SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

RiverDogs Top Braves, 4-3, to Win 8th Consecutive; Sweep Series & Homestand

Published on April 14, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


Charleston came from behind for a fourth straight night and won an eighth consecutive victory, this time a 4-3 thriller over the Rome Braves in South Atlantic League action Monday night in front of 2,302 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

Charleston sweeps the four-game series against Rome, with all four victories coming by a single run after trailing at some point in each contest. The first place RiverDogs improve to 11-1 on the season and record their first eight-game winning streak since May 2006.

The perfect week at home is believed to mark the first eight-game sweep of a homestand in Riley Park history. The 11-1 start to the campaign is the best 12-game start of any season this decade, besting an 8-4 start in 2003.

The Braves fell to 4-8 and have lost four straight. Rome is now 1-7 against Charleston this season.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with the Braves ahead, 3-2, Abraham Almonte reached on a one-out fielder's choice on a failed sacrifice attempt. Justin Snyder then singled, and Rome brought in closer Benino Pruneda to pitch.

After Snyder got caught in a rundown during the ensuing at-bat by Brandon Laird, Almonte moved to third with a stolen base when Rome botched the rundown. Laird then drew a walk to load the bases which brought up Jesus Montero, who had recorded game-winning hits in the first two games of the series.

Montero lined a hard grounder to second baseman Cole Miles, who misplayed it into right field for an error, and Almonte and Snyder scored the tying and go-ahead runs, respectively.

Rome staged a rally in the ninth against Charleston closer Chace Vacek. Concepcion Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Adam Coe's sacrifice bunt. Samuel Sime advanced Rodriguez on a groundout to second, and Cody Johnson came in to pinch hit for Carlos Lee.

Vacek's first pitch to Johnson came wildly to the plate, but the ball ricocheted off the backstop directly into the hands of catcher Montero, who caught Rodriguez in a rundown that ended the game on a wild 2-5-1-6 play.

Wilkins de la Rosa (1-0) picked up his first win of the season as he threw two complete innings of relief and struck out five Braves. Vacek collected his third save of the young season.

After the initial two innings went scoreless, Rome hit the scoreboard in the third when Lee singled and scored when the next batter, Anderson, doubled him home. The Braves plated another run with two outs on Michael Fisher's run-scoring single to right to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.

But Charleston came right back in the third frame to knot the score at 2-2 against Braves starter Jeff Locke. Carmen Angelini led off with a single, stole second and third bases, and scored on Taylor Holiday's RBI single to center field to pull within one, 2-1. Holiday advanced from first to third on consecutive groundouts, then scored the tying run on Snyder's RBI single to left field.

Rome went back on top in the sixth against RiverDogs starter Jairo Heredia. Miles doubled leading off and moved to third when Fisher reached an error by RiverDogs third baseman Brandon Laird. Jason Heyward was credited with an RBI as Miles scored on Heyward's fielder's choice to second.

Locke pitched 5.1 frames and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five RiverDogs. Chad Rodgers (1-2) came on in relief of Locke and pitched two innings and allowed two runs on a pair of hits.

The RiverDogs had seven hits on the night with Snyder grabbing two, while the Braves recorded only four hits. Montero had one hit to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He recorded 13 hits and ten RBI in the homestand.

The RiverDogs have a rare day off Tuesday, and then begin an eight-game road trip to Georgia with two games at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah. The RiverDogs will start righty Noel Castillo (1-0, 0.93 ERA) in the opener on Wednesday, while the Sand Gnats are expected to go with right hander Scott Moviel (1-1, 8.53 ERA).

After the two games in Savannah, Charleston will play four contests at Columbus before returning to Savannah for two more.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 14, 2008


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