Sports stats

SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

West Virginia Power: Game Notes (April 21)

April 21, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The Power put their three-game winning streak on the line on Saturday as LHP Braeden Ogle (1-0, 4.00 ERA) strides to the hill for West Virginia. First pitch is at 2:05 p.m..

CRUZ'S LATE BLAST PROPELS POWER TO WIN: Gavin Wallace's second consecutive quality start was nearly spoiled by a ninth-inning rally from Asheville, but Oneil Cruz's eighth-inning, two-run homer provided just enough offense for West Virginia to outlast the Tourists, 6-5, on Friday evening at Appalachian Power Park. Asheville got on the board first with a pair of runs in the second inning, but West Virginia's offense stormed back in the third with four of their own thanks to doubles from Calvin Mitchell and Mason Martin, along with a run-scoring knock from Cruz and a passed ball from Asheville starter Will Gaddis. The Tourists slimmed the lead to one in the fourth with Ramon Marcelino's solo shot, but Wallace tightened the hatches after that, ultimately spinning six innings and striking out three in the victory. Blake Weiman moved swiftly through the seventh and eighth frames, but had to battle back in the ninth after serving up a two-run blast to Sean Bouchard that made it a one-run game again. Weiman then proceeded to strike out the side to snare his second save of the season and lock down the win for West Virginia.

ONE-RUN FUN: West Virgina claimed its third one-run victory yesterday with their 6-5 win, and their second in the last three games (5-4, 4/18 at Charleston, S.C.). The Power are now 3-2 in one-run affairs in 2018, which gives them a .600 winning percentage in such contests, good for fifth-best in the South Atlantic League. Greensboro has played the most one-run games thus far in 2018, as the Grasshoppers boast a 7-2 record in their slimmest ballgames. Last year, the Power finished with a 20-18 (.526) mark in one-run games, also fifth-best in the SAL.

HOLDING STEADY IN RELIEF: Until Weiman surrendered a two-run blast to Bouchard in the ninth, he had not allowed a run over his first 10.2 innings pitched in 2018. However, the southpaw did fan four batters for his second consecutive outing. Despite Weiman's allowance, over the last nine games dating back to the series finale against Lakewood on April 11, Power relievers have tossed 39.1 innings and surrendered just 11 earned runs while racking up 47 strikeouts, good for a 2.52 ERA in that span. This accrual of performances has brought the bullpen's season ERA down to 3.63 from 5.56, a difference of 1.93. Power relievers have held the first batters they have faced in an appearance to a 5-for-27 (.185) clip thus far, with seven strikeouts.

A QUALITY ROTATION: The Power rotation has come on strong over its last five games, with their last four starters, who had the opportunity to do so, turning in quality starts, while Evan Piechota spun a defacto quality outing after relieving Sergio Cubilete in the first inning when he was struck by a line drive on April 17 against the RiverDogs. Counting Piechota's six-inning relief gem, West Virginia's rotation has gone 4-0 over its last five contests with a 1.50 ERA (5 ER/30 IP), giving up 17 hits and four walks while collecting 29 strikeouts. MacGregor's season ERA of 0.73 leads all Pirates farmhands and is fifth-best in the South Atlantic League, while Piechota's 1.29 mark ranks eighth. Wallace turned in consecutive quality starts for the first time in his Minor League career.

MASHING MITCHELL: Mitchell's 2-for-4 effort with a pair of doubles and an RBI in Friday's game pushed his team-leading RBI total to 11 on the season, also the most in the Pirates system. Mitchell is currently riding a six-game hitting streak and an eight-game on-base streak, with the latter dating back to April 12 when the Power opened up their road schedule in Hickory. Over Mitchell's second six-game stretch of 2018 (April 14-current), the 2017 second-round selection is boasting a .423 (11-for-26) clip with a home run and five RBI, along with a 1.098 OPS.

THE PITCHING MATCHUP: LHP Braeden Ogle (1-0, 4.00 ERA) strides to the hill on Saturday as West Virginia attempts to secure its first four-game winning streak of 2018. Ogle was marvelous on April 16 in South Carolina, holding the RiverDogs to one run through six innings while fanning three batters for his second career quality start. Asheville counters with RHP Antonio Santos (0-2, 4.67 ERA), who struck out a season-best nine batters on April 16 in the loss.

POWER POINTS: West Virginia's DHs are batting a combined 7-for-49 (.143) on the year following Dylan Busby's 0-for-4 effort... The Power are 5-0 when their starter lasts six innings... Deon Stafford collected West Virginia's first three-hit game of the season on Friday, tying his career-high (5x)... Rodolfo Castro is hitless in his last 12 at-bats after an 0-for-4 showing on Friday... Cruz's four home runs are the most amongst Pirates minor league sluggers, while tied for fourth in the SAL (Juan Soto, HAG)... West Virginia will play 13 of its next 16 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.

Check out the Charleston Dirty Birds Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from April 21, 2018


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Charleston Dirty Birds Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central