Gnats Game Notes
June 14, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah Sand Gnats (37-26, 2nd, Southern) vs. Rome Braves (26-36, 7th, Southern)
Game #64 - Home Game #33 - Monday - 7:05
RHP Brandon Moore (2-4, 2.32) vs. LHP Brett DeVall (2-4, 3.55)
Historic Grayson Stadium - Savannah, GA
Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, sandgnats.com
Tonight: The Gnats begin a three-game series against the Rome Braves in the final home series of the season's first half. The Gnats remain one game behind first place Augusta with seven games to play in the season's first half.
Last Game: Saturday, the Gnats blasted the Greensboro Grasshoppers 11-2, blowing the game open with a five-run sixth inning.
Now Pitching: Brandon Moore will make his 11th start for the Savannah Sand Gnats. The Gnats are 5-5 when Moore throws and have supported him with 3.3 runs per game, the second-lowest mark among Gnats pitchers. Moore is ninth in the SAL with a 2.32 ERA, and leads the League in strikeouts (88) and strikeout rate for starters (12.05 SO/9 IP). Moore has thrown at least seven innings in six of his last seven starts. The only start in that span in which he did not throw seven (May 23rd in Charleston) he was chased from the game by an hour and 27 minute rain delay. Moore was 6-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 82 innings over 13 starts for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2009, striking out 71 batters and walking 17. He threw the first no-hitter in Brooklyn Cyclones history on August 23, 2009 striking out six and walking three. The Brooklyn Cyclones beat the Aberdeen Ironbirds 5-0 in game one of a seven-inning doubleheader in Moore's no-hitter. The Mets drafted Moore in the 14th round out of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2008 where he was the Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Year.
Vs. Rome: The Gnats are 9-3 against Rome this year, 4-0 at home and 5-3 in Rome. The two teams are scheduled for 23 games this season. The Gnats and Braves split the season series 11-11 last year and the Gnats are 38-46 against Rome as a Mets affiliate.
Simply the Best: The Gnats' pitching staff leads the SAL and all of minor league baseball with a 2.54 ERA, over a quarter of a run better than the Kinston Indians in the Carolina League, who hold the minors second-best ERA at 2.81.
Hail Cesar: Cesar Puello rides a six game hitting streak, over which time he is batting .450 (9 H/20 AB) with three doubles. After fighting through a .192/.259/.232 (AVG/OBP/SLG) May, Puello is hitting .303/.410/.424 in 10 games in June. He has four doubles in June, equaling his total in both April and May.
Power-Flo: Wilmer Flores hit two home runs in the series at Greensboro and was 4-for-14 (.286) during the series. It was the second time this year that Flores has hit two home runs in a three-game span. No Gnat has homered in consecutive games in 2010.
On the Mark: Mark Cohoon won his second consecutive Pitcher of the Week honor after tossing his second-consecutive complete game shutout. He is the first player in two years to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Madison Bumgarner, then of Augusta won June 9-15 and June 16-22, 2008.
Playoff Scenario: Savannah trails Augusta by one game with seven to play in the first half. Augusta currently holds the tiebreaker over Savannah by virtue of a better head-to-head record (8-4). The two teams finish the half with four games against each other in Augusta, where Savannah is 3-5 this year. If Savannah sweeps that series, the Gnats would take control of the tie-breaker because, while the two teams would have the same head-to-head record at 8-8, the Gnats would have the advantage in runs scored in head-to-head play, the next tie-breaker. Failing a sweep in Augusta, the Gnats need to win the division outright, by at least one game to be the first half champs.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 14, 2010
- Legends' Altuve Named South Atlantic League Player of the Week - Lexington Legends
- Ninth-Inning Homers give Lakewood 5-3 Win over Legends - Lexington Legends
- Gnats Blast Braves, 10-4 - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Augusta Strikes Early, Takes Advantage of Charleston Errors in 7-4 Victory - Charleston RiverDogs
- Crawdads Outpower West Virginia, 10-2 - Hickory Crawdads
- Drive Down Grasshoppers, 4-2, for Fourth Straight Win - Greenville Drive
- BlueClaws Top Legends - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Suns Lose to Tourists, 8-3 - Hagerstown Suns
- Moreland Dazzles in 1-0 Series Opening Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Shorebirds Shutout Intimidators 1-0 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Gnats Game Notes - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Shorebirds Game Notes - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Mark Cohoon Wins Second Consecutive Pitcher Of The Week Award - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Rasmus Named To All Star Team - Rome Emperors
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.
