Gnats Game Notes
June 29, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah Sand Gnats (43-32/1-4, 6th, Southern) vs. Greenville Drive (41-34/5-0, 1st, Southern)
Game #76 - Road Game #36 - Tuesday - 7:00
RHP Armando Rodriguez (5-5, 2.92) vs. RHP Ryan Pressly (2-4, 4.34)
Fluor Field, Greenville, SC
Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, sandgnats.com
Tonight: The first half champion Savannah Sand Gnats head to Greenville to begin a five game series with the Greenville Drive, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
Last Night: The Tourists took two games from Savannah, by scores of 9-0 and 2-0 (7 innings). The 9-0 game was the continuation of Sunday's suspended game which was suspended with the Tourists leading 2-0 after three innings. In game two, Asheville RHP Chris Balcom-Miller tossed a complete game shutout, holding Savannah to two hits in seven innings. It was the third time this year, and the second time in the last five games that the Gnats have been two-hit.
Now Pitching: Armando Rodriguez is scheduled to make his team-leading 16th start for Savannah. Since May 1, Rodriguez is 4-2 with a 2.31 ERA (13 ER/50.2 IP) in 50.2 innings and has allowed opponents to hit just .190 (35 H/180 AB). For the year, Rodriguez's opponent's batting average of .209 is the fourth-best in the SAL. Rodriguez lasted 4.1 innings in his last start, giving up one unearned run to the Tourists in a 2-0 loss on Thursday. Rodriguez started the opening game of both the first and second halves. The Gnats are 9-6 when Rodriguez throws and have supported him with 5.00 runs per game, the third-most among Savannah starters. With Kingsport a year ago, he was 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 20 walks in 45.2 innings. Promoted to Savannah on August 27th, he finished the year with a dominant three-start performance in which he allowed just five hits in 16.2 innings and struck out 24. The Mets signed Rodriguez as a non-drafted free agent June 6, 2007.
Simply the Best and the Busiest: The Gnats' pitching staff leads the SAL in ERA (2.53), strikeouts (648), WHIP (1.12) and innings pitched (700). The Gnats are over three-quarters of a run better in ERA than second-best Rome (3.31). Savannah has tossed 28.1 more innings than Augusta, in second in the SAL and 60.1 more than 14th place West Virginia.
Vs. Greenville: Tonight will be the first of 10 meetings between the Gnats and Drive for the 2010 baseball season. The teams will play two five-game series, one in Greenville, and one in Savannah July 14-18. The Gnats are 16-16 against the Drive since becoming a Mets affiliate before the 2007 season.
Hoge Moves On: Savannah reliever Lance Hoge announced his retirement yesterday. The left-hander from Kansas was 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA in 18 games out of the Savannah bullpen this year with 33 strikeouts against just six walks.
Scoreless in Savannah: The Tourists' pitching staff held Savannah scoreless over the final 25.1 innings of their series. The Gnats scored in just one of five games in the series against Asheville, tallying nine runs on Friday night. The Gnats were held scoreless over 40 innings by the Rome and Augusta from the 6th inning of a 3-0 Savannah win on May 15 through the first inning of May 19th.
Alumni Report: After a 3-5 day Tuesday, former Gnats SS Wilmer Flores is hitting .481 (13 H/27 AB) in his first six games for Advanced-A St. Lucie. Flores has multiple hits in his last four straight contests.
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 June 29, 2010
- Two-Run Ninth Gives Lakewood Win over Hagerstown - Hagerstown Suns
- Legends Edge Out Crawdads, 6-5 - Hickory Crawdads
- Gnats Cruise by Drive, 6-1 - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Shorebirds Down Power, 4-3, in Series Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Legends Take Series Opener in Hickory, 6-5 - Lexington Legends
- Greensboro Slips by Rome - Rome Emperors
- Power Edged by Shorebirds, 4-3 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- James Seals Win for Cardiac Claws in the 9th, 2-1 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Sand Gnats Halt Greenville's Winning Streak at Six Games - Greenville Drive
- Bats Lose Bite as `Dogs Take Opener 4-2 - Augusta GreenJackets
- Charleston Halts Nine-Game Skid, Wins 4-2 in Rain-Shortened Game - Charleston RiverDogs
- Intimidators Skid Hits Five, 6-3 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Crawdads Weekly - 'Dads Open Second Half with Stellar Pitching - Hickory Crawdads
- Gnats Game Notes - Savannah Sand Gnats
- July 4th Celebration Includes Military Appreciation Night, Fireworks & Robert C. Byrd Tribute - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- BlueClaws Produce Topps Attax National Champion - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Shorebirds Game Notes - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Five-Game Homestand Starts Tonight - Augusta GreenJackets
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