Game 34 Preview: GreenJackets at Power
Game #34— Home Game #17
Augusta GreenJackets (16–16) at West Virginia Power (19–13)
Friday, May 10–7:05 p.m.
Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, W.Va.)
POWER WALLOPS AUGUSTA IN OPENER: Clay Chandler went the distance and Jake Anchia clubbed a pair of homers to go along with a career-best five RBI as the Power stomped Augusta, 11–1, in game one of Thursday evening’s twin bill at Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia posted a big first inning, scoring five times and sending nine men to the plate while knocking GreenJackets starter Jesus Ozoria out in the opening frame. Anchia provided the big blow of the inning, smoking a three-run homer to right field to cap the scoring. West Virginia added two more in the third on Anchia’s second homer of the day, this time a 413-foot blast to right-center. The Power finished off their scoring in the sixth with a pair of two-RBI doubles from Jarred Kelenic and Ryan Ramiz. Chandler dominated in his first career complete game, holding Augusta to one run on five hits while striking out seven and not walking a batter. The lone blemish on Chandler’s night was a leadoff home run from Shane Matheny in the sixth inning.
OFFENSE STAYS HOT IN TWIN BILL SWEEP: Deivy Florido impressed in his Power debut, while West Virginia’s offense did not skip a beat in game two, downing Augusta, 6–1, to complete a doubleheader sweep of the GreenJackets Thursday evening at Appalachian Power Park. Florido spun 5.1 solid innings in his first start of the season, keeping Augusta to one run on five hits and striking out five batters. Meanwhile, the Power wasted no time striking against Keaton Winn, plating three in the first on a two-run double from Joseph Rosa and a fielder’s choice RBI for a 3–0 lead. West Virginia replicated that effort in the third, as Ramiz drove in a run with a base knock, Cesar Trejo worked a bases-loaded walk and Cesar Izturis Jr. plated the final tally of the night on a sacrifice fly. Things got a bit dicey in the sixth, as Florido ceded three straight hits and left with the bases loaded and the tying run in the on deck circle, but Bryan Pall slammed the door on the GreenJackets’ rally with a strikeout and a fielder’s choice before spinning a scoreless seventh.
PITCHING MATCH-UP:
RHP Ryne Inman (3–2, 3.00 ERA) makes his second start for West Virginia, while Augusta goes with RHP Blake Rivera (1–0, 3.74 ERA).
After starting the season 3–0 for the Power, Inman has since dropped his last two starts entering Thursday. In his last outing, the righty lasted four innings on the road against Greensboro and allowed five unearned runs off four hits and struck out seven. This is his fifth start at home, where Inman has posted a 3–1 record with a 2.37 ERA over 19 innings.
Listed as the 18th-best prospect in the Giants organization (MLB.com), Blake Rivera takes the mound for his sixth start of the season. His last time out, Rivera posted his longest start of the year, as he went six innings and allowed just one run in a no decision against Hagerstown.
POWER LINEUP:
J.R. Davis — 2B
Jarred Kelenic — CF
Joseph Rosa — SS
Onil Pena — 1B
Ryan Ramiz — LF
Jake Anchia — C
Bobby Honeyman — 3B
Dean Nevarez — DH
Charlie McConnell — RF
Ryne Inman — RHP
GAME NOTES:
ALMIGHTY ANCHIA: Anchia recorded his first career multi-home run game in Thursday’s twin bill opener, becoming the third Power batter to do so this season (Dean Nevarez, April 26 vs. Asheville and Kelenic, April 27 vs. Asheville). The backstop is also the first to homer in back-to-back at-bats since Trae Arbet on April 12, 2017, vs. Asheville. The Nova Southeastern product also collected a career-best five RBI, the first West Virginia slugger to accomplish that feat since Deon Stafford notched a six-RBI evening August 11, 2018, at Rome. Anchia’s two dingers capped a five-game homer streak for West Virginia (May 4–9), joiningBobby Honeyman, Kelenic, Nevarez, Onil Pena and Trejo as the sixth member to leave the yard during that stretch. The Power has hit seven homers in their last seven games. Overall, West Virginia has 27 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 is tied with Lakewood for the third-fewest homers given up in the SAL (18), sitting behind just Delmarva (13) and Charleston (15). 18 of the Power’s 27 home runs have come at Appalachian Power Park in the team’s first 16 home games.
HE’S ALL ABOUT THAT BASE: With a 4-for-7 night across Thursday’s twin bill, Kelenic extended his on-base streak to 26 games (dating back to April 10). During this span, the outfielder is averaging .414 (41-for-99) with seven homers, 13 doubles and 21 RBI. Kelenic’s on-base streak is the longest in Class A ball this season. The Mariners’ number two prospect has reached base safely in 29 of his 31 games (April 8 and 9 are the only games he hasn’t reached base). Kelenic also posted his 13th multi-hit game of the season Thursday evening, the most multi-hit efforts on the Power this year.
QUALITY CLAY: Chandler has been the most consistent pitcher for West Virginia this season. He hurled the first complete game of his Minor League career in his 34th career start, and tabbed the first complete game for the Power since Hunter Stratton went the distance over six innings in a loss at Kannapolis July 26, 2018. The righty has not walked a batter in each of his last four starts, and has registered five or more strikeouts in those games as well. Chandler has five quality starts on the season, the most on the team, and holds the second-lowest ERA in the SAL (0.84), trailing Delmarva’s Blaine Knight (0.68). He also has the most innings pitched (43.0), is tied for the third-most wins (4) and has the sixth-lowest WHIP (0.79). He is one of two SAL hurlers to throw a complete game this year, along with Tim Brennan (Hickory).
SAVE ME: Pall notched West Virginia’s eighth save of the season in game two of Thursday’s twin bill. The Michigan product also picked up the second save of his Minor League career, becoming the third Power pitcher this year to record at least two saves (Dayeison Arias (2) and Nolan Hoffman (4)). The team’s eight saves are tied for fifth-most in the SAL.
POWER POINTS: J.R. Davis swiped his first stolen base of the season and the 25th of his Minor League career… Ramiz is riding a six-game hitting streak dating back to May 3, the fifth streak of six games or more for West Virginia 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. Friday’s pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on the West Virginia Power Baseball Network.
