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SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

West Virginia Power: Game Notes (July 11)

July 11, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The Power opens up their final series with the Hickory Crawdads in 2018 tonight, with first pitch from L.P. Frans Stadium set for 7 p.m. RHP Max Kranick (1-3, 3.47 ERA) takes the rubber with an 11-inning scoreless streak against the Crawdads on the line.

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POWER HANGS ON IN SERIES FINALE: West Virginia built a 6-1 lead through five innings before hanging on through a three-run Hagerstown ninth to claim a 6-4 win in the series finale against the Suns Monday evening at Appalachian Power Park. The Power plated one in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Ben Bengtson that turned into a inning-ending double play before Hagerstown matched that with a run-scoring double play of their own in the third. Rodolfo Castro vaulted West Virginia back in front in the home half of the inning with an RBI single before Oneil Cruz added his own RBI base knock and Castro brought in Cruz after he reached on a fielding error later in the fourth. In the fifth, Jesse Medrano launched a two-run shot to left off Jared Johnson, opening up the lead to 6-1. Domingo Robles lasted just five innings after utilizing a lot of pitches early, but was able to scatter eight hits and allow just one run while striking out five and walking a career-high tying four batters. After Beau Sulser and Elvis Escobar each tossed scoreless relief outings, Matt Seelinger came on in the ninth and struggled mightily. The normally-sound reliever gave up a pair of home runs to Yasel Antuna and Alex Dunlap that closed the lead to two. He allowed the tying run to move into scoring position before striking out Kameron Esthay swinging to end the game.

SOARING SANCHEZ: With his two walks Monday, Lolo Sanchez extended his on-base streak to 16 games, tied with Bengtson for the second-longest streak on the team in 2018. Sanchez's streak dates back to June 21, the first day of the second half. During this span, Sanchez is batting .314 (16-for-51) with a home run, seven RBI and an .848 OPS.

MASHING MEDRANO: Medrano's fifth-inning home run was the first home run of his Minor League Baseball career. The former Fresno State Bulldog posted his first pro homer in just his 37th game in MiLB. Medrano's long ball was West Virginia's 61st of the season, tied with Delmarva, Greensboro and Charleston for seventh-best in the SAL (Asheville, 96; Lexington, 93; Hickory, 72; Lakewood, Augusta and Rome, 63). Fabricio Macias and Raul Hernandez are now the only two active Power batters without a home run this season. Medrano also boasts the highest team average in the month of July at .385 (5-for-13), despite the Power's overall July average of .191.

ROLLING ROBLES: Although he saw his quality start streak snapped after spinning only five innings Monday, Robles did pick up his team-leading seventh win. The lefty still leads the team in ERA (3.11), which is fourth-best in the Pirates system, and strikeouts (74).

SIZZLING SULSER: Since Sulser's worst outing of the season May 23 in Columbia, he has been lights out in the West Virginia bullpen. The Dartmouth product has tossed 19 innings from May 27 to present and only ceded four runs (three earned), good for a 1.89 ERA, while allowing 13 hits and striking out 22 batters to just one walk. Sulser was the last remaining reliever in all of professional baseball (including Major League Baseball) that had not allowed a walk through 20 innings pitched until he issued his first free pass on July 2 in Hagerstown.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Cruz was named the South Atlantic League's Player of the Month for June, Minor League Baseball announced Monday. During the month, Cruz boasted a .375 average with three home runs and 19 RBI along with a 1.025 OPS. The Dominican native is the first Power player to receive this honor since RHP Mitch Keller in April 2016. Cruz's average and OPS during the season's third month were second only to Lakewood's Rodolfo Duran (.397 AVG and 1.298 OPS). The 19-year-old hit safely in 20 of his 25 June contests, including a 12-game hitting streak from June 8-23, where he boasted a .426 (23-for-54) clip. In 2018, Cruz has set new career-highs in home runs (11) and RBI (53), both of which rank in the top 10 in the South Atlantic League and the Pittsburgh Pirates system. His .304 average is tied with Calvin Mitchell for fifth-best in the league and third-best in the Pirates organization. Since May 1, Cruz is averaging .335, the fourth-highest league average during that span, with seven homers and 36 RBI.

HANRAHAN TABBED TO LEAD U.S. TEAM BULLPEN IN FUTURES GAME: Power pitching coach Joel Hanrahan has been selected as the Bullpen Coach for the United States team at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, taking place on Sunday, July 15, at 4 p.m. at Nationals Park during All-Star Weekend. Hanrahan will man the relief corps for the U.S. squad and is joined on the roster by former Power players RHP Mitch Keller and INF Ke'Bryan Hayes.

POWER POINTS: West Virginia has dropped two straight series for the first time since May 17-June 3, when Lexington, Columbia, Kannapolis and Greensboro put up consecutive series wins over the Power... West Virginia is 11-5 against Hickory this season, including a 7-3 mark at L.P. Frans Stadium and a 5-1 record in the second half.

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