Game Notes (June 5)
June 5, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
The Power concludes its three-game series with a rubber match against the Hickory Crawdads this morning at 10:30 a.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium. RHP Ryne Inman (5-4, 4.44 ERA) toes the rubber for West Virginia.
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CHANDLER DOMINATES IN 4-2 WIN: Clay Chandler fired a career-best 8.1 innings and Onil Pena launched his eighth home run of the season as the Power downed the Hickory Crawdads, 4-2, Tuesday evening at L.P. Frans Stadium. West Virginia struck against Cole Winn in the third, plating three runs in the frame. Cesar Izturis Jr. started the inning with an RBI double, and, two batters later, Charlie McConnell brought him home with a base hit for a 1-0 lead. Keegan McGovern then ripped a triple down the right-field line, the third triple of his MiLB career, to extend the lead to 2-0. Bobby Honeyman capped the outburst with a sacrifice fly to right that scored McGovern, making it 3-0 Power. Pena added his blast in the sixth to push the lead to 4-0, while Chandler took care of the rest. The right-hander was perfect through the first three innings before wiggling out of a pair of two-on, two-out jams in the fourth and fifth. Chandler set down nine in a row as he worked his way into the ninth, but Curtis Terry snapped that streak with a one-out double and Sherten Apostel ended Chandler's night on the slab with a two-run shot to left that made it 4-2. However, Dayeison Arias took over and secured the final two outs of the ballgame for his third save in as many opportunities.
THE LONG BALL: Pena's home run is the Power's 49th of the season, tied for third-most in the South Atlantic League with Asheville and Charleston. Greensboro (63) and Hickory (66) are the two teams with more. Only 18 of West Virginia's homers have come on the road this season, tied for the fifth-lowest total in the league.
PENA POWER: Pena has had a very solid road trip with the Power, hitting safely in four of the six games thus far. On this road swing, he is averaging .316 (6-for-19) with two homers, four RBI and four runs scored. The first baseman's eighth dinger of the year is tied with Jake Anchia for the most on the current roster, with five of them coming on the road.
SHOWING WHY HE'S AN ALL-STAR: After being named a South Atlantic League Midseason All-Star Tuesday morning, Chandler went out and delivered the best start of his career against the Hickory Crawdads. The Paducah, Ky., native spun a career-high 8.1 innings while allowing two runs on five hits, striking out five batters and walking one. Chandler picked up his sixth win of the season, the most of any member of West Virginia's staff, as well as his seventh quality start, tied with Steven Moyers for the most on the squad. Chandler hurled the longest start by a Power pitcher since Brian Leach twirled 8.2 innings against Bowling Green on August 27, 2009. The 25-year-old's 73.2 innings are the most by any pitcher in the South Atlantic League this season.
ALL-STAR ARIAS KEEPS DOMINATING: Arias has been the best bullpen arm for West Virginia in 2019. The reliever secured the Power's 11th save of the season last night with his two-thirds of an inning in relief of Chandler. Currently, Arias has not allowed an earned run in his last 12 appearances (April 25-present), during which he has thrown 17.2 innings, ceded just seven hits and struck out 21 batters compared to four walks. Only one other pitcher in the SAL has a spotless ERA with at least that many innings under their belt in this span, Kannapolis hurler Johan Dominguez (21 innings, six games, four starts). Overall, Arias is 0-1 with a 1.46 ERA over a team-high 19 appearances with 32 strikeouts in 24.2 innings and a .161 batting average against him.
ANCHIA EARNS ALL-STAR STARTING NOD: Yesterday, Anchia was named the South Atlantic League Northern Division's starting catcher when the league released its 2019 All-Star rosters. The backstop is tied with Pena for the most homers on the Power amongst active players (Jarred Kelenic, 11), while his eight long balls are tied for 12th-most in the league with Asheville's Willie MacIver and Rome's Trey Harris.
PALL NAMED TO ALL-STAR SQUAD: Bryan Pall was one of two West Virginia relievers named to the Northern Division All-Star team Tuesday morning. Pall has posted a 3.44 ERA in 14 appearances with the Power in 2019, notching his first two career Minor League saves as well. The Michigan product has struck out 23 batters compared to eight walks across 18.1 innings, while holding batters to a .200 average against him.
DIVISIONAL STRETCH TO FINISH: Despite not being in the playoff hunt, the Power has the chance to play spoiler for two teams still fighting for the first half Northern Division playoff spot. West Virginia closes out the first half playing eight of their final 12 games against Northern Division foes, with all of those contests coming against teams the Power has not faced yet this season (Hagerstown, Hickory and Delmarva).
POWER POINTS: West Virginia went 1-for-10 with RISP... McConnell tallied his 11th multi-hit game of the season.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 5, 2019
- Asheville Salvages Series with Walk-Off Win over Jackets - Augusta GreenJackets
- Lexington Holds off Greenville, 5-4, on Wednesday - Greenville Drive
- Fenter, Rom Tag Team in 'Birds Shutout - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Golsan Comes Through with Walk-Off Winner - Asheville Tourists
- Rome and Columbia Rained Out in Series Finale - Rome Emperors
- Wednesday's Finale against Rome Cancelled Due to Rain - Columbia Fireflies
- Fireflies Game Notes: June 5 vs. Rome (Game 59) - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs All-Stars Slug Charleston Past Greensboro with Late Power Surge - Charleston RiverDogs
- Promotional Notes (June 6-12) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Slater Homers in 5-1 Series Finale Loss - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Suns Blanked in Back-To-Back - Hagerstown Suns
- Almonte's Multi-Hit Game Helps Push 'Dads Past Power - Hickory Crawdads
- RiverDogs Breaux Down, Celebrate LatinX Culture as Part of Four-Day Homestand - Charleston RiverDogs
- Game Notes (June 5) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Fast Start Turns into Extra-Inning Loss - Asheville Tourists
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