Gnats Game Notes: Wednesday, July 7 at Rome

July 7, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (4-9/46-37, 7th, Southern) vs. Rome Braves (7-6/37-45, t-3rd, Southern)

Game #84 - Home Game #44 - Wednesday - 7:05

LHP Darin Gorski (2-4, 3.79) vs. LHP Chris Masters (1-3, 2.61)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, sandgnats.com

Tonight: The Gnats finish their four-game series with Rome before heading to Asheville for five games this weekend. Savannah returns home for a five-game set with Greenville July 14.

Last Night: Rome scored five times in the top of the eighth inning to stun Savannah with a 7-6 comeback win. It was the second night in a row in which Rome scored multiple runs in the top of the eighth to take the lead. The Gnats had leads of 4-0 after three innings and 6-2 after seven. Savannah starter Collin McHugh struck out a personal season-high nine batters.

Now Pitching: Darin Gorski is scheduled to make his eighth start for the Gnats tonight. He gave up six runs on nine hits, three of which were home runs in six innings is last start on Friday in Greenville in a game the Gants lost 8-3. Gorski has fared better out of the bullpen than as a starter this year, as the table below details.

IP ERA Opp Avg BB SO SO/BB SO/9

Reliever 26.1 0.68 .172 6 27 4.5 9.2

Starter 31.2 6.46 .328 13 24 1.8 6.8

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.

Bandits: The Gnats tied a season-high with six stolen bases last night. :

Vs. Rome: The Gnats are 13-5 against Rome this year, 8-2 at home and 5-3 in Rome. The Gnats have outscored Rome by a score of 93-48 this season. After splitting the season series 11-11 last year, the two teams are scheduled for 23 games this year. The Gnats are 42-48 against Rome as a Mets affiliate.

Wow Wilfredo: Wilfredo Tovar was 1-4 with an RBI last night. He's reached base safely in eight straight games and 12 of his 13 games as a Gnat, while being held hitless only three times. The 18-year old is hitting .390/.457/.439 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with four walks, three strikeouts and three stolen bases for Savannah.

Puello Power: Cesar Puello is hitting .327 (16-for-49) with four doubles, one walk and five strikeouts in 13 games since the All-Star Break.

Four Fails Again: Last night, for the second night in a row, and the second time all year, the Gnats lost at home in a game in which they scored four or more runs. Savannah is now 19-2 when scoring four runs or more at home and 37-9 over all.

The Wonderful World of OZ: 1B Travis Ozga has hit safely in seven straight games and eight of his nine games with an at-bat. In his last seven games, Ozga is hitting .454 (10-for-22) with two doubles and a home run.

Close Calls: All three games in this series have been decided by one run. The Gnats are 10-15 in one-run games, 8-6 at home and 2-9 on the road.

Playoffs: By virtue of winning the first half, the Gnats will host game two of the SAL Southern Division Championship series on Friday, September 10 and game three, if necessary, on Saturday, September 11.



South Atlantic League Stories from July 7, 2010


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