Gnats Game Notes: 4/29 vs. LEX (7:05 pm)

From Press Release:

Savannah Sand Gnats (13-8, 1st, Southern) vs. Lexington Legends (11-10, 4th, Southern)

Game #22 - Home Game #14 - Thursday – 7:05

LHP Jimmy Fuller (3-1, 1.26) vs. RHP Zach Grimmett (0-0, 0.00)

Historic Grayson Stadium - Savannah, GA

Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, http://www.sandgnats.com/


Tonight: The first-place Gnats play game two of a four game set with the Lexington Legends. It is the sixth game of an eight-game home stand on which the Gnats are currently 3-2. The Gnats lead the Greenville Drive by one half game and the Augusta GreenJackets by one full game for first place in the SAL Southern Division.

Last Night: Wilmer Flores was 3-for-4 with a triple and Armando Rodriguez threw 6.2 strong innings to lead the Gnats over the Legends 4-1. Rodriguez allowed just one hit through the first five innings before surrendering a run in the sixth and departing the game with two outs in the seventh in his longest outing of the year. .

Now Pitching: Mark Cohoon will make his fifth Sand Gnats start of the year. The Gnats are 4-0 in Cohoon’s starts and have supported him with 6.3 runs per game. His 1.90 ERA is ninth-best in the SA and he is tied with five other pitchers for the league lead in wins with three. He spent all of 2009 with Brooklyn in the New York-Penn League where he was 9-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 14 starts. He fanned 70 and walked 20 in 92 innings. His 2.15 ERA was 6th in the League and the Mets recognized him with the team’s Sterling Award as the Cyclones MVP. In 2008 with Savannah, Cohoon was 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in seven starts after moving directly from the Kingsport Mets, skipping over Brooklyn. The Mets drafted Cohoon in the 12th round of the 2008 draft out of North Central Texas College.

First is not the Worst: The Gnats have had at least a share of first place for eight days, since pulling even with Augusta after beating the GreenJackets 9-4 on April 21. The Gnats have been tied for first on five of those seven days, and had first all to themselves three times.

Roster Update: Thursday, Sam Honeck was assigned to the Savannah Sand Gnats roster from Extended Spring Training. OF Rafael Fernandez was placed on the Gnats’ disabled list with a strained left neck. Honeck, the Mets 11th round pick out of Tulane hit .250/.339/.305 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in 65 games for the Brooklyn Cyclones in the New York-Penn League in 2009.

Flo - tastic: Gnats shortstop Wilmer Flores has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games. The 18-year old is fourth in the SAL in batting average (.357), sixth in slugging (.560), third in hits (30), fifth in doubles (9) and third in total bases (47) while maintaining his spot as the fourth-toughest hitter in the league to strikeout (SO/PA -10%)

Pitching and Defense: Gnats have the second-best ERA in the SAL (2.94), but have allowed the fewest runs (71) in the league. West Virginia has allowed the second-fewest runs (77). Only Asheville (9) has allowed fewer unearned runs than the Gnats 10.

Who’s Hot: Alex Gregory has hit safely in his last five games over which time he is 9-for-29 (.310) with one double and two RBI…Jefry Marte has hit safely in three straight games, going a combined 4-for-12 (.333)…. Kai Gronauer remains the hardest hitter in the SAL to strikeout (6% SO/PA).

Who’s Not: 1B Jeff Flagg, who delivered the game winning hit Sunday is hitting just 152 (5-for-33) in his last eight games.

Four for Sure: Savannah is 13-1 when scoring four or more runs and 0-7 when scoring three runs or fewer. When Gnats pitching allows fewer than four runs, the team is 10-3. When the Gnats allow four or more runs at home, the team is 1-3.