Gnats Game Notes: Wednesday, April 27 at Delmarva

April 27, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (7-11, 5th, Southern) vs. Delmarva Shorebirds (10-9, 5th, Northern)

Game #19 -

Road Game #10 - Wednesday - 7:05

RHP Erik Goeddel (0-1, 3.65) vs. RHP Scott Copeland (1-0, 4.32) Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, Salisbury, MD

Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com

Tonight: The Gnats, SAL affiliate of the New York Mets, look to snap a four-game losing streak in game three of a five-game series in Delmarva against the Shorebirds, SAL affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. This is game three of a nine-game road trip to Delmarva and Lakewood. The Gnats are 2-7 on the road in 2011, all against Northern Division teams. Savannah's next home game is Thursday, May 5th.

Last Night: Shorebirds' 3B Jonathan Schoop hit a walk-off home run off Savannah reliever Guillaume Leduc in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Delmarva an 8-7 win. Delmarva used a pair of first-inning homers to take a 4-0 lead in the game, but Savannah fought back, tying the game in the sixth, and taking a two-run lead in the seventh.

Now Pitching: RHP Erik Goeddel is scheduled to make his fourth start of the year for Savannah tonight. Last Thursday, Goeddel gave up four runs, three earned in five innings in Savannah's 6-5 win over Lexington. He struck out five and walked one in five innings, his longest outing of the season, and his professional career. The Mets drafted Goeddel in the 24thround of the 2010 draft out of UCLA. Goeddel made one appearance for the GCL Mets on August 14, 2010 throwing one inning with one hit and one strikeout. Goeddel underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior year of high school at San Jose's Bellarmine Prep in 2007 and missed most of the next two years at UCLA. In 2010 he was excellent for the Bruins out of the bullpen, striking out 59 and walking 23 while giving up 44 hits in 50 innings. In ratio form, he had a 10.6 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and 7.9 H/9. Coming into the 2011 season, Goeddel was ranked as the Mets' 17th best prospect by Baseball America, and the team's 16th best by Baseball Prospectus. The Gnats are 2-1 when Goeddel starts and have supported him with 4.33 runs per game.

Totally Tovar: SS/2B Wilfredo Tovar rides a five-game hitting streak, over which time he is 10-for-17 (.588) with two doubles, two RBI, four walks and six runs scored. He's up to .288/.354/.373 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in his 17 games of 2011. Entering play last Thursday night, before his streak, he was hitting .167/.186/.238 so he's raised his batting average 121 points, his on-base percentage 168 points and his slugging 135 points.

Ad-ing Up: After his 1-5 last night with a double and an RBI, Aderlin Rodriguez has hits in five of his last six games, and extra-base hits in four of those contests. In those six games, he is hitting .296 (8 H/27 AB) with three doubles, two homers and eight RBI.

Four Down: This is the Gnats second losing streak of four games or longer this year after dropping five in a row April 10-13. Savannah has had leads in three of their four games during this losing streak.

Homer Data: Last night was the first time Gnats pitching allowed three home runs in a game or two home runs in an inning. The Gnats are 3-7 when allowing a home run this year, and 0-5 on the road.

Pitching In: The Gnats team ERA of 4.58 is ninth in the 14-team SAL. Savannah starters have a 4.83 ERA and have allowed 2.7 BB/9 IP and 9.5 H/9 IP. The relievers own a 4.30 ERA but have a BB/9 of 4.5 and 8.6 H/9.

Light Lumber: The Gnats are last in the 14-team SAL with 70 runs scored in 18 games, (3.9 r/g). Rome has scored 76 runs, the second-fewest. However, the Gnats hitters have fanned 122 times, the third-fewest in the League.

Vs. Delmarva: The Gnats are 0-2 against Delmarva thus far in the five-game season series. Last year, the teams split four games in Delmarva. In 2010, three of the four games between the two teams were decided by one run, and two went to extra-innings.



South Atlantic League Stories from April 27, 2011


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