Game #89 Preview — Power vs. Shorebirds
Game #89 — Home Game #49
Delmarva Shorebirds (14–9, 49–41) vs. WV Power (12–10, 49–39)
Sunday, July 15–2:05 p.m.
Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, W.V.)
BENGTSON’S DOUBLES HELP POWER HANG ON SATURDAY: Ben Bengtson went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI and a run scored to provide West Virginia with just enough offense to hold off the Delmarva Shorebirds, 4–3, Saturday night in the series opener at Appalachian Power Park. The Power got off to another hot start, plating their first run in the second inning on an RBI single from Jesse Medrano to take a 1–0 lead. The ‘Birds tied it in the third, but Bengtson vaulted West Virginia back in front in the home half with a two run two-bagger. Medrano struck again in the sixth, bringing in Bengtson on a fielder’s choice fielding error to extend the Power’s lead to 4–1. On the mound, Travis MacGregor lasted just 2.2 innings after using 66 pitches, but Ike Schlabach was strong in relief, allowing only one run over 4.1 innings while striking out three and walking three. Samuel Reyes had a rocky eighth, coughing up a home run to Ryan Ripken that made it a one-run affair, but he settled down in the ninth to pitch a scoreless frame and strike out a pair, recording his third save in the process.
PITCHING MATCH-UP: LHP Domingo Robles (7–5, 3.11 ERA) toes the rubber for West Virginia, while Delmarva counters with RHP Luis Perez (1–1, 2.45 ERA).
POWER LINEUP:
Lolo Sanchez — CF
Calvin Mitchell — RF
Oneil Cruz — SS
Ben Bengtson— 3B
Rodolfo Castro— 2B
Raul Hernandez — C
Ryan Peurifoy — LF
Jesse Medrano — DH
Kyle Watson — 1B
Domingo Robles — LHP
ODDS AND ENDS:
BBB — BIG BALLER BEN: Bengtson posted a career-high three doubles Saturday, becoming the second Power batter to stroke three two-baggers in a single game this season (Oneil Cruz, May 10 at Hagerstown). The Concord, N.H., native is 7-for-13 (.538) in his last three games with five doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Through 12 July games, Bengtson is averaging .261 (12-for-46), his best monthly mark thus far, with a home run and eight RBI.
STRAIGHT THIEVERY: West Virginia swiped a season-high seven bases Saturday night, with Medrano stealing three, Lolo Sanchez taking a pair and Cruz and Raul Hernandez each registering one stolen base. The Power recorded seven stolen bases in a game for just the third time in club history (2005-present), with the last time dating all the way back to July 21, 2008, when West Virginia defeated Rome, 6–5, in 11 innings at Appalachian Power Park. In that game, the Power’s Matt Cline stole three bases, Eric Farris took two bags and Caleb Gindl and Zelous Wheeler each swiped a base. West Virginia’s only other seven-steal game came on May 26, 2007, in an 11–8 win against the Asheville Tourists in Charleston. Michael Brantley led the pack in that contest with three steals, while Darren Ford stole two bases and Brent Brewer and Chuck Caufield each took a base.
SWIPER GOES SWIPING: The Power became the third team in the South Atlantic League to notch seven steals in game this season, joining Asheville and Greensboro. West Virginia had not stolen more than five bases in a game since May 3, 2015, when the team recorded six swipes in the contest. Medrano posted his first career three-stolen base game, and the first for a Power player since Tito Polo took three bags on August 8, 2015, at Asheville. Sanchez swiped two bases in a game for the sixth time in his career, while Hernandez stole a base for the first time since August 19, 2017.
SAVE ME: Reyes recorded the first save for West Virginia since June 29, when Matt Seelinger posted his team-leading seventh save in as many opportunities. Since then, the Power have blown a pair of saves (July 5 vs. Lexington and July 13 at Hickory). As a team, West Virginia has 24 saves, sixth-best in the South Atlantic League (Lakewood, 36).
PURE DESIGNATION: Peurifoy has been the most potent designated hitter West Virginia has had in 2018. In 18 games as the DH, the right-handed slugger boasts a .322 (19-for-59) clip with three home runs, 12 RBI and seven doubles, all highs among the 16 total Power batters that have been the DH this season. West Virginia is 11–7 when Peurifoy is utilized as the designated hitter. Kyle Watson is the only Power batter with a better DH record (12–4) than Peurifoy.
SAL ALL-STAR GAME RETURNS TO CHARLESTON: The West Virginia Power and the City of Charleston will host the 2019 South Atlantic League All-Star Game, the team announced Thursday afternoon. 2019 will mark the second time Appalachian Power Park has played host to the SAL’s Mid-Summer Classic, with the first time occurring back in 2009. The City of Charleston hosted the All-Star Game for the first time in 1989, when the team was named the Charleston Wheelers. The 2019 South Atlantic League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.
HANRAHAN SET TO LEAD U.S. TEAM BULLPEN IN FUTURES GAME: Power pitching coach Joel Hanrahan will serve as the Bullpen Coach for the United States team at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, taking place this afternoon at 4 p.m. at Nationals Park during All-Star Weekend. Hanrahan will man the relief corps for the U.S. squad, while RHP Mitch Keller gets the start on the mound and INF Ke’Bryan Hayes is batting ninth and playing third base.
POWER POINT: The last three games between the Power and Shorebirds have been decided by two runs or less.
ON THE AIR: West Virginia Power games can be heard on The Jock 1300 & 1340 AM in the Kanawha Valley, online at wvpower.com and on the TuneIn Radio App. David Kahn and John Kocsis will handle play-by-play duties in 2018. Sunday’s pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. on the West Virginia Power Baseball Network.
