Gnats Game Notes: Southern Division Championship Series Game 1

Published on September 8, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (75-64) @ Greenville Drive (77-62)

RHP Armando Rodriguez (8-9, 3.08) vs. LHP Drake Britton (2-3, 2.97)

Division Series #1 - Wednesday - 7:00

Fluor Field, Greenville, SC

Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com

Tonight: The first half champion Gnats begin the best-of-three Southern Division Championship Series against the second half champion Greenville Drive at Fluor Field in Greenville. The Gnats have never faced the Drive in the SAL playoffs. Savannah, winners of nine of their last 11 games, rolls in hot.

Schedule: Game two will take place Friday night at Historic Grayson Stadium where the Tate Law Group will present a Vuvuzela giveaway for the first 1,000 fans. Game three, if necessary, will be Saturday evening. The SAL Championship Series will begin at the home of the Southern Division Champion on Monday, September 13.

Now Pitching: The Gnats will hand the ball to their second-half staff ace, Armando Rodriguez, in game one. Rodriguez finished the regular season as the SAL leader in strikeouts (152) and tied for the lead in games started (27). He was third in ERA (3.08), fifth in innings pitched and third in opponents' batting average (.214). In his last five starts, Rodriguez is 2-2 with a 0.93 ERA (3 ER/29 IP) with 45 strikeouts against five walks. He's allowed opponents to hit .193 (21 H/109 AB) in those five starts. In the regular season, the Gnats were 13-14 when Rodriguez started and supported him with 4.41 runs per game, sixth among the nine pitchers who have started games for Savannah in 2010. Rodriguez made nine starts for Kingsport last year going 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA in 45.2 innings. Promoted to Savannah on August 27th, he finished the year with three-starts in which he allowed just five hits in 16.2 innings and struck out 24. The Mets signed Rodriguez as a non-drafted free agent June 6, 2007.

Roster Update: Wednesday, the Gnats rearranged their roster for the playoffs, going to 14 position players and 11 pitchers. Cesar Puello was reinstated from the Savannah disabled list, Lucas Stewart was transferred from Kingsport, while right-handers Michael Hebert and Ramiro Peralta were transferred to Kingsport. Puello was placed on the disabled list on August 26 and has not played since August 14. He hit .346/.424/.430 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in the second half for Savannah, leading the SAL in batting average while placing second in OBP.

Vs. Greenville: The Gnats are 4-6 against Greenville, 2-3 at home and 2-3 on the road. The two teams played all 10 of their games in a 20-day span from June 29-July 18 this year. Last year, the Drive swept Asheville 2-0 in the Southern Division Championship Series before falling to Lakewood 3-1 in the SAL Championship Series.

Robbie Rips: Robbie Shields has hit safely in seven straight games. He's hit .438 (14-for-32) with two doubles, two home runs, nine runs and eight RBI in his last seven.

Nice Nieves: Luis Nieves has hit safely in eight of his last nine games going .400 (14-for-35) in those nine games with three doubles, six runs scored, three RBI four walks and four strikeouts.

Torrid Torres: Catcher Juan Torres has hit safely in four of his last five games going 10-for-17 (.588) with three home runs and nine RBI. He's raised his average from .188 to .234.

The Best of the Mets: The Gnats finished 2010 at 75-64, their most wins in a season since going 82-55 in 1994 as a Cardinals affiliate. The last Mets affiliate to make the SAL playoffs was the 2005 Hagerstown Suns, who beat Delmarva 2-1 in the Northern Division Finals before falling 3-1 to Kannapolis in the SAL Championship series.

Playoff History: Savannah has won 10 SAL Championships, most recently, capturing the 1996 SAL Championship. Savannah won three titles in four years, emerging with the League title in 1993 and 1994. Savannah's first SAL Championship: 1906.

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South Atlantic League Stories from September 8, 2010


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