Gnats Game Notes
Published on May 27, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Tonight: The Gnats complete a four-game series with the Kannapolis Intimidators at Historic Grayson Stadium. The Gnats enter play today one game behind the Augusta GreenJackets for first place in the SAL Southern Division.
Last Night: Pedro Zapata singled into right field in the bottom of the 14th inning to bring home Luis Rivera with the winning run in a 5-4 Gnats win. Rivera had reached and advanced to third on a pair of Kannapolis throwing errors. In the ninth, Rivera tied up the game with a single through the right side to bring home Kai Gronauer, who had reached on a Kannapolis error as well. Gnats starter Armando Rodriguez went 5.1 innings yielding three runs, but reliever Collin McHugh was fantastic over six relief innings, striking out a season-high seven batters.
Now Pitching: Mark Cohoon will make his 10th Sand Gnats start of the year. The Gnats are 7-2 in Cohoon's starts and have supported him with 4.7 runs per game. His 2.05 ERA is 10th-best in the SAL and his 57.0 innings pitched are second-most on the circuit. Cohoon has thrown at least five innings in each of his starts for Savannah this year and has gone at least six innings in seven of his nine starts. He spent all of 2009 with Brooklyn in the New York-Penn League where he was 9-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 14 starts. He fanned 70 and walked 20 in 92 innings. His 2.15 ERA was 6th in the League and the Mets recognized him with the team's Sterling Award as the Cyclones' MVP. In 2008 with Savannah, Cohoon was 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in seven starts after moving directly from the Kingsport Mets, skipping over Brooklyn. The Mets drafted Cohoon in the 12th round of the 2008 draft out of North Central Texas College.
ZAP! Pedro Zapata rides a six game hitting streak over which time he is 9-for-28 (.321) with a double, two triples and his first career home run last night. After hitting .241/.347/.299 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with four extra base hits in 22 games in April, Zapata is hitting .289/.337/.443 with nine extra-base hits in 21 games in May. He is tied for second in the league with five triples, trailing only teammate Juan Lagares, and is ninth in the league in stolen bases with 15.
Vs. Kannapolis: The Gnats are 2-1 against Kannapolis this year. Both of Savannah's wins against Kannapolis have come in extra-innings, in 13 and 14 inning contests. The Gnats and Intimidators will play 12 games over three series in Savannah, but the Gnats will not return the trip to Kannapolis in 2010. The Gnats and the Intimidators split their season series 2-2 last year. The last time the Gnats played 12 games in a season against Kannapolis was in 2007, when they were 5-7 against the Intimidators.
Extra, Extra: The Gnats lead the league with nine extra-inning contests. The Gnats are 3-0 at home in extras and 1-5 on the road. As a result of all of the extra-inning contests, Gnats pitching leads the league with 450.1 innings pitched, 20.1 more than second-place Lakewood.
Top Arms: Savannah's pitching staff leads the SAL with a 2.48 ERA. The Gnats own the best WHIP (1.12) in the league and have given up the second fewest hits (366). Savannah has yielded the fewest runs (150), 26 fewer than Hickory. After last night's 16-strikeout performance, Savannah now leads the SAL in strikeouts (439), 11 more than second-best Hickory (428).
Slower Flo: Wilmer Flores is #5 in the SAL in batting average (.313), and second in hits (60). Flores is just 5-for-41, (.122) in his last 10 games, which has dropped his batting average from a high of .364 down to .313 today, a .51 point drop in a week and a half. Flores hit .264/.305/.332 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with three home runs in 125 games for Savannah last year as a 17 year-old.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 27, 2010
- Intimidators Edge Gnats 3-2 Thursday Night - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Power Fall to Lexington, 5-3 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Hickory Defeats Shorebirds, 3-1, to Take Series - Hickory Crawdads
- Drive Rally Falls Short Versus RiverDogs, Lose 7-5 - Greenville Drive
- Errors Cost Jackets Chance at Split in 5-4 Loss - Augusta GreenJackets
- Murphy's Home Run Downs Greenville, 7-5 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Altuve's Homer Helps Legends Get Past West Virginia - Lexington Legends
- Intimidators Hold Lead, Earn Split 3-2 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Crawdads Edge Shorebirds 3-1 in Finale to Win Series - Delmarva Shorebirds
- BlueClaws Game Suspended - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Suns-BlueClaws Suspended - Hagerstown Suns
- Gnats Game Notes - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Fans Can Vote On SAL All-Stars - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Live Broadcast Of 2010 South Atlantic League All-Star Game - SAL1
- Ware Sent To Myrtle Beach - Rome Emperors
- WV Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- First Nine Innings Of Networking Sold Out For BlueClaws - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
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