Doubleheader Preview: GreenJackets at Power
POWER LINEUP (GAME TWO):
J.R. Davis — CF
Jarred Kelenic — DH
Joseph Rosa — 2B
Dean Nevarez — C
Ryan Ramiz — LF
Bobby Honeyman — 3B
Cesar Trejo— RF
Nick Rodriguez — 1B
Cesar Izturis Jr. — SS
Deivy Florido — RHP
Games #32 and #33 — Home Games #15 and #16
Augusta GreenJackets (16–14) at West Virginia Power (17–13)
Thursday, May 9–6:05 p.m.
Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, W.Va.)
POWER DROPS SIXTH STRAIGHT: Bobby Honeyman and Cesar Trejo went deep, but the Power fell to the Augusta GreenJackets, 8–3, Wednesday night at Appalachian Power Park. Augusta struck first in the opening frame on an RBI single from Diego Rincones to take a 1–0 lead. West Virginia responded in the bottom of the second with Honeyman smoking the first pitch of the inning over the right-field fence to tie the game at one. However, the GreenJackets posted a five-run fourth inning to retake the lead at 6–1, using a three-run homer from Aaron Bond to knock Power starter Josias De Los Santos out after 3.1 innings, as he allowed a career-high six runs on seven hits. Augusta extended their lead to 7–1 in the sixth, but West Virginia answered back in the home half as Trejo launched his two-run long ball to left-center to close the deficit to four at 7–3. However, Andres Angulo stroked a home run of his own for the GreenJackets in the eighth, the final run of the night. Ben Onyshko and Dayeison Arias combined to toss 5.2 innings of relief.
PITCHING MATCH-UP:
RHP Clay Chandler (3–1, 0.75 ERA) makes his seventh start for West Virginia, while Augusta goes with RHP Jesus Ozoria (0–1, 3.38 ERA) in game one.
Chandler enters his game one start with the second-best ERA in the South Atlantic League, despite coming off his first loss of the season. In the loss against Greensboro, the Kentucky native tossed seven innings, allowed just two runs and struck out seven hitters. It was his second straight game with at least seven innings on the hill and his fourth quality start of the year.
Ozoria makes his third start of the season after debuting for the GreenJackets on April 28th. Over his first two starts, the righty hurled a combined eight innings and gave up just three earned runs off nine hits.
RHP Deivy Florido (first start) gets the ball for the Power in game two, while the GreenJackets counter with RHP Keaton Winn (1–1, 2.74 ERA).
Florido makes his West Virginia debut tonight after joining the team from Extended Spring Training earlier this week. The righty has appeared in one game this season with Triple-A Tacoma, twirling two scoreless innings and ceding just three hits.
Winn heads out for his seventh outing of the season, and his first start, in game two. The righty spun a season high-tying five innings versus Hagerstown in his last relief appearance May 4, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out three.
POWER LINEUP (GAME ONE):
J.R. Davis — DH
Jarred Kelenic — CF
Joseph Rosa — 2B
Onil Pena — 1B
Ryan Ramiz — LF
Jake Anchia — C
Charlie McConnell — RF
Nick Rodriguez — 3B
Cesar Izturis Jr. — SS
Clay Chandler — RHP
GAME NOTES:
THE LONG BALL: Honeyman and Trejo’s dingers are West Virginia’s fourth and fifth homers in its last five games (Jarred Kelenic, May 4; Dean Nevarez, May 5; and Onil Pena, May 6). The Power has now homered in four straight games. Overall, West Virginia has 25 home runs as a team on the season, third-most in the South Atlantic League behind the Greensboro Grasshoppers (41) and the Hickory Crawdads (39). Conversely, the Power’s pitching staff has given up the third-fewest homers in the SAL (17), sitting behind just Delmarva and Charleston (13 each). Honeyman hit his first home run since April 17 vs. Lakewood, while Trejo blasted his first long ball since April 23 against Columbia. 16 of the Power’s 25 home runs have come at Appalachian Power Park in the team’s first 14 home games. West Virginia is 10–7 when hitting a home run in a game this season.
HE’S ALL ABOUT THAT BASE: With a 2-for-5 night Wednesday, Kelenic extended his on-base streak to 24 games (dating back to April 10) on a first-inning single. During this span, the outfielder is averaging .402 (37-for-92) with seven homers, 11 doubles and 19 RBI. Kelenic’s on-base streak is tied for the longest in Class A ball this season (Grant Lavigne, Asheville, and Trey Harris, Rome), as well as the longest active with Harris. The Mariners’ number two prospect has reached base safely in 27 of his 29 games (April 8 and 9 are the only games he hasn’t reached base). Kelenic also posted his 12th multi-hit game of the season Wednesday evening, the most multi-hit efforts on the Power this year.
BIG INNING BITES: Augusta’s five-run fourth inning put the game out of reach for West Virginia Wednesday night, as the GreenJackets became the first team to hang a big inning on the Power at home (Lexington, five-run third April 8 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, Lakewood, five-run fifth May 2 at FirstEnergy Park, and Greensboro, five-run third May 4 and five-run second May 5 at First National Bank Field).
STRUGGLING TO CONVERT: West Virginia has had real issues with runners in scoring position this season. After averaging .173 (38-for-220) on their 2–5 road swing through Lakewood and Greensboro with RISP, the Power went 0-for-7 Wednesday and left 10 men on base. Overall, West Virginia is averaging .212 with RISP, the third-lowest clip in the league. The Columbia Fireflies (.170) and Greenville Drive (.210) are the only teams with a worse average.
BIG DAY FOR BIG BEN: Onyshko turned in quite the stellar relief effort for the Power Wednesday night, spinning 4.2 innings and allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out six and not walking a batter. The Stetson product posted career-highs in innings and strikeouts, as well as notched the longest relief outing for a West Virginia reliever this year.
QUALITY CLAY: Clay Chandler, tonight’s game one starter and former South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week from April 22–28, hurled seven solid innings in his last start against Greensboro, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits while fanning seven and not walking a batter. The Paducah, Kentucky, native notched his fourth quality start of the season, and his second straight seven-inning outing. The righty has not walked a batter in each of his last three starts, and has registered five or more strikeouts in those games as well. Chandler holds the second-lowest ERA in the South Atlantic League (0.75), trailing Delmarva’s Blaine Knight (0.68), and has the second-most innings pitched (36).
POWER POINTS: The Power dropped its third game when outhitting their opponent this season (11–3)… Jake Anchia posted his first-ever three-hit game Wednesday… West Virginia is 0–6 when allowing eight runs or more in a game… The Power has not lost seven straight games since their 0–7 road trip through Lexington and Kannapolis from July 19–26, 2018… West Virginia’s pitching staff piled up 12 strikeouts last night, fanning double-digit batters for the 17th time this year, which is seven shy of their season-high (19, two times)… The Power is playing their second twin bill of the year.
ON THE AIR: West Virginia Power games can be heard on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM in the Kanawha Valley, online at wvpower.com and on the TuneIn Radio App. David Kahn and Kyle Youmans will handle play-by-play duties in 2019. Thursday’s pregame coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on the West Virginia Power Baseball Network.
