Gnats Game Notes: Friday, August 12 Vs. Greenville

Published on August 12, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (29-17/68-47, 1st, Southern) vs. Greenville Drive (26-19/64-51, 2nd, Southern)

Game #116 - Home Game #60 - Friday - 7:05

RHP Erik Goeddel (2-2, 2.49) vs. RHP Keith Couch (5-4, 3.05)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com

Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats play game three of an eight-game home stand and a four-game series against the Greenville Drive, SAL affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. If the season ended today, the Gnats would face the Drive in the first round of the SAL playoffs.

Last Night: LHP Angel Cuan held the Drive to two runs in six innings to pick up his team-leading 10th win of the season while 3B Joe Bonfe and 1B Jet Butler were each 3-for-4 with two runs scored to pace the Gants' offense in a 5-3 win. C Albert Cordero was 0-4 with two strikeouts snapping his ten-game hitting streak.

Now Pitching: RHP Erik Goeddel is scheduled to make his second start since returning to the rotation after a strained right shoulder kept him out of action from May 23 through August 7. In his first start back, in Charleston last Sunday, Goeddel threw four scoreless innings, yielding five hits, one walk and one strikeout. The Mets drafted Goeddel in the 24thround of the 2010 draft out of UCLA. He made only one professional appearance in 2010, throwing one inning with a hit and a strikeout for the GCL Mets on August 14. Goeddel underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior year of high school at San Jose's Bellarmine Prep in 2007 and missed most of the next two years at UCLA. In 2010 he was excellent for the Bruins out of the bullpen, striking out 59 and walking 23 while giving up 44 hits in 50 innings. In decimal form he had a 10.6 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and 7.9 H/9 at UCLA in 2010. Coming into the 2011 season, Goeddel was ranked as the Mets' 17th best prospect by Baseball America, and the team's 16th best by Baseball Prospectus. The Gnats are 5-3 when Goeddel starts and have supported him with 3.75 runs per game.

Cup 'o Joe: After going 4-for-7 with a double and a home run in the first two games of the series against the Drive, Joe Bonfe is hitting .288/.346/.370 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with four doubles, a triple and two homers in 41 games in the second half after hitting .221/.294/.260 with three doubles in 22 games in the first half. Bonfe has hit .387 (12 H/31 AB) with two doubles and a homer against Greenville in nine games this year.

Totally Tovar: Wilfredo Tovar has hit safely in his last six games, going 9-for-24 (.375) with a double, a walk and four RBI. Tovar hit .236/.287/.293 in 65 games in the first half and .234/.318/.269 in the second half. He walked 16 times in the first half - a rate of 6% - but has earned 18 walks in the second half - a rate of 9%.

Playoff Scenario: The Gnats will play the number two seed in the best-of-three Southern Division Championship series beginning on the road on Wednesday, September 7 and returning to Savannah on Friday, September 9, with game three, if necessary, scheduled for Saturday, September 10. The number two seed will be the second half winner, or if the Gnats win the half, the team with the next best overall record. The Gnats currently lead the second half standings by 2.5 games over the Augusta GreenJackets and the Greenville Drive, and 4.0 games over the Asheville Tourists with 24 games to play in the half. If the Gnats win the second half, their first-round opponent will be the team with the next-best overall record where the Greenville Drive are currently seven games better than the GreenJackets and eight in front of Asheville.

Strong Arms: The Gnats still lead the SAL in ERA (3.18), WHIP (1.22) and hits allowed (885). The Gnats are fifth in the SAL in strikeouts (905), 14 behind fourth-place Lakewood and have allowed the sixth-fewest walks in the SAL (358). The Drive are second in the SAL with 975 strikeouts are tied for third-fewest walks allowed (314).

Vs. Greenville: The Gnats are 7-7 against the Drive in 2011, 7-3 at home and 0-4 on the road. The Drive are the only Southern Division team against whom the Gnats the Gnats do not have a winning record. Greenville has outscored Savannah 66-45 in the teams' 14 head-to-head meetings this year.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 12, 2011


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