SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Game Notes

Published on August 2, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


Greensboro Grasshoppers (17-120, 57-50) at West Virginia Power (15-22, 50-55)

Game 106 | August 2, 2011 | Appalachian Power Park | Charleston, WV

Radio: Power Baseball Network and wvpower.com Airtime: 6:45 pm

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

RH Greg Nappo (2-0, 4.50) vs. LH Porfirio Lopez (1-3, 4.01)

Nappo: Allowed 2 R on 4 H with 6 K and 0 BB over 6.0 IP in 7/28 Win vs. SAV (7-6 Grasshoppers)

Lopez: Allowed 0 R on 1 H with 0 K and 1 BB over 1.0 relief IP in 7/29 WVP Win vs. LWD (6-1 WV)

POWER REPLAY: West Virginia beat Greensboro 10-6 on Monday evening. The Grasshoppers took a 3-0 lead in the first against Jameson Taillon on a Mark Canha home run, and lead 4-2 after four and a half. The Power scored six times against Chris Squires in the bottom of the fifth on seven hits, keyed by a bases loaded triple from Rogelio Noris. Justin Ennis pitched four innings for the win, while Brooks Pounders gained his third save. Eight of the nine Power batters had at least one hit, and five players drove in at least one run.

WELCOME BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME: Justin Bencsko was promoted to West Virginia on Sunday to fill the roster spot opened by Cole White promotion. Bencsko began the season on the Power roster, albeit on the disabled list, and never appeared in a game for West Virginia. On June 13, the outfielder was transferred to State College and hit .271 over 27 games with two home runs and six runs batted in for the Spikes. Bencsko went 3-3 in his Power debut with two doubles and two runs batted in.

HOPPER HISTORY LESSON: West Virginia and Greensboro play game two of this series tonight at Appalachian Power Park. The Power and Grasshoppers will have met 19 times by the end of the season, with 11 of the games to be played in Charleston. West Virginia holds the all-time edge in the series with 53 wins over 86 games, including a 28-16 mark at Appalachian Power Park.

LONG TIME COMING: Andy Vasquez's first inning home run Friday was his first since May 14 against Kannapolis. The utility player went 210 at bats over 56 games between home runs, but did manage to hit six of his league-best ten triples. Elias Diaz's solo home run in the second inning Sunday was his first since May 19, spanning 44 games and 159 at bats.

CALLED BACK UP: Cole White was promoted to the Bradenton Marauders after Sunday's game against Lakewood. White played first, left, and served as the Power's DH during his stint with the Power, batting .288 with five home runs and 23 runs batted in over 35 games.

GOODBYE JULY: The Power finished July with a 9-19 record, matching April for their fewest wins in any month this season. The .321 winning percentage was the third lowest for any month since West Virginia became a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate in 2009 (April 2009 .286 and June 2010 .308). The club hit .242 during the last 31 days, and held a staff earned run average of 5.56, nearly three runs high than the Power's June ERA.

TRADED: The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded Aaron Baker, West Virginia's 2010 All-Star first baseman, to the Baltimore Orioles for first baseman Derrick Lee. Baker batted .253 for the Power last season with a team high 18 home runs and 79 run batted in. This season, he was hitting .282 with 15 home runs and 72 batted home for the Bradenton Marauders. Lee hit two home runs in his Pirates debut last night. The two-time MLB All-Star was batting .248 for Baltimore with 12 home runs.

VERGE OF HISTORY: Rogelio Noris has 24 career home runs for West Virginia over a season and a half in a Power jersey. Noris has matched Stephen Chapman for the most home runs in any player's Power career. Chapman hit a single-season record 24 home runs in a Power uniform in 2007.

POWER POINTS: Dan Grovatt has a six game hitting streak heading into tonight's game... Porfirio Lopez will become the 11th different pitcher to start a game for the Power this season...

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION: Pittsburgh fell 5-3 to the Cubs at PNC Park... Indianapolis lost 12-3 at Gwinett... Altoona and Bradenton did not play... State College edged Lowell 11-8. Wes Freeman and Matt Skirving each hit home runs to Orlando Castro in the win.

ON THE AIR: All 140 West Virginia Power games can be heard on ESPN 104.5 FM and 1490 AM in 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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