Savannah 8 - August 1

Gabriel Ynoa dazzled the GreenJackets through six and two thirds innings to lead the Savannah Sand Gnats to an 8-1 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets Tuesday night at Historic Grayson Stadium. Ynoa struck out five and did not walk a batter in his 6.2 shutout innings to become the first pitcher in the South Atlantic League with ten wins while lowering his ERA to 2.68.

The Gnats (8-10/51-36) scored three times in the bottom of the first, helped by three walks by Jackets' starter Joe Biagini. 1B Cole Frenzel walked to force home the first run, RF Eudy Pina lifted a sacrifice fly to left to drive home the second and 3B Matt Reynolds' infield hit drove home the third run of the frame.

 

The Gnats expanded their lead in the middle innings. RF Eudy Pina's solo homerun in the third gave Savannah a 4-0 lead. LF Maikis De La Cruz doubled home 2B Chad Zurcher in the fourth for a 5-1 advantage. In the sixth, 1B Cole Frenzel snapped an 0-for-15 skid with an RBI triple down the rightfield line, again scoring Zurcher.

 

Meanwhile, on the bump, Ynoa was in control. He was perfect through three innings until allowing a single to start the fourth inning. He allowed only two runners to third base, and one with fewer than two out.

 

With a run home in the eighth inning, to make the score 6-1, the GreenJackets (8-8/46-39) loaded the bases against reliever Tyler Vanderheiden. Beck Wheeler came out of the Savannah bullpen and struck out LF Rafael Rodriguez to end the threat. Because he entered the game with the tying run in the on-deck circle and finished the game, Wheeler earned his eighth save of 2013.

 

Every one of the Gnats' nine starters had at least one hit for the Savannah Tuesday.

 

The Gnats send RHP Marcos Camarena (3-0, 1.90) to the mound in the middle game of the three-game series Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. Gates to Historic Grayson Stadium open at 6 pm. The radio pregame show begins on News/Talk 630 and online at Sandgnats.com at 6:45 pm.