Gnats Game Notes: Friday, July 8 Vs. Greensboro
Published on July 8, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah Sand Gnats (12-3/51-33, 1st, Southern) vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers (7-8/47-38, t-5th, Northern)
Game #85 - Home Game #44 - Friday - 7:05
LHP Angel Cuan (6-1, 3.19) vs. RHP Rett Varner (4-2, 3.72)
Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA
Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com
Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats look to snap a two-game losing streak, their first of the second-half, in game two of a four-game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, SAL affiliate of the Florida Marlins.
Last Night: The Grasshoppers built a 5-0 lead and held on for a 5-4 despite the Gnats' rallying for four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Savannah had the tying run at third with two down in the bottom of the ninth.
Now Pitching: LHP Angel Cuan is scheduled to make his fourth start of 2011 tonight. He earned his first win as a starter last time out, when he held Augusta to one run on six hits in six innings, fanning a season-high seven batters. As a starter this year, Cuan has an ERA of 1.80 in 15 innings over three outings with nine strikeouts against just two walks, a K/BB of 4.5. He had a 3.65 ERA in 44.1 innings as a reliever with 40 strikeouts against six walks a K/BB of 6.67. His walk rate as a reliever of 1.22 BB-IBB/9 IP was the fourth-best among relievers in the SAL. Last year, Cuan was second only to teammate Yohan Almonte in the New-York Penn League with a 2.03 ERA. He was fifth in the NYP in strikeouts (64) and fourth in innings pitched (79.2) and fewest baserunners/9 IP (9.94). Cuan went five innings or more in 13 of his 14 starts in Brooklyn in 2010. Cuan pitched for his native Panama in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The Gnats are 3-0 when Cuan starts and have supported him with 4.67 runs per game (14 runs/3 games).
Long Time Between Long Balls: Blake Forsythe's ninth inning home run last night was the first for the Gnats at home since April 23. The Gnats went 33 games between home homers. For the year, the Gnats have hit .238/.316/.321 (AVG/OBP/SLG) at home with five runs, averaging 3.44 runs/game. On the road, the team has hit .244/.324/.377 with 32 home runs, averaging 4.49 runs/game.
Top Gnats: The Gnats' 51-33 overall record is the best in the SAL. The Gnats (.607) are the only team in the SAL playing better than .600 baseball. Savannah remains tied with the Burlington Bees, the A's Midwest League affiliate, for the fifth-best winning percentage among all full-season minor league teams. San Antonio (AA-Padres) has the best record among the 120 full-season affiliates at .707 (58-25) and is the only team playing better than .700 baseball.... The Gnats are one of only eight full-season teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.
Forsythe Feeling It: In his last six games, C Blake Forsythe is 7-for-19 (.368) with three doubles, a triple, a home run and six walks against three strikeouts.
Meet Miggy: Patrick Farrell retired on Friday. Miguel Tejada, who was on a rehab assignment with rookie level Kingsport, took his spot on the roster. The 20-year old infielder hit .160/.192/.400 with four home runs in 14 games for Kingsport.
Strong Arms: The Gnats have the SAL's best ERA (3.11), 44 hundredths better than second-place Lakewood. The Gnats have allowed the fewest hits (645), eight fewer than Hickory and 225 fewer than Asheville, which has allowed the most. The Gnats have the fourth-most strikeouts in the SAL (674).
Vs. Greensboro: The Gnats are 0-1 against the Grasshoppers so far. This is the first of two series between the Gnats and Grasshoppers in 2011. The Gnats return the visit to Greensboro July 28-31. This is Greensboro's first visit to Savannah since the Hoppers took three of four games from the Gnats July 30-August 2, 2007. The Gnats were 5-2 in Greensboro last year, and 2-2 in both 2008 and 2009.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 8, 2011
- Augusta beats Asheville - Asheville Tourists
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Two-Out Runs Lead to Second Straight Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Gnats Blast Grasshoppers 11-4 Friday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Delmarva Outlasts âDogs in Back and Forth Affair, 6-5 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Shorebirds Bullpen tosses four scoreless innings - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Solid Starting Pitching Helps Rome Take Third Straight Win - Rome Emperors
- Legends 2nd Game Suspended; to be Completed Saturday - Lexington Legends
- Lakewood, Kannapolis Rained out on Friday, DH Saturday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Hickory Takes First Game of Doubleheader Over Legends 3-1 - Lexington Legends
- Gnats Game Notes: Friday, July 8 Vs. Greensboro - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Tonight's Game Postponed - Hagerstown Suns
- Power Beat Down Postponed - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Weber Activated from DL - Rome Emperors
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