Savannah Sand Gnats (24-12, 1st, Southern) vs. Augusta GreenJackets (21-15, 2nd, Southern)
Game #37 - Road Game #17 - Sunday – 2:05
RHP Armando Rodriguez (2-3, 3.06) vs. RHP BJ Salsbury (4-2, 4.19)
Lake Olmstead Stadium - Augusta, GA - Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, http://www.sandgnats.com/
Today: The first-place Gnats begin a four-game series in Augusta and an eight-game road trip to Rome and Augusta. Savannah has won five games in a row, their longest winning streak in 2010. The Gnats lead the Augusta GreenJackets by three games for first place in the SAL Southern division.
Last Night: Taylor Whitenton and Darin Gorski combined on a three-hit shutout as the Gnats beat the Rome Braves 3-0. Gnats pitching did not allow a runner to third, and only two Braves reached second base all game long. Jefry Marte drilled a solo home run in the second that put the Gnats up 1-0. Savannah added two more runs in the fifth on a Pedro Zapata RBI triple and a Juan Lagares RBI single.
Now Pitching: Armando Rodriguez will make his eighth start for Savannah this evening. The Gnats are 4-3 when Rodriguez starts and have supported him with 5.3 runs per game, just a shade above their season average of 5.11 runs scored per game. Rodriguez gave up one unearned run, on a bases loaded walk, in the first inning in his last start in a 2-1 win over Lakewood last Monday. Rodriguez has given up just four unearned runs and no earned runs in his nine May innings. With Kingsport a year ago, he was 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 20 walks in 45.2 innings. Promoted to Savannah on August 27th, he finished the year with a dominant three-start performance in which he allowed just five hits in 16.2 innings and struck out 24. The Mets signed Rodriguez as a non-drafted free agent June 6, 2007.
Vs. Augusta: The Gnats are 4-4 against Augusta. Each team has won three of four in their opponent’s ballpark. The series the GreenJackets won from Savannah, April 12-15, is the only series the Gnats have lost this year. The Gnats series record is a sparkling 6-1-2.
Big Flo: Wilmer Flores has hit safely in nine straight games and leads the league in batting average (.359), slugging percentage (.586), OPS (.994), hits (52), total bases (85) and is second in extra-base hits (21), and third in OBP (.408). Over his nine-game hitting streak, the 18-year old Flores is hitting .487 (19-for-39) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBI. Flores hit .264/.305/.332 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with three home runs in 125 games for Savannah last year.
Lagares Locked in: Juan Lagares rides a seven-game hitting streak over which time he is 16-for-33 (.485) with two doubles and nine RBI. Lagares leads the SAL in triples; no other hitter has more than five. Lagares is tied for third in the SAL in extra-base hits (20) and is second behind Flores in total bases (84). Lagares hit .274/.305/.333 with Savannah last year, his third season in a row with the Gnats that was interrupted by injury.
Highwater: The Gnats are 12 games over .500 for the first time this year at 24-12. It is the furthest over .500 the Gnats have been as a Mets’ affiliate eclipsing their previous best of six games over at 21-15 achieved at the conclusion of a four-game winning streak last May 17.
Pitching In: Savannah leads the SAL with a 2.54 ERA. The Gnats are the only team with an ERA below 3.00 and have allowed the fewest hits (275). Savannah is second in the league in strikeouts (327) and has allowed the second fewest home runs (14).
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