June 10, Julio has posted two homers, eight RBI, eight runs scored and an .894 OPS, and has recorded a hit in 10 of those 13 contests.

REVENGE EXACTED: West Virginia claimed their first win against the Greensboro Grasshoppers in a big way Tuesday. Prior to their 12-6 win, the Power had a -33 run differential against the Grasshoppers over the first nine games of this series. Overall, West Virginia is averaging .241 with 97 strikeouts in 340 at-bats (29%), while Greensboro has a .318 clip against the Power. Joseph Rosa holds the best average against the Grasshoppers, boasting a .300 (9-for-30) clip in eight games played. Meanwhile, West Virginia's pitching staff has a 6.78 ERA vs. the Grasshoppers compared to Greensboro's 4.00 mark against the Power.

HOW SWEET IT IS: Wednesday starter Devin Sweet rolled in his second career Minor League start against Lakewood last Friday, notching career-bests in innings pitched (six), strikeouts (seven) and number of pitches thrown (81). The Greensboro, N.C., native turned in that quality outing after filling a spot start role in the Power's first half finale against Hagerstown June 16, where he spun five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Over his last five games, Sweet boasts a miniscule 0.56 ERA (1 ER/16 IP) and has held batters to a .164 average against him while striking out 13 men compared to five walks. Sweet made 34 career relief appearances before his first start, posting a career 4.25 ERA as a pro reliever. In three games against Greensboro this year out of the bullpen, Sweet has only conceded two hits.

POWER POINTS: West Virginia went 6-for-15 with RISP, stranding nine... Honeyman swiped his first bag of the year.

Check out the Charleston Dirty Birds Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from June 26, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Charleston Dirty Birds Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central