Game Notes (May 17)
May 17, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
The Power begins a four-game series against the Greenville Drive this evening at Fluor Field at the West End, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. LHP Steven Moyers (2-3, 4.39 ERA) takes the mound for West Virginia.
---------------------------------------
POWER SWEPT BY RIVERDOGS: West Virginia's offense was held to just six hits as the Charleston RiverDogs blanked the Power, 5-0, Thursday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, completing a three-game sweep for Charleston. The RiverDogs got on the board first in the second, as Max Burt smacked a two-run homer to left-center in his first game back in Charleston off Damon Casetta-Stubbs for a 2-0 lead. The RiverDogs doubled their lead on a Josh Breaux two-run single in the fifth before capping their offense in the eighth with a bases-loaded walk. West Virginia only recorded one extra base hit for the second straight night, as Bobby Honeyman laced a double in the seventh and posted the team's only multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 effort. Luis Gil subdued the Power's lineup over the first six innings, scattering five hits and striking out four batters, while Jhony Brito carried the weight over the final three frames to pick up the save.
STARTING TO SETTLE BACK IN: Benjamin Onyshko was unhittable Thursday night in his two innings of work, setting down all six batters he faced across the six and seventh frames while picking up three strikeouts. Onyshko had been facing some recent struggles over his first three appearances in May, allowing six earned runs over 7.1 innings (7.36 ERA) from May 2-8. The Stetson product appears to be returning to his April form though, where he posted a 1-0 record with a 0.69 ERA, as he has fired 3.1 scoreless innings in his last two appearances with five strikeouts and one hit.
PUT THESE BACK IN THE CLOSET: West Virginia was swept in its second straight series Thursday night, as they also dropped all three games against Kannapolis in their last homestand. The Power has now been broomed three times in the month of May (at Greensboro, May 3-6), with a combined run differential of -28 across the three sweeps.
ROAD WOES: The Power was shut out for just the second time this season, following a 10-0 trouncing at the hands of Lakewood in the series finale in New Jersey back on May 2. The shutout loss ignited West Virginia's current eight-game road losing streak, tying their longest stretch from 2018. The Power dropped the series finale at Hickory July 13 and then posted the team's first winless multi-series road trip since 2005 when they fell in seven straight to Kannapolis and Lexington. West Virginia has not lost more than eight consecutive contests on the road since a 10-game stretch from April 7 to May 2, 2012, which included sweeps at the hands of Asheville (three games) and Charleston (four games). West Virginia now holds a 6-13 road mark, the third-worst winning percentage (.316) away from their friendly confines.
MAY SHOWERS: After producing nearly the best team ERA in the South Atlantic League in April at 2.59, West Virginia's staff has fallen on hard times, going 4-12 with a 4.80 ERA in May, the third-worst ERA in the league this month. The two other teams that hold higher ERAs than the Power in the season's second month (Asheville and Greenville) have the two highest ERAs in the SAL this season. Overall, West Virginia's ERA has been bumped to 3.46, an increase of 87 points. The Power's offense has dropped off as well, moving from their .231 mark in April to a .217 stroke in May, and .199 in their last six games. Individually, three sluggers have been mired in significant slumps since May 10, with Ryan Ramiz going 2-for-21, Joseph Rosa holding a 1-for-17 clip and Johnny Slater notching a 2-for-16 stretch.
DOMINANT DAYEISON: Though Dayeison Arias was saddled with the loss Wednesday night, he tossed 2.2 solid innings, giving up just one hit and striking out four. Arias spun 2.2 innings for the second time in his career, while his four punchouts set a new season-high. The reliever has not allowed an earned run in his last eight appearances, spanning 12.2 innings. During that stretch, he has struck out 17 batters compared to just three walks. Arias has only ceded an earned run in three of his team-high 15 appearances.
RODRIGUEZ STARTING TO ROLL: Nick Rodriguez has reached base safely in eight of his last nine games, dating back to May 5. In that span, the infielder has posted a .310 (9-for-29) clip with three RBI, two runs and two doubles.
LOOKING FOR HIS ROAD GROOVE: Steven Moyers thoroughly enjoys pitching in the friendly confines of Appalachian Power Park. The southpaw has hurled three of his four quality starts at home. The University of Rhode Island product has also thrown three quality starts in his last four outings, and worked at least six innings in a start four consecutive times. Moyers is 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA in three home starts, while he has an 0-2 road record with a 7.36 ERA.
POWER POINTS: West Virginia turned two double plays in a game for the seventh time this season... Jarred Kelenic was caught stealing for the fourth time this year... Honeyman recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the year. The Stony Brook product collected the most hits (4) he has had in a series in 2019... Casetta-Stubbs fanned a career-high five batters.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 17, 2019
- Legends Return Home to Walk It off in Tenth Inning - Lexington Legends
- 'Birds Sweat out 10-Inning Shutout - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Big First Inning Propels West Virginia Past Greenville - Greenville Drive
- Six-Run 10th Inning Seals Victory over Charleston - Augusta GreenJackets
- Late Error Ignites Augusta Rally as Dogs Fall in Extras - Charleston RiverDogs
- Uriarte Homers, Registers Three Hits in Fireflies Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Nevarez Slugs Power to 10-4 over Greenville - Charleston Dirty Birds
- First Extra-Inning Game of the Season Yields Close Loss - Asheville Tourists
- Four Hoppers Homers Give Greensboro Series-Opening Win - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Fireflies Game Notes - May 17 at Rome (Game 41) - Columbia Fireflies
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Game Notes (May 17) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Fireflies Rally in Ninth, Win Series in Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
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.
