Gnats Game Notes: Sunday, May 23 - @ Charleston - 5:05 pm

From Press Release:


Savannah Sand Gnats (25-18, 2nd, Southern) vs. Charleston RiverDogs (19-24, 5th, Southern)

Game #44 - Road Game #24 - Sunday – 5:05

RHP Brandon Moore (2-2, 2.11) vs. RHP Jose Ramirez (2-2, 2.44)

Joseph P. Riley Park - Charleston, SC

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

Tonight: The Gnats finish their four-game series with the Charleston RiverDogs, and their eight game road trip that began with a four-game sweep in Augusta. Savannah is now two games behind Augusta for first place in the SAL Southern Division. The Gnats are 1-6 on their current road trip.

Last Night: The RiverDogs came back to beat the Sand Gnats 7-6 in 11 innings. The Gnats took a 6-2 lead into the ninth, but a pair of Charleston homers, the second a three-run jack with two outs from RF Zoilo Almonte, tied up the game. It was the first time that Gnats’ pitching had allowed multiple home runs in an inning this year. In the 11th, Hector Rabago singled, went to second on a passed ball, third on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. The Gnats wasted a three-hit game from C Kai Gronauer and another strong start from Mark Cohoon who held Charleston to two runs in six innings.

Now Pitching: Brandon Moore will make his seventh start for the Savannah Sand Gnats. The Gnats are 3-3 when Moore throws and have supported him with 3.5 runs per game, the lowest mark among all Gnats pitchers with four or more starts. Moore is tenth in the SAL with a 2.11 ERA, one of three Gnats in the top ten in the league in ERA. He has been untouchable in May with a 1.67 in his four starts this month. In 27 innings, he’s held the opposition to 16 hits for a .174 opponents’ average and has a strikeout to walk ratio of nine (36 K/4 BB). Moore was 6-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 82 innings over 13 starts for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2009, striking out 71 batters and walking 17. He threw the first no-hitter in Brooklyn Cyclones history on August 23, 2009 striking out six and walking three that day to help the Brooklyn Cyclones beat the Aberdeen Ironbirds 5-0 in game one of a seven-inning doubleheader. The Mets drafted Moore in the 14th round out of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2008 where he was the Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Year. Moore struck out 104 batters in 76.2 IP, making his 12.8 K/9 IP second in the NAIA.

Vs. Charleston: Tonight is the fourth of 13 scheduled meetings between the Gnats and the RiverDogs. Savannah is 1-2 against Charleston. The ‘Dogs do not visit Savannah until August 25-28. Last year, the Gnats were 8-15 against Charleston.