Gnats Game Notes: Monday, June 28 vs. Asheville - DH - 5:05

Savannah Sand Gnats vs.  Asheville Tourists
Game #74 & 75 - Home Game #39 & 40 - Monday – 5:05

G1: Continuation of yesterday’s suspended game - RHP John Church (3-0, 1.49) vs. Alan DeRatt (2-1, 2.45)

G2: RHP Taylor Whitenton (3-2, 3.58) vs. RHP Chris Balcom-Miller (0-4, 4.04)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

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



Tonight: The first half champion Savannah Sand Gnats and the Asheville Tourists will play two games: the completion of yesterday’s suspended game, and Monday’s regularly scheduled game, which will begin one half hour after the suspended game is finished. The first game will go nine innings, while the nightcap is scheduled for seven innings.

Last Night: The Tourists scored twice in the top of the second inning against LHP Darin Gorski to take a 2-0 lead. Torrential rains, part of a passing thunderstorm, halted play after three innings with the Tourists leading 2-0. The game will resume with Asheville’s 3B Nolan Arenado batting to lead off the fourth inning.



Taylor Whitenton will make his sixth start of the year in game two. The 22-year old righty is making his first start since May 25when he held Kannapolis to two runs on six hits in six innings in a game the Gnats lost 2-1. The Gnats are 2-3 when Whitenton starts and have supported him with 4.20 runs per game. In June, Whitenton is 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA, having allowed seven runs in seven innings on eight hits and five walks. He gave up five runs in two innings in his last outing, including a grand slam to Augusta’s Ryan Cavan in the final series of the first half. Whitenton threw five scoreless innings over four games in the Gulf Coast League in 2009, striking out seven, walking five and yielding just one hit. The Mets drafted Whitenton in the 39th round of the 2009 draft out of Darton (GA) College.


Since the All-Star break, the Gnats’ bullpen has a 0.84 ERA (1 ER/10.2 IP) and has an opponents’ batting average of just .086 (3 H/35 AB). The relievers have issued five walks and struck out seven.

Suspension Story: The Gnats have had two suspended games this year one, both of which were paused when the games were tied. Savannah has won both suspended games. The Gnats beat Kannapolis 3-2 in 13 innings in a game that was suspended on May 24 in the middle of the 13th inning, and completed on May 25th at Historic Grayson Stadium. The Gnats beat Rome 8-2 in a game that was suspended 1-1 after the bottom of the fifth, on May 29 and completed on May 30 in Rome. The Gnats scored five times in the top of the seventh that night to snap the 1-1 tie.


Pedro Zapata had his nine-game hitting streak snapped Saturday night. He’s still hit safely in 19 of his last 21 contests. In his last nine games, Zapata is still hitting .415 (17-for-41). He’s up to fifth in the SAL in hits (81) and is hitting .354/.409/.418 in 19 completed games in June. His OPS by month: April- .645, May- .728, June- .827.