Savannah Sand Gnats Pre-Game Notes

Tonight: The first place Gnats, SAL affiliate of the New York Mets, try to make it five wins in a row in game two of their four-game series tonight against the Kannapolis Intimidators, SAL affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The Gnats have won the first four games on this seven-game home stand and 10 of 11 overall.



Last Night: Darrell Cecilian’s two-run double capped a four-run Savannah second inning that propelled the Gnats to a 5-3 win. Taylor Whitenton held the Intimidators to one run in five innings to pick up his third win of the year. Josh Edgin picked up five outs for his 10th save.



Now Pitching: Yohan Almonte is scheduled to make his seventh start of the year tonight for the Gnats. Almonte gave up three unearned runs in his last start in Augusta on Saturday night in his first appearance in 27 days. Almonte owns a K/BB ratio of 4.5 (18 K/4 BB). In 2010, Almonte led the New York-Penn League in ERA (1.91), IP (89.2) and WHIP (0.93), averaging nearly six innings per start. He had the second-lowest batting average against among starters at .207 and the third-lowest unintentional walk/9 IP (1.41) with a K/BB ratio of 4 (60 K/15 BB). The 21-year old Almonte has moved steadily through the Mets system advancing from the Dominican Summer League in 2008 to the Gulf Coast League and then the Appalachian League in 2009, to the New York Penn League in 2010 before joining the Gnats, his first full-season team, in 2011. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. The Gnats are 3-3 when Almonte starts and have supported him with 3.50 runs per game.


Good Times: The Gnats are six games over .500 for the first time in 2011. The team has won 10 of their last 11 games - a run that has taken them from half a game out of first place to 3.5 games up, their largest lead of the year. While winning 10 of 11 games, the Gnats have outscored their opponents 43-24 or 3.9 runs a game to 2.2. Since April 29, when Savannah was 7-14 and a season-high 5.5 games out of first, the Gnats are 22-9, and have picked up nine games in the standings.



Cory Crushing It: Cory Vaughn leads the Gnats in all three major rate categories: average (.332), on-base (.459) and slugging percentage (.473) and stolen bases (8). He is seventh in the SAL in average, second in on-base percentage and fourth in walks (31).
 
From team press release