Gnats Home Stand Preview: August 10 - 17
Published on August 9, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
The first half champion Gnats host the Greenville Drive and the Asheville Tourists for four games each over an eight-game home stand at Historic Grayson Stadium that begins Wednesday night. If the playoffs started today, the Gnats would face the Drive in the first round of the South Atlantic League playoffs in a best-of-three series to determine the Southern Division Championship, a rematch of the 2010 playoffs. The Drive, SAL affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, swept the Gnats 2-0 in 2010. The Gnats are currently 2.5 games ahead of Greenville in the second half. The Tourists, SAL affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, who come to Savannah Sunday through Wednesday, are in third place, three games behind the Gnats for first.
The Drive would make the playoffs either by winning the second half, or if the Gnats win the second half, by finishing with the next-best overall record. By overall record, Greenville is currently seven games ahead of the Asheville Tourists and eight games ahead of the Augusta GreenJackets with 27 games to play.
The Greenville Drive are the only Southern Division team against whom the Gnats do not have a winning record in 2011. The Gnats are 6-6 against the Drive, 6-2 at home and 0-4 on the road. The Gnats are 2-1 against Asheville in 2011. This will be Asheville's only visit to Historic Grayson Stadium during the 2011 regular season.
Many of the statistical differences between the Gnats, Drive and Tourists are driven by the fact that the Gnats play in the League's most pitcher-friendly ballpark, the Tourists in the SAL's most hitter-friendly ballpark, and the Drive's Fluor Field, somewhere in the middle. The Gnats lead the SAL in ERA (3.15) while the Drive are 7th (4.10) and Asheville is last, 14th (5.38). Savannah has the best WHIP in the League at 1.21, while Greenville is third (1.26) and Asheville is again last (1.57). Greenville has struck out the second-most batters in the SAL (955), Savannah the 5th most (886) and Asheville the 8th most (841).
On the offensive side, the roles are reversed. Asheville is the highest scoring team in the League with 642 runs scored, while Greenville is second (626 runs) and the Gants are last (460 runs scored). Asheville (127) and Greenville (103) are first and third in homeruns hit while the Gnats (52) are tied for 13th.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 9, 2011
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- Gnats Home Stand Preview: August 10 - 17 - Savannah Sand Gnats
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- Choo Playing for Captains Again Tonight - SAL1
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