Game Notes (May 18)
May 18, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
The Power continues its four-game series against the Greenville Drive Saturday evening, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. from Fluor Field at the West End. RHP Deivy Florido (1-0, 1.42 ERA) takes the mound for West Virginia.
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POWER SNAPS STREAK WITH 10-4 WIN: West Virginia jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and cruised from there, pounding out 14 hits in a 10-4 win over the Greenville Drive in the series opener Friday night at Fluor Field at the West End. The Power's first four batters reached base, with Jarred Kelenic and Onil Pena smoking RBI singles for a 2-0 edge. After J.R. Davis scored on a wild pitch, Dean Nevarez emptied the bases with a towering 409-foot blast over the Green Monster in left to make it 5-0. Both teams scored a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings to close the lead to 9-4, while West Virginia tacked on its final run in the eighth with Davis scoring on a wild pitch for the third time in the game. Steven Moyers hurled six solid innings in his eighth start of the year, allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out a career-high tying nine batters. Sal Biasi and Bryan Pall spun the final three frames, not ceding a hit and combining to fan five hitters.
DANG DEAN: Nevarez had a career night at the plate, smashing his two-run bomb in the first inning and adding a two-run double in the third to compile a career-best four RBI. The San Diego State product's fourth home run of the season set a new season-high, as he had just three homers in 41 games in the AZL last season. Nevarez is now one of four Power batters with at least four home runs this season, joining Jake Anchia (6), Kelenic (7) and Pena (4).
THE LONG BALL: With Nevarez's first-inning blast, the Power now has 32 home runs on the season, third-most in the South Atlantic League behind the Greensboro Grasshoppers (47) and Hickory Crawdads (45). Though West Virginia's May record has left something to be desired, the power has not left the lineup, with the offense slugging 12 long balls in the season's second month, tied for third-most in the SAL with the Greenville Drive.
THE BIG INNING: With their five-run first inning Friday, West Virginia recorded its fifth big inning of the season, and first since May 11. The Power also scored five runs in the first inning for the second time this year (May 9 in Game 1 vs. Augusta). The most runs West Virginia has tallied in an inning this year is six, which they accomplished April 18 at Asheville in the sixth. The Power did tally six hits in the first inning Friday, which tied the most they've had in an inning this season, equaling their output in that aforementioned sixth frame in North Carolina.
A QUALITY GUY: Moyers fired his fifth quality start of the season Friday night, tied for the most this season by a Power starter with Clay Chandler, and his fourth in his last five outings. The University of Rhode Island product has also worked at least six innings in a start five consecutive times. Moyers notched nine strikeouts in a game for the second time this season (April 13 against Augusta). The southpaw dropped his road ERA from 7.36 to 6.75 (61 points) and picked up his first road victory of the season (1-2).
BULLPEN BULLIES: West Virginia's bullpen has kept this team in a ton of games, especially during this road trip. Over the first four games of the road swing, the relief corps has spun 14 innings and given up two earned runs (1.29 ERA) on six hits while striking out 20 batters. The Power's bullpen ERA currently sits at 2.86, 102 points below the starters.
FLOURISHING FLORIDO: Saturday starter Deivy Florido has been an immediate bright spot for West Virginia since joining the Power May 6 from Extended Spring Training. In his spot start May 9 against the Augusta GreenJackets in game two of a twin bill, Florido dazzled for 5.1 innings, giving up just one run on five hits while striking out five batters. The 18-year-old made his first relief appearance with the Power Monday, twirling a scoreless sixth frame and surrendering just one hit. Overall, Florido is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA, six strikeouts and no walks in two games with West Virginia.
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.
POWER POINTS: West Virginia struck out 14 batters Friday night, notching double-digit strikeouts for the 23rd time.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 18, 2019
- Edgeworth, Cresto and Montes All Homer in T's Victory - Asheville Tourists
- Suns Pitching Unravels in 9-4 Loss - Hagerstown Suns
- Vespi Dazzles in Opener; 'Birds Split K-Town - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Sold out Crowd Packs Whitaker Bank Ballpark as Legends Fall in Game Two - Lexington Legends
- Late Error Ignites Augusta Rally as Dogs Fall in Extras - Charleston RiverDogs
- Mauricio a Triple Shy of Cycle, Fireflies Fall in Rome - Columbia Fireflies
- Jackets Win 11-Inning Marathon 6-4 - Augusta GreenJackets
- Drive Fall to West Virginia, 4-1, on Saturday - Greenville Drive
- Florido Shines, Anchia Homers in 4-1 Win - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Dean and Harris slug Braves to victory - Rome Emperors
- Case Dismisses Claws Again as Hoppers Win 4-0 on Saturday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Fireflies Game Notes - May 18 at Rome (Game 42) - Columbia Fireflies
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Game Notes (May 18) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Three-Run Fifth Vaults Suns over Crawdads - Hagerstown Suns
- Braves Bats Keep Sizzling in 11-3 Romp over Fireflies - Rome Emperors
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