Gnats Game Notes: Tuesday, July 20 at West Virginia
Published on July 20, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah Sand Gnats (10-14/52-42, 7th, Southern) @ West Virginia Power (8-16/39-55, 7th, Northern)
Game #95 - Road Game #46 - Tuesday - 7:05
LHP Darin Gorski (3-4, 3.52) vs. LHP Elicer Navarro (0-0, 0.82)
Appalachian Power Park, Charleston, WV
Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, sandgnats.com
Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats begin a four-game series and an eight game road trip in Charleston, WV against the Power, the SAL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. After four games in WV, the Gnats head to Lexington, KY for four games before returning home on Thursday, July 29.
Last Game: The Drive scored five runs in the second inning on their way to a 8-4 win. Savannah starter Jimmy Fuller, allowed six runs, his most in any outing this year, in three innings, matching his shortest start of the year. The middle of the order of Cesar Puello and Jefry Marte were a combined 5-9 and either drove in or scored every one of Savannah's runs.
Now Pitching: Darin Gorski is scheduled to make his tenth start for the Gnats tonight coming off his best outing of the year in his last start in a 4-2 win over Greenville. Gorski threw a season-high seven innings, and matched a season high, set previously on April 12th, in his first appearance of the year while allowing just one earned run. Since returning to the rotation at the All-Star Break, Gorski is 1-2 in three starts with a 4.95 ERA (11 ER/20 IP). He's given up four home runs while yielding a .299 (23 H/77 AB) opponents' batting average in his last four starts.
Last year for the Brooklyn Cyclones, Gorski was 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 62.1 innings over 13 appearances, 11 of which were starts. He struck out 50 batters and walked 26. The Mets selected Gorski in the 7th round of the 2009 draft out of Kutztown (PA) University where he earned the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Pitcher of the Year Award in 2009, his junior year. In 2009, Gorski led the Kutztown Golden Bears in strikeouts (100), innings pitched (78.2) and batting average against (.208). He was 10th in Division II in strikeouts.
Vs. West Virginia: The Gnats are 3-1 against West Virginia, having outscored the Power by a score of 19-9 in the teams' four games in Savannah in the opening series of the 2010 season. Savannah is 6-10 against the West Virginia since becoming a Mets affiliate prior to the 2007 season.
Marte Mashing: After his second straight three-hit game on Sunday when he went 3-5, Jefry Marte is hitting .348/.384/.594 in 17 games in July with a team-leading nine extra-base hits.
Puello's Progress: Cesar Puello was 2-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs on Sunday and has now hit safely in eight straight games - a span in which he's hitting .355 (11-for-31). Puello is hitting .323/.425/.387 with four doubles in July. At the conclusion of May, Puello was hitting .234/.316/.280 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with eight doubles in 47 games. Since June 1, he is hitting .312/.404/.384 with 10 doubles in 39 games. In April and May, he struck out in 21% of his plate appearances, a rate that has dropped to 15% in June and July.
Armed and Dangerous: The Gnats lead the SAL with a 2.66 ERA and 801 strikeouts. Savannah has allowed just 327 runs overall, 52 fewer than Hickory (379), which has allowed the second-fewest runs in the league. Only four teams, including the Gnats, in the SAL have allowed fewer than 400 runs.
Road Warriors: The Gnats are 5-5 on the road in the second half and 23-22 on the road this year. Savannah is just 5-9 at home at Historic Grayson Stadium in the second half after finishing the first half 24-11 at home.
Playoffs: By virtue of winning the first half, the Gnats will have home-field advantage in the Southern Division Championship Series. The second half winner will host game one on Wednesday, September 8 before the series returns to Savannah for game two on Friday, September 10 and game three, if necessary, on Saturday, September 11.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 20, 2010
- Tourists Survive Rain Delay For Win - Asheville Tourists
- Power Beat Gnats, 9-2 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Machemer Hits Milestone Win In 2-1 Thriller - Augusta GreenJackets
- Thompson Deals a Gem in 'Dads 4-1 Victory - Hickory Crawdads
- Late Inning Rally Falls Short, Drive Lose 5-4 - Greenville Drive
- Late Comeback Falls Short, Claws Drop Third in a Row 7-4 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Paredes, Ramirez Drain Lakewood, 7-4 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Intimidators Hold off Drive 5-4 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Lexington Slips by Rome - Rome Emperors
- Bushue's Strong Start, Clark's Record-Tying Save Lead Legends - Lexington Legends
- Crawdads Shut Down Shorebirds Offense in 4-1 Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Drive Names OOBE as Official Apparel Company - Greenville Drive
- Crawdads Weekly - 'Dads Roll to Back-To-Back Series Wins - Hickory Crawdads
- Gnats Game Notes: Tuesday, July 20 at West Virginia - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Kannapolis Intimidators Pitcher Andre Rienzo Named SAL Pitcher of the Week - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- New Baseball Film Distribution Company Set to Kick off Outdoor Screening Series in Charleston - Charleston RiverDogs
- Shorebirds Game Notes - Delmarva Shorebirds
- GreenJackets to Play Eight Straight at Home - Augusta GreenJackets
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
