Game #63 - Home Game #33 - Monday – 7:05
RHP Ryan Fraser (3-4, 3.25) vs. RHP Willie Kempf (0-0, 0.00)
Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA
Radio: News/Talk 630 WBMQ & http://www.sandgnats.com/
Tonight: The first place Gnats, SAL affiliate of the New York Mets, have a chance to clinch their second-straight South Atlantic League Southern Division First-Half Championship beginning tonight. Savannah has a magic number of two and needs a win tonight and a Greenville loss to clinch Monday. The Gnats, who have won five games in a row, are 10 games over .500 for the first time in 2011.
Last Night: Rafael Fernandez’s two-run triple highlighted a four-run Savannah eighth inning as the Gnats beat the Rome Braves 5-1 in the opening game of the team’s four-game series.
Now Pitching: RHP Ryan Fraser is scheduled to make his ninth Savannah start and his first since May 22. In his last three appearances out the Savannah bullpen, Fraser has given up 0, 5 and 0 runs consecutively. As a reliever this year, he has s 2.60 ERA and a K/BB of 2.2 (13 K/6 BB) while he has a 3.50 ERA as a starter and a K/BB ratio of 1.3 (22 K/17 BB). Fraser pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for short-season Brooklyn in 2010. With the Cyclones, he was 3-3 with a 1.44 ERA and 12 saves in 31.1 IP. He struck out 39, walked 20 and yielded just 16 hits. In ratio form, that’s 4.6 H/9 IP, 5.7 BB/9 and 11.2 K/9. The Mets drafted Fraser in the 16th round of the 2010 draft out of Memphis. The Rays originally drafted Fraser out of Walker Valley HS in the 49th round in 2006, but he chose to attend Gulf Coast Community College and then Memphis. At Memphis, he led the Tigers with 93 strikeouts and 92 IP in 2010 on his way to three C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors and a Second Team All C-USA selection. In the classroom, he was a member of the C-USA All-Academic Team in 2010 and ran a 4.0 grade point average in high school. The Gnats are 3-5 when Fraser starts, and have supported him with 2.63 runs per game (21 runs/8 games), the lowest mark of any Savannah starter.
Playoff Scenario: The Gnats lead the Greenville Drive by 5.5 games for first place with seven games to play in the first half for both teams. Savannah’s magic number, the combination of Gnats wins and Drive losses, to clinch the first half title, is two. The Gnats finish the first half with four games in Greenville Thursday-Sunday.
Back-to-Back: The last time the Savannah franchise went to the playoffs in consecutive years was 1993 and 1994, when Savannah won not only the Southern Division, but the League Championship both years.
Tovar Turning it On: Wilfredo Tovar has hit safely in a personal season-best 11 games going 16-37 (.432) with a three doubles, three walks, one strikeout and two RBI. He’s raised his batting average 43 points, from .185 at the start of his streak to .228 today.
Hot Like the Weather: The Gnats have won five games in a row and 17 of 21 games, an .810 winning percentage. Since slipping to 7-14 after the game on April 29, the Gnats are 29-12, a .707 winning percentage.
Livin’ on the Edge: Closer Josh Edgin is second in the SAL in saves (14), second among relievers in fewest baserunners/9 IP (7.39) and third among SAL relievers in both lowest batting average against (.135) and strikeout rate (12.5 K/9 IP). Edgin has not allowed a run in his last 14 appearances nor an earned run since April 26, a span of 16 appearances.
from team press release
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