SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

WV Power Game Notes

Published on June 16, 2015 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


West Virginia Power (35-29) at Charleston RiverDogs (31-33)

Game 65 | June 16, 2015 | Joseph P.Riley Jr. Park | Charleston, SC

Radio: Charleston's ESPN 104.5 & 1490 - wvpower.com Airtime: 6:45 pm

TONIGHT'S MATCH-UP

RH Alex McRae (3-4, 4.26) vs. LHP Rony Bautista (3-1, 2.72)

McRae: Allowed 1 R on 56 H over 6.0 IP in 6/11 ND vs. SAV with 3 K and 1 BB (4-3 Sand Gnats)

Bautista: Allowed 3 R on 5 H over 4.0 IP in 6/11 ND @ HIC with 4 K and 2 BB (4-3 RiverDogs)

THE LEAD OFF: West Virginia dropped the series finale with Augusta 5-2 on Monday evening. The GreenJackets scored twice in the first, twice in the second and added a run in the third off Power starter Stephen Tarpley. West Virginia managed just two hits over the first six innings against Augusta's Sam Coonrod. The Power scored twice in the bottom of the seventh on a bases loaded single and a throwing error. In the ninth, West Virginia put two men on base with no one out, but failed to bring in any additional runs. Tarpley took the loss while Connrod earned the win. The loss was West Virginia's sixth over a seven game homestand.

ELIMINATION GAME: West Virginia was knocked out of first half contention with their loss on Monday coupled with Hickory win. The Crawdads are now six and a half games in front of the Power with six games to go. Should Hickory win the second half crown as well, the second playoff spot would go to the Northern Division team with the next best overall record for the entire 2015 season.

ALL-STARS ANNOUNCED: West Virginia had three players selected to participate in the 2015 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Pitchers Yeudy Garcia and Junior Lopez along with outfielder Elvis Escobar were each selected to play in the mid-summer classic at Asheville's McCormick Field on June 23. It's the first nomination in the professional careers for Escobar and Lopez and the second for Garcia, who was selected to play in the DSL All-Star Game last season.

ROAD SHOW: Alex McRae gets the ball in tonight's series opener at Charleston. The right-hander faced the RiverDogs on May 9 at Appalachian Power Park, working four innings and allowing three unearned runs with three strikeouts and one walk. Tonight's game will be McRae's 13th start of the season. Of the first 12, nine have come on the road, where he is 2-4 with a 5.36 ERA. The Jacksonville University product is 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA at home.

HOME FIELD DISADVANTAGE: Stephen Tarpley went 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA over this first three starts for West Virginia and each appearance was made on the road. In two starts during the recent homestand, the lefty went 0-2 with a 6.48 ERA, allowing 13 runs, six of which were earned, over eight and a third innings pitched.

SACRIFICES MADE: Sacrifice bunts have been a key part of West Virginia's offense through the first 63 games of the season. The Power have laid down 45 total sacrifice bunts this season, the most in affiliated baseball.

GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!: Jordan Luplow had five hits in Sunday's doubleheader against the Augusta GreenJackets including the first inside-the-park home run of 2015. The Power third baseman also became the first player this season for the Power to score three times in a game. Luplow became the second Power player in history to have an inside-the-park homer since Erich Weiss accomplished the feat in April of last season.

POWER PROMO UPDATE- JUNE 19 & 20: On Friday the Power will have a Black Bear giveaway to the first 1,000 fans presented by MVB plus an appearance by the Pirate Parrot thanks to Suddenlink and Root Sports. June 20 is West Virginia Day at Appalachian Power Park with a New River Gorge Replica giveaway to the first 1,000 fans presented by Appalachian Power. Both nights will feature postgame fireworks.

POWER POINTS: The Power are now 19-14 at home, but have lost seven of ten at home this month. The club still has eight home games remaining in June... On Thursday, West Virginia lost for the first time when leading after six innings (29-1)... Austin Coley's win on Sunday was his team-best eighth win of the season, surpassing the seven wins that Cody Dickson and Buddy Borden had to lead the Power in all of 2014.

AROUND THE ORGANIZATION: Pittsburgh shellacked the Chicago White Sox 11-0. Josh Harrison and Starling Marte had four hits each and Francisco Liriano allowed two hits over eight innings... Indianapolis was doubled up 6-3 by Durham. Casey Sadler was charged with the loss... Altoona was idle and plays at Akron tonight with Jason Creasy on the hill... Bradenton slipped past Tampa 3-2. Chris Diaz drove in two of the three Marauders runs.

ON THE AIR: West Virginia Power games can be heard on Charleston's ESPN 104.5 FM and 1490 AM in Charleston, online at wvpower.com and on the TuneIn Radio App.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 16, 2015


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