Gnats Game Notes: Sunday, August 28 Vs. Charleston
August 28, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah Sand Gnats (37-25/76-55, 1st, Southern) vs. Charleston RiverDogs (24-38/50-82, 6th, Southern)
Game #132 - Home Game #68 - Sunday - 2:05
RHP Yohan Almonte (7-7, 4.02) vs. LHP Vidal Nuno (1-1, 2.67)
Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA
Radio: News/Talk 630 WBMQ and sandgnats.com
Today: Coming off one of their most explosive offensive nights of the 2011 season, the first-half champion Gnats look for their third win in a row in game three of a five-game series, their final home series of the 2011 regular season, against the Charleston RiverDogs, SAL affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Last Night: The Gnats scored a season-high 15 runs and tied a season-high with 18 hits in blowing out Charleston 15-3. ... LF Alonzo Harris was 4-4 with two doubles and two home runs, five runs scored and three RBI. The five runs he scored were a new individual Gnats season-high. He was the fourth Gnat to hit two home runs in a game this year... Erik Goeddel tossed six shutout innings, yielding just one hit and three walks while fanning eight.... The Gnats set a new season-high for runs scored in an inning with their six-run second...The Gnats set a new season-high high for doubles in a nine-inning game with six.
Now Pitching: Yohan Almonte is scheduled to make his 22nd start of the year today. Almonte gave up four runs on eight hits in his last start, a 6-2 Savannah loss in Rome. That start dropped him from second to fourth in the SAL in WHIP (1.13), but he remains second among SAL starters in total baserunners per 9 innings pitched (10.67). He is fourth in the League in lowest unintentional walk rate (1.92 BB-IBB/9 IP). Almonte owns a 2.80 ERA at home in 54.2 innings over 10 starts and a 5.18 ERA in 57.1 innings in 11 starts and one relief appearance on the road. Eleven of the 15 homeruns he has given up this year have come on the road where opponents have hit .275 against him compared to .219 at home. In 2010, Almonte led the New York-Penn League in ERA (1.91), IP (89.2) and WHIP (0.93). He had the second-lowest batting average against among New York-Penn League starters at .207 and the third-lowest unintentional walk/9 IP (1.41) with a K/BB ratio of 4 (60 K/15 BB). The Mets signed Almonte as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. The Gnats are 11-10 when Almonte starts and have supported him with 3.90 runs per game.
Hot Finishes: Wilfredo Tovar rides a six-game hitting streak and is hitting .348/.417/.449 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in 23 games in August... Darrell Ceciliani is hitting .303/.404/.382 in August with nine stolen bases (9-for-10), his most stolen bases in any month in 2011, surpassing his six in June when he was 6-for-10...Albert Cordero is hitting .355/.390/.495 in 23 games in August ... Rafael Fernandez is hitting .303/.423/.494 with 19 walks, a new season-high for walks in a month by a Gnats batter.
Win Counting: With last night's win, their 76th, Gnats have surpassed last year's win total when the team finished 75-64. The team needs four more wins in their final eight games to reach 80 wins for the first time since the 1994 team, when that team finished 82-55.
Playoff Chase: With last night's Gnats' win and the Greenville Drive's 10-4 win over the Augusta GreenJackets, the Gnats moved two games in front of Augusta for first place with eight games to play. The Drive also moved seven games in front of Augusta for the second-best record overall. Greenville can clinch finishing with a better overall record than Augusta with one more win in the final three games of the teams' five-game series. If Greenville finishes with the second-best record overall, Augusta must overcome the Gnats and win the second half to make the playoffs, otherwise Greenville will be the Gnats' first-round playoff opponent.
Strong Arms: The Gnats still lead the SAL in ERA (3.19), WHIP (1.21) and fewest hits allowed (1002). The Gnats are fifth in strikeouts (1002) and sixth in walks allowed (400). Charleston has struck out the second-most batters (1105) and walked the third-most (487).
Vs. Charleston: The Gnats are 8-4 against the RiverDogs this year, a perfect 5-0 at home and 3-4 on the road.
Playoff Schedule: Savannah will play the number two seed in the best-of-three Southern Division Championship series beginning on the road on Wednesday, September 7, returning to Savannah on Friday, September 9, for game two. Game three, if necessary, will be held Saturday, September 10.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 28, 2011
- Braves and Intimidators Split Twinbill - Rome Emperors
- Drive Blanked by GreenJackets, 7-0 - Greenville Drive
- Harris Drives GreenJackets to Shutout Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Pitching, Homers Lead Greensboro to 6-0 Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Dogs Swat Gnats 5-1 Sunday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Tourists Put Pedal on Floor, Roll Past Suns 15-5 - Hagerstown Suns
- West Virginia Shuts out Legends, 9-0 - Lexington Legends
- Power Bats, Arms Earn 9-0 Victory - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Nuno Nullifies Savannah Sticks in 5-1 'Dogs Victory - Charleston RiverDogs
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Gnats Game Notes: Sunday, August 28 Vs. Charleston - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Final Homestand Sends 2011 Season out with a Bang - Charleston RiverDogs
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