Sand Gnats Swept in DH By GreenJackets

Francisco Peguero went a combined 6-for-9 in the two games including the tying and game-winning singles in the first game for the GreenJackets as they swept the Thursday night doubleheader from the Sand Gnats.

Savannah’s Jeurys Familia did all he could to pick up his 10th win of the season in the first game as the right hander threw six-innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball. The Gnats staked their 19-year-old to a, 1-0, lead in the first game on a Sean Ratliff infield single in the third and it would seem it would hold up for a win.

In the seventh, Rhiner Cruz was called upon to close out the game and immediately issued a leadoff walk to Johnny Monell. Augusta sent in Vladimir Frias to pinch run for Monell and Frias moved all the way to third an errant throw to first by Cruz with no one out.

After Charlie Culberson popped out to second, Ehire Adrianza hit a ground ball to Nick Giarraputo at first. Giarraputo came home and Frias was called out on the play which sent GreenJackets’ manager Dave Machemer into a frenzy that would eventually get him thrown out of the game. Two batters later, Peguero delivered the game-tying hit, driving in Adrianza.
Each team had opportunities in extra innings but it was Peguero again proving to be the hero with his 11th-inning, walk-off single through the right side to lift the GreenJackets to a, 2-1, win in the first game.

After a four-hour, twenty-minute first game, the second game got underway just after 10 p.m. with Andrew Reichard (3-4) on the mound for the GreenJackets and All-Star Robert Carson (8-9) on the hill for the Gnats.

Carson walked two in the first and also committed a throwing error on a move to first early in the inning that eventually allowed Peguero to score the game’s first run. After a Wilmer Flores hit in the first, Reichard would not allow another Savannah hit until the seventh, at one point retiring 12 batters in a row.

The ‘Jackets widened their lead off Carson in the fifth when the starter allowed three runs on four hits. Samuel Martinez pitched the sixth and allowed two runs on three hits.
Savannah was able to break up the shutout with a run in the seventh off Reichard thanks to an error by the second baseman Frias.

These same two clubs will play the finale on Friday beginning at 7:05 p.m. from Lake Olmstead Stadium. Savannah (22-27, 57-62) sends RHP Chris Schwinden (8-6, 3.88) to the mound while Augusta (32-20, 67-54) counters with RHP Mike Loree (8-7, 4.14).