6/7/11

Savannah Sand Gnats Pre-Game Notes

Savannah Sand Gnats (31-26, 1st, Southern) @ Asheville Tourists (28-30, t-2nd, Southern)



Game #58 - Road Game #30 - Tuesday – 11:05


RHP Yohan Almonte (2-2, 3.64) vs. RHP Peter Tago (1-1, 4.72)


McCormick Field, Asheville, NC


Radio: http://www.sandgnats.com/ only



Today: The first place Gnats, SAL affiliate of the New York Mets, finish a three-game series in Asheville against the third-place Asheville Tourists, SAL affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The Gnats are off Wednesday and begin a seven-game home stand on Thursday.



Last Night: The Tourists blew out the Gnats 10-1, getting to starter Taylor Whitenton for nine runs, all earned, in 3.2 innings. LF Rafael Fernandez was 2-4 and drove home the Gnats’ only run. Middle infielder Luis Nieves pitched the game’s final inning for Savannah.

Now Pitching: Yohan Almonte is scheduled to make his eighth start of the year today. Almonte cruised through three perfect innings in his last start fanning three. He has made two starts since returning from a lower back strain that sidelined him for 27 days. Almonte owns a K/BB ratio of 5.25 (21 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 New York-Penn League 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 3-4 when Almonte starts and have supported him with 3.6 runs per game.


Standings Update: There are now three teams - the Asheville Tourists, the Lexington Legends and the Greenville Drive - all tied at 3.5 games behind the Gnats with 12 games to play in the first half. The Gnats end the first half with four games in Greenville

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