Game 10 Preview: Power vs. Augusta
Game #10 — Home Game #3
Augusta GreenJackets (4–4) at West Virginia Power (4–5)
Saturday, April 13–2:05 p.m.
Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, W.Va.)
AUGUSTA OUTSLUGS POWER FRIDAY: Jarred Kelenic hit his first home run of the season, but Augusta’s bats came to life Friday night, claiming a 9–3 win over the Power at Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia got on the board first in the opening frame, as Onil Pena stroked a run-scoring double to plate Julio Rodriguez for a 1–0 lead. The GreenJackets responded in the third, plating two runs on an Ismael Munguia double and a passed ball that snuck by Manny Pazos for a 2–1 Augusta lead. They would extend their advantage in the fourth and fifth innings with a single tally in each before Kelenic cut into that deficit with his fifth-inning blast to make it 4–2 GreenJackets. Augusta poured it on late, however, adding two more in the sixth and three in the ninth against the trio of Matthew Willrodt, Oliver Jaskie and David Ellingson, who shouldered the majority of the game after Elias Espino lasted three innings in his first start.
PITCHING MATCH-UP:
LHP Steven Moyers (0–1, 10.80 ERA) gets the ball for West Virginia, while Augusta sends LHP Seth Corry to the slab (0–0, 0.00 ERA).
Moyers is making his second start in a Power uniform after appearing earlier this week in Lexington. He lasted five innings, allowed six runs on nine hits and struck out eight batters in his debut on April 8.
Corry is also making his second start for the GreenJackets after a solid first appearance. The left-hander out of Utah labored through three scoreless innings in his 2019 debut, despite issuing five walks. In that start, Corry did not allow a hit and seven of his nine recorded outs came via the strikeout.
POWER LINEUP:
Ryne Ogren — SS
Jarred Kelenic — CF
Onil Pena — 1B
Ryan Ramiz — LF
Joseph Rosa — 2B
Jake Anchia — C
Cesar Trejo — DH
Bobby Honeyman — 3B
Charlie McConnell — RF
Steven Moyers — LHP
GAME NOTES:
PILING UP THE STRIKEOUTS: The Power struck out 12 more batters Friday evening, upping their total to 102, which is tops in the South Atlantic League (99, Hickory). With his 15 strikeouts through two starts, Thursday starter Ryne Inman sits in fourth place among all qualified hurlers in the league in Ks (Shawn Semple, Charleston RiverDogs, 21), while tomorrow’s starter, Logan Gilbert, is tied for fifth-most (14) with Hickory’s Jake Latz.
A BATTERED BULLPEN: West Virginia’s bullpen stumbled over its first bump in the road Friday night. After posting a 1.08 mark (33.1 IP/4 ER) through their first eight games, the Power pen combined to allow seven runs (six earned) on eight hits over six innings of work Friday. With their struggles last night, West Virginia’s relievers now hold an ERA of 2.29, ballooning 1.21 points from Thursday. The relief corps has still been lethal against the first batters they have faced in an appearance though, allowing those select sluggers a measly .056 clip (1-for-18) with nine strikeouts.
KELENIC STARTING TO KELE-CLICK: Kelenic has busted of his road woes in a major way in the first two games of this series against the Augusta GreenJackets, racking up four hits, a home run, a double and three RBIs. The Mariners’ second-best prospect per MLB.com and Baseball America stroked his first South Atlantic League home run Friday, blasting one 369 feet to right-center field in the fifth inning for his seventh career Minor League homer, and his first since August 23, 2018. He recorded his first two RBI of the season and posted West Virginia’s third three-hit game of the year Thursday. Prior to this series, Kelenic was mired in an 0-for-11 slump and had started the year 2-for-25.
CAN’T BRING THEM IN: Through their first nine games, West Virginia has struggled mightily with runners in scoring position. West Virginia went 3-for-13 with RISP for the second consecutive game last night, stranding 11 men on base. As a team, the Power is averaging .143 (13-for-91), second-worst in the SAL (Columbia Fireflies, .091 [7-for-77]). Rodriguez has been the team’s best hitter with runners in scoring position, but is only boasting a .222 (2-for-9) clip.
POWERFUL PENA: Pena had West Virginia’s best night at the plate Friday evening, going 3-for-4, with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Friday’s effort marked the second time this season that Pena posted a pair of two-baggers (April 6 at Greenville), as well as the third time overall by a Power batter. The first baseman also notched West Virginia’s fourth three-hit game of the season and his second multi-hit effort of the year.
HANGING ZEROES: Inman, Devin Sweet and Nolan Hoffman secured West Virginia’s third shutout win of the season Thursday night, the most in the South Atlantic League. In fact, the Power is one of only two teams in Minor League Baseball with three shutout wins in 2019 (Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds). Across all of Major League Baseball, only two teams have three shutouts as well (Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates). West Virginia has also yet to be blanked through nine games in 2019.
A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER: The Power welcomes the Augusta GreenJackets to town on Masters Weekend, continuing a four-game series Saturday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park. Last season, West Virginia played some of its most thrilling games against Augusta, including a pair of walk-off winners during their first encounter in early May. Ryan Peurifoy smacked the Power’s only walk-off home run of the season May 1 as part of a three-run ninth, while Kyle Watson ended Minor League Baseball’s longest game of the season with a base hit in the 15th inning May 3.
POWER POINTS: Cesar Izturis, Jr. committed the Power’s 10th fielding error of the season. Their fielding percentage sits a .969, tied for sixth in the South Atlantic League (Rome)… West Virginia gave up a season-high nine runs and walked a season-high 11 batters last night… The Power stranded double-digit runners on base for the fourth time in 2019.
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. Saturday’s pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. on the West Virginia Power Baseball Network.
