Gnats Game Notes: Tuesday, August 2 Vs. Augusta
Published on August 2, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah Sand Gnats (23-14/62-44, 1st, Southern) vs. Augusta GreenJackets (20-16/51-55, 2nd, Southern)
Game #107 - Home Game #55 - Tuesday - 7:05
RHP Yohan Almonte (4-6, 3.77) vs. LHP Gaspar Santiago (3-5, 4.11)
Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA
Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com
Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats look to avenge a one-run loss in the opening game of their four-game series against the Augusta GreenJackets, SAL affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The GreenJackets sit 2.5 games behind the Gnats for first place in the SAL Southern Division entering play today. The Gnats take off for Charleston over the weekend, and after an off day on Tuesday, open an eight-game home stand August 10.
Last Night: The GreenJackets scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to come from behind to beat the Gnats 4-3. 2B Luis Nieves was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Now Pitching: Yohan Almonte is scheduled to make his 18th start of the year tonight. Almonte gave up six runs, five earned, on nine hits, a personal season-high, in his last start, a 7-6 loss in Greensboro last Thursday. Almonte has walked 1.88 batters/9 IP, which is fourth-best among SAL starting pitchers. Almonte has a 3.09 ERA at home were he has allowed four home runs in 43.2 IP (0.82 HR/9 IP) and a 4.46 ERA on the road where he has given up nine homers in 42.1 IP (1.91 HR/9 IP). In 2010, Almonte led the New York-Penn League in ERA (1.91), IP (89.2) and WHIP (0.93), averaging nearly six innings per start. 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 8-9 when Almonte starts and have supported him with 3.47 runs per game, the third-lowest run support of any Savannah starter.
One Run Fun: The Gnats lost a rare one-run game at home last night. The Gnats are now 18-5 in one-run games at home and 21-14 overall. With a 14-5 record in two-run games at home, the Gnats are 32-10 at home and 40-24 overall in games decided by two runs or less.
Vs. Southpaws: The Gnats are 19-10 against lefthanded starters this year, including a 10-3 record at home at Historic Grayson Stadium.
Chasing History: The Gnats, with 62 wins in 106 games, are on pace for 81 victories. The last time the Savannah franchise won as many as 80 games in a season was 1994, when the Savannah Cardinals finished 82-55 on their way to their second-straight SAL Championship. Last year at this point, through 106 games, the Gnats were 57-49 and 15-21 in the second half on their way to a record of 33-36 in the second half and 75-64 for the year.
Rafael's Return: After hitting .126 (10-for-79) from June 29 through July 22, Rafael Fernandez, has hit safely in seven of his last eight games going 11-for-34 (.324) with four doubles, a triple, eight RBI, two walks and eight strikeouts.
Playoff Scenario: The first-half champion Gnats will play the second-half winner in the best-of-three Southern Division series beginning on the road September 7 and returning to Savannah on September 9. The Gnats currently lead the second half standings by 2.5 games over the Augusta GreenJackets and three games over the Greenville Drive. 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 6.5 games better than the GreenJackets.
Strong Arms: The Gnats still lead the SAL in ERA at 3.16, 44 hundredths better than second-best Lakewood, which passed Hickory last night for second in the League. The Gnats also lead the League in WHIP (1.21), and fewest hits allowed (811) - 30 fewer than second-best Hickory. The Gnats are fifth in the SAL in strikeouts (835), 33 behind fourth-place Lakewood.
Vs. Augusta: The Gnats are 12-6 against the GreenJackets, 6-2 at home and 6-4 on the road. This series concludes the season series between the two teams, the first division opponent to finish their season series with the Gnats.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 2, 2011
- Gnats Swarm GreenJackets in 8-3 Win Tuesday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Drive Outlast Braves in 10 Innings, 3-2 - Greenville Drive
- Grasshoppers Top Power 6-2 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Black Homers Twice as Kannapolis Wins 3-2 - Lexington Legends
- Suns Rise for 3-2 Win Against Crawdads - Hickory Crawdads
- Six Braves Errors Lead to Greenville Victory - Rome Emperors
- Suns Cook Crawdads in Game Two, 3-2 - Hagerstown Suns
- BlueClaws Cruise Past Shorebirds, 6-2 - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Gnats Pull Away Late as GreenJackets Fall 8-3 - Augusta GreenJackets
- BlueClaws Bounce Back with 6-1 Win - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Ortega Owns Spotlight as Tourists Down 'Dogs, 10-5 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Gnats Game Notes: Tuesday, August 2 Vs. Augusta - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Rome Makes Roster Moves - Rome Emperors
- GreenJackets, Knology Pair up for Back-To-School Drive - Augusta GreenJackets
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Josh Hamilton Bobblehead Headlines Four-Game Homestand - Charleston RiverDogs
- Intimidators' Harvard in MiLB Madness Vote - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Hickory Edges Hagerstown in Ultimate Slugfest - Hagerstown Suns
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