Gnats Game Notes: Thursday, July 21 Vs. West Virginia

Published on July 21, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (15-11/54-41, 2nd, Southern) vs. West Virginia Power (10-16/45-49, 7th, Northern)

Game #96 - Home Game #38 - Thursday - 7:05

LHP Angel Cuan (8-1, 3.81) vs. RHP Jameson Taillon (2-2, 4.13)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com

Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats look to snap a four-game losing streak in game two of a three-game series and seven-game home stand against the West Virginia Power, SAL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The four-game skid is the Gnats' longest of the second half.

Last Night: The Power beat the Gnats 4-3 in 12 innings after the Gnats rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game. West Virginia starter Zack Von Rosenberg took a perfect game into the sixth. Savannah starter Gonzalez Germen nearly matched him zero-for-zero, yielding just one hit in his five shutout innings.

Now Pitching: LHP Angel Cuan is scheduled to make his sixth start of 2011 tonight. He has earned a win in each of his last three starts and is 3-0 as a starter with a 2.67 ERA with 17 strikeouts against three walks. In two of his last three starts, he has held his opponents to one run in six innings. Just once as a starter in six outings has he allowed as many as four runs. 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 5-0 when Cuan starts and have supported him with 4.80 runs per game (29 runs/5 games).

Bottom Heavy: The top four hitters in the Gnats lineup last night were a combined 0-for-19 with one walk and eight strikeouts. The bottom five hitters were 6-for-22 (.272) with two walks, all three runs scored and two RBI.

Tangling with Taillon: The West Virginia Power scheduled starter Jameson Taillon is one of the best pitching prospects in minor league baseball. Coming into the season, he was the consensus top prospect in the Pirates system, earning the #1 ranking in the organization from Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.com. Coming into the season, Baseball Prospectus ranked Taillon as the #8 prospect in baseball, while ESPN.com had him at #30, and Baseball America ranked him #11 prospect before moving him up to #9 overall in their mid-season Top 50.

Last 10: The Gnats have lost four in a row and are 2-8 in their last ten games. In that time, the Gnats have been outscored 46-26 and hit .211 as a team.

Patience Index: West Virginia drew six walks in the final seven innings last night and has drawn 342 walks for the year, fourth in the SAL, while the Gnats, who have earned 318 free passes, are tied for fifth. As a Mets' affiliate, the Gnats have never finished higher than ninth in the SAL in walks, and were dead last in the then 16-team league in 2007 and 2008.

Strong Arms: The Gnats still lead the SAL in ERA at 3.22, 27 hundredths better than second-best Hickory. The Gnats also lead the League in WHIP at 1.23, just in front of second-place West Virginia at 1.25. The Gnats have allowed the fewest hits in the SAL (735). The Power are precisely middle of the road in ERA 4.08, seventh of 14 teams, but have allowed the fewest walks of any team in the SAL, just 210, 37 in front of second-place Hagerstown.

Vs. West Virginia: The Gnats are 1-3 against the West Virginia Power in 2011, 1-2 on the road and 0-1 at home. The two teams opened the 2011 season against each other in Charleston, WV, April 7-10.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 21, 2011


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