Savannah Sand Gnats vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

from press release:
Savannah Sand Gnats vs. Kannapolis Intimidators Game #118 - Home Game #56 - Saturday – 6:05
RHP Taylor Whitenton (6-6, 4.24) vs. LHP Matt Wickswat (6-4, 3.97)
Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

Radio: News/Talk 630 and http://www.sandgnats.com/



Tonight: The first-half-champion Gnats play look to snap a two game skid in game three of their nine-game home stand and game three of their five-game series against the Kannapolis Intimidators, the SAL affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Last Night: The Intimidators broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the fifth for a 3-2 lead and expanded their advantage to 7-2 with a four-run sixth that chased starter Darin Gorski from the game. Savanna scored twice in the seventh on James Schroeder’s first career home run and once in the eighth but could get no closer than 7-5.


Now Pitching: Taylor Whitenton will make his 14th start of the year this evening. Whitenton is coming off one of his best starts of the year, when he allowed just one unearned run on four hits in 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts in the Gnats’ 10-2 win in Charleston last Sunday. Whitenton’s 54 walks are the fourth-most in the SAL. In his eight starts since returning to the rotation over the All-Star Break, Whitenton is 3-4 with a 5.19 ERA (20 ER/34.2 IP) and 29 strikeouts against 23 walks. In his only previous start against Kannapolis, Whitenton gave up two runs on six hits in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts. The Gnats are 5-8 when Whitenton starts and have supported him with 4.6 runs per game, fourth among the Gnats’ eight starters this year. Last year, Whitenton threw five scoreless innings over four games in the Gulf Coast League, 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.


Matt den Dekker, has hit safely in his first five games as a Gnat, going 10-for-20 with four doubles, five runs scored, and five RBI. Thursday, he became the first Gnat to hit three doubles in a game. As a senior, den Dekker helped lead the Gators to their first College World Series since 2005. The Mets drafted den Dekker in the fifth round out of the University of Florida in June 2010.


Robbie Shields has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 10-30 (.300) with three doubles, a triple, four runs scored and two RBI.