DEGROM BAFFLES BLUECLAWS IN SAVANNAH DEBUT MONDAY

photo by Allen Greene

Savannah, GA - Savannahpitching faced one batter over the minimum, retiring 27 of 28 Lakewood batters,as the Sand Gnats beat the BlueClaws 5-0 Monday night at Historic GraysonStadium. The Gnats (19-12) have won five of the first six games on theirseven-game home stand.

JacobdeGrom made his Savannah debut and was perfect into the fifth inning.With two outs in the fifth, he gave up a double to 3B Maikel Franco, who was the only runner of the night for Lakewood(10-19). DeGrom, the Mets’ 9th round pick in the 2010 draft out ofStetson retired the first 14 batters he faced, and 20 of 21 before departingwith his pitch count approaching 80.

The Gnats scored the game’s first runs in the bottom of theseventh. With one out, BlueClaws’ starter EthanStewart walked three batters to load the bases. Lakewood then called onreliever Gabriel Arias. Gnats’catcher Albert Cordero swung at thefirst pitch from Arias, sending a sharp ground ball inside the first base bagand down the line for a two-run double. SS LuisNieves followed with a bloop single into shallow right-center field platingtwo more runs for a  4-0 lead. Nievesfinished 3-for-3 with three singles.

Reliever Carlos Vazquez,who entered for deGrom for the final out in the top of the seventh, retired allseven batters he faced to earn his third win of the year. He struck out two.

In the eighth, 1B BrianHarrison doubled up the left-centerfield gap driving home CF Travis Taijeron to complete the game’sscoring at 5-0.