West Virginia Power: Game Notes (April 19)
April 19, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
After going 4-2 on their first road trip of 2018, the Power open up a four-game series against the Asheville Tourists tonight at 7:05 p.m. RHP Travis MacGregor (0-1, 1.42 ERA) is on the mound.
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POWER CLAIM FINALE IN SOUTH CAROLINA: Domingo Robles turned in his best effort of 2018 thus far, tossing six innings and allowing one run on two hits while striking out a career-high nine batters and not surrendering a walk while West Virginia jumped out to a 5-1 lead and held off a furious RiverDogs rally to capture a 5-4, series-clinching victory over the Charleston RiverDogs at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Both teams plated a single tally in the fourth inning, as Oneil Cruz singled in Deon Stafford to make it 1-0, but Charleston tied things up with a solo shot from Chris Hess in the bottom of the frame. West Virginia posted a four-spot in the sixth, with Stafford jumpstarting the offense again with a single before scoring on a double from Mason Martin. Kyle Watson, Chris Sharpe and Lolo Sanchez posted three consecutive run-scoring singles to make it 5-1, but the RiverDogs clawed back in the seventh, netting three runs against Joel Cesar, who walked four batters in 0.1 innings of relief before being lifted for Blake Cederlind. Cederlind did allow two of his three inherited runners to score, but stranded the tying run at third base. Matt Seelinger earned the save in his Low-A debut after pitching around a leadoff single and a two-out walk in the ninth.
RELIEF IS A GOOD THING: Despite the bullpen allowing two earned runs over three innings of work on Wednesday, West Virginia's relief corps has been on a tear of late. Cederlind tossed 1.2 scoreless innings on the mound, stretching his scoreless streak to 4.2, while Seelinger contributed a scoreless frame to the bullpen's efforts as well. Over the last seven games dating back to the series finale against Lakewood on Wednesday, Power relievers have tossed 33.1 innings and surrendered just nine earned runs while racking up 39 strikeouts, good for a 2.43 ERA in that span. This accrual of performances has brought the bullpen's season ERA down to 3.70 from 5.56, a difference of 1.86. Power relievers have held the first batters they have faced in an appearance to a 5-for-24 (.208) clip thus far, with six strikeouts. Cederlind collected the Power's first hold of the season after he plugged up the seventh-inning rally and bridged the way for Seelinger in the ninth inning.
A ROAD TRIP TO REMEMBER: West Virginia's first road trip of the season was a successful one, as the Power finished 4-2 over their rain-shorted, six-game road swing, taking two of three from the Hickory Crawdads and Charleston RiverDogs. After dropping their series opener to Hickory 6-2, West Virginia ripped off three straight wins, including a seven-run, ninth-inning comeback on April 14 to stun the Crawdads, 15-11. The Power rode that momentum into The Holy City on April 16, putting together arguably their best game of the season in a 5-1 victory over the RiverDogs on Monday, as Braeden Ogle spun a quality start and Jacob Taylor set down all nine men he faced to earn his first career save. West Virginia was blanked 1-0 in the middle match behind a masterful three-pitcher, six-hit performance by Charleston on Tuesday before they eked out a 5-4 win on Wednesday. Overall, the Power launched five homers in six games, boasted a .303 clip with RISP and swiped six stolen bases, while the pitching staff posted a 3.35 ERA with three quality starts, 58 strikeouts and three saves in as many opportunities.
WHAT'S MY DESIGNATION?: The Power's designated hitters have not exactly lived up to their moniker thus far in 2018, as West Virginia's DHs are batting a combined 6-for-42 (.143) on the year. Of the six batters that have been the DH this season, Watson has had the most consistent success, averaging .158 (3-for-19) with the only homer and triple and all four RBI. The other five DHs are 3-for-23 (.130) at the dish. When Watson is the DH, West Virginia is 3-2.
THE PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Travis MacGregor (0-1, 1.42) gets the call for the Power in the series opener against the Asheville Tourists. MacGregor pitched just one inning in his last outing on 4/12 at Hickory, allowing four unearned runs and taking the loss. Asheville counters with RHP Garrett Schilling (1-0, 3.24), who tossed 5.2 innings in his first start of the season against Columbia on 4/13, giving up one run on four hits in the win.
ROSTER MOVE: Seelinger joined the Power on Wednesday as a corresponding move to Dylan Prohoroff being placed on the seven-day disabled list, retroactive to April 16. Prohoroff is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in three appearances in 2018.
POWER POINTS: Dylan Busby saw his nine-game on-base streak snapped after going 0-for-5 on Wednesday... The Power are 2-2 in one-run games in 2018... West Virginia's pitching staff issued six walks on Wednesday, the most allowed by Power arms in 2018... The Power will play 15 of their next 18 games at Appalachian Power Park.
ON THE AIR: West Virginia Power games can be heard on The Jock 1300 & 1340 AM in the Kanawha Valley, online at wvpower.com and on the TuneIn Radio App. David Kahn and John Kocsis will handle play-by-play duties in 2018.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 19, 2018
- Lillie Lille: Starter Dominates with 7.0 Scoreless - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Fireflies Smash Ten Hits in Loss to Crawdads - Columbia Fireflies
- Freeman's First Homer Not Enough in Suns Loss - Hagerstown Suns
- MacGregor, Mitchell Star in 3-0 Win over Asheville - Charleston Dirty Birds
- I's Use Big First Inning to Run by Greenville, Win 8-3 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- GreenJackets Sting Braves 6-1 - Rome Emperors
- Legends Utilize the Long Ball in Game One Victory over Hagerstown - Lexington Legends
- 'Claws Deal 'Birds First Home Loss - Delmarva Shorebirds
- When in Rome, Do as the GreenJackets Do - Augusta GreenJackets
- Lopez Homers to Tie It But RiverDogs Fall in Ninth in Greensboro - Charleston RiverDogs
- Self Inflicted Wounds Cost Tourists Series Opener - Asheville Tourists
- BlueClaws Score Three in Eighth for 4-3 Comeback Win - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Drive Defeated by Intimidators on Thursday - Greenville Drive
- Fireflies Roster Move and Game Notes: April 19 vs. Hickory (Game 14) - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs Add New Outfielder - Charleston RiverDogs
- West Virginia Power: Game Notes (April 19) - Charleston Dirty Birds
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