Gnats Game Notes: Thursday, July 15 vs. Greenville - 7:05 pm

from press release
Savannah Sand Gnats  vs. Greenville Drive 
Game #91 - Home Game #46 - Thursday – 7:05

RHP Taylor Whitenton (4-4, 3.66) vs. RHP Ryan Pressly (3-5, 4.14)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

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



Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats look snap a three game losing streak in game two of their five-game series against the Greenville Drive, the Boston Red Sox SAL affiliate.


Last Night: Greenville’s Vladimir Frias broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run off Savannah reliever Brandon Sage leading off the top of the eighth inning as Greenville won 4-2. Gnats’ starter Darin Gorski threw a season-high seven innings and tied his season-high with seven strikeouts. The Gnats allowed two unearned runs in a game in which they lost by two runs.



Now Pitching: Taylor Whitenton will make his ninth start of the year this evening. He earned the win in his last start for holding Asheville to three runs on nine hits in six innings in a game Savannah won 11-6. Whitenton’s 40 walks are fifth-most in the SAL. In his three starts since returning to the rotation over the All-Star Break, Whitenton is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA (7 ER/16 IP) and 13 strikeouts against nine walks. For the year, Whitenton has struck out 9.1 batters per nine innings, but walked 5.4 batters per nine. The Gnats are 3-5 when Whitenton starts and have supported him with 4.13 runs per game, the third-lowest support of any Gnats starter. 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.



Jefry Marte was 0-4 with two strikeouts last night snapping his hitting streak at eight straight games. RJ Harris was 0-3 with two strikeouts and a walk, snapping his hitting streak at seven straight games.