SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Game Notes

Published on July 8, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


West Virginia Power (6-9, 41-42) at Hagerstown Suns (9-6, 49-36)

Games 84 & 85 | July 9, 2011 | Municipal Stadium | Hagerstown, MD

Radio: Power Baseball Network and wvpower.com Airtime: 4:45 pm

TODAY'S MATCHUPS

LH Colton Cain (5-6, 3.14) vs. LH Matt Grace (9-5, 4.50)

RH Jameson Taillon (2-2, 2.74) vs. RH Taylor Jordan (8-4, 2.68)

POWER REPLAY: West Virginia's game at Hagestown last night was rained out and the teams will play two on Saturday. The Power lost 4-2 at Hagerstown in walk-off fashion on Thursday night. Zac Fuesser pitched six shutout innings, and the Power took a 2-1 lead after seven, keyed by a Mel Rojas Jr. home run and a Justin Howard double. In the bottom of the ninth, Porfirio Lopez surrendered a walk-off three-run home run to Michael Taylor to end the game.

TWO MUCH FUN: The Power are 5-5 on doubleheader days this season heading into Saturday's twinbill. West Virginia swept two from Savannah on April 10, took both games against Greensboro on May 2, and split a doubleheader at Lexington on May 18. The club has also been swept twice, having lost both games of a doubleheader on April 23 at Kannapolis in walk-off fashion, leading 7-6 going in the last half inning and falling 8-7 in both games, and losing twice at Greensboro on May 14.

POWERING UP' Mel Rojas Jr. has hit home runs in back-to-back games, becoming the first Power player to do so this season. West Virginia has 42 home runs this season, the second lowest tally in the South Atlantic League. Seven teams across all of full season baseball have fewer home runs than the Power: Fort Myers, Charlotte Stone Crabs, Huntsville, Savannah, South Bend, Jupiter, and Quad City.

STREAKING: Two Power players were riding eight-game hitting streaks into Thursday night's game at Hagerstown, but only one was extended. Justin Howard went 1-2 and is batting .323 during his nine-game hitting streak, matching Matt Curry and Drew Maggi for the longest hitting streak by any Power player this season. Maggi had his eight-game hitting streakstopped Thursday with an 0-4 performance.

SOMEWHAT SUNNY HISTORY: After Thursday's Suns win, the all-time series between West Virginia and Hagerstown is tied at 47 wins apiece. The Power trail on the road in this series with 24 wins and 29 losses at Municipal Stadium since 2005.

SCOUTING THE SUNS: Hagerstown finished the first half of the 2011 season 40-30 and a game back of Hickory in the Northern Division after having led most of the first half. On July 4, SAL All-Star Bryce Harper was promoted to Double-A. Harper's statistics currently place him fifth in the league in average, first in on-base percentage, and tied for sixth in home runs, but he is currently plying his traits for the Harrisburg Senators. The Suns still have the fourth best average as a club in the league, and a staff ERA that ranks fourth, led by Jordan Taylor, whose 2.68 earned run average is fourth best. Taylor is slated to start on Saturday against Jameson Taillon.

LEFTY SWAP: The Pittsburgh Pirates swapped southpaw pitchers in the Power and Bradenton Marauders bullpens earlier this week. Jhonathan Ramos, sent to West Virginia on Friday was promoted back to Advanced-A Bradenton and was replaced by Eliecer Navarro. Ramos appeared in one game for the Power, tossing five and a third scoreless innings against Greensboro on last Friday night after Zack Von Rosenberg allowed seven runs and didn't make it out of the first.

HOME RUN HISTORY: Rogelio Noris has 22 career home runs for West Virginia over a season and a half in a Power jersey. Noris has matched Kenny Holmberg's two-year total for second most in club history. Stephen Chapman hit 24 home runs in a Power uniform in 2007, the most in any season for West Virginia, and also the most in any player's Power career.

POWER POINTS: Justin Howard had played in 75 straight games prior to getting a day off on Sunday...Thursday's 14 inning game was the eighth longest in Power history (innings-wise)...

ON THE AIR: All 140 West Virginia Power games can be heard on ESPN 104.5 FM and 1490 AMin Charleston, WV, across the state on the Power Radio Network, and online at milb.com. Adam Marco will call the action for each of the 70 home games this season, while the home team will provide coverage while the Power are on the road.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 8, 2011


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