SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

West Viriginia Power: Game Notes (June 29)

June 29, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The Power wraps up their homestand tonight against the Hickory Crawdads, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. from Appalachian Power Park. LHP Domingo Robles (5-4, 3.22 ERA) is on the mound.

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HICKORY FLIPS SCRIPT IN MIDDLE MATCH: Max Kranick held Hickory to two hits over four innings for the second consecutive start, but a two-run ninth by the Crawdads helped them slip past the Power, 4-3, in Thursday's middle match at Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia struck first in the opening frame as Fabricio Macias and Brett Pope each singled to lead off the inning. Deon Stafford then grounded into a 6-3 double play that scored Macias and gave the Power a 1-0 edge. After Hickory tied things at one in the sixth, West Virginia collected its third sixth-inning clutch hit of the homestand, as Pope smacked a two-run ground-rule double to vault the Power back in front, 3-1. The Crawdads made it a one-run game with a tally in the seventh off Ike Schlabach, but Samuel Reyes quieted their bats with a 1-2-3 eighth frame. In the ninth, Reyes walked the lead off man, Tyreque Reed, before allowing a single to Bubba Thompson and walking Yonny Hernandez to load the bases. Ryan Dorow then lined a two-run single up the middle to push Hickory in front for the first time. Demarcus Evans earned the win after striking out all six batters he faced.

KRANICK, KING OF THE K: Kranick struck out a career-high seven batters Thursday night, besting his previous career-high of five. Despite allowing a career-high four walks as well, Kranick held Hickory scoreless for the second straight outing, extending his scoreless innings streak with West Virginia to 13. Cody Bolton holds the longest scoreless innings streak of the season at 19.1. The Valley View High School product has not given up a run since June 10 at Hickory, when he ceded four runs over five innings in a loss to the Crawdads at L.P. Frans Stadium. Overall, Kranick lowered his season ERA to 3.51, the lowest it has been since his second start with the Power back on May 28 vs. KAN.

HEY SIRI: Raul Siri went 0-for-3 with a strikeout as the designated hitter in his Power debut Thursday. Siri was promoted to West Virginia prior to Wednesday's series opener from the West Virginia Black Bears, where he averaged .278 in 10 games with three RBI and five runs scored. Siri was on the Power's roster for a portion of last season but did not play in a game, instead spending the entire year in Morgantown. An international free agent signee in 2013, Siri is a career .258 hitter with 12 homers and 98 RBI in 243 minor league games. The Dominican native has elevated at least one level in each successive year he has played in the Pirates system.

ONE-RUN NO FUN: West Virginia is now 12-12 in one-run games in 2018, which is seventh-best in terms of winning percentage in the SAL. Conversely, Hickory is tied with Lakewood for the highest winning percentage at .593.

BLOWN AWAY: The Power blew their first save in their last 12 opportunities Thursday, as West Virginia had converted on every save chance it had since May 23 at Columbia, when Beau Sulser coughed up the Power's fourth blown save of that series. In total, West Virginia's 22 saves on the season are tied for second-best in the SAL with Charleston, Augusta and Rome, while Lakewood leads the way with 30. On the flip side, the Power's eight blown saves in 2018 are tied with Rome for fourth-fewest in the league (Hagerstown, 4; Lexington, 5; Columbia, 7). Reyes recorded the fourth blow save of his career (and first of the season).

ROLLING ROBLES: With his seven stellar innings last Friday in Hickory, Robles notched his seventh quality start of the season, tied with Gavin Wallace for the team lead. The Dominican native has six quality starts in his last nine outings, including four consecutive in May. Robles has tossed seven innings four times in 2018, tying his career-high that he set last season with rookie-advanced Bristol. Robles leads the team in ERA (3.22), which is fifth-best in the Pirates system, and strikeouts (59). Robles took the loss in his only start against the Crawdads at Appalachian Power Park on May 4, spinning six quality innings while ceding three runs on nine hits and tossing a season-high 96 pitches.

FAREWELL TO THE POPE: After going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI Thursday, Pope was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Bradenton Marauders for the first time in his career. The Western Carolina product spent just 29 games in the South Atlantic League, averaging .274 with three homers and 17 RBI. Pope was very solid in the field as well, committing just three errors in 90 total chances (220.1 innings) between second and third base.

WELCOME BACK, ESCOBAR: Former 2014 and 2015 Power outfielder Elvis Escobar has rejoined the team as he begins his conversion from outfielder to pitcher. Escobar had been with the Double-A Altoona Curve as an outfielder for all of 2018, but averaged just .151 in 40 games with nine RBI before going on the disabled list June 1. The 23-year-old was a 2015 South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star with West Virginia, ending the season with career highs in average (.296), home runs (5) and RBI (64). Escobar is a 2011 international free agent signee from Venezuela.

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