ROME — All-Star right-hander Gabriel Ynoa surrendered six hits and allowed only two runs over six innings, helping the Savannah Sand Gnats snap a three-game losing streak by beating the Rome Braves 5-3 on Thursday night.
Ynoa, who was earlier in the day named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, raised his record to 15-4.
Ynoa settled down after a rocky first inning and allowed only two hits in his final five innings of work. Rome, an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, bunched four hits together and scored twice in the first inning.
Savannah (73-59, 30-33 second half) tied the game with two runs in the fourth on Cole Frenzel’s two-run home run and pulled ahead for good in the sixth.
Newcomer Dilson Herrera, who was added to the Savannah roster this week after being acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, had the go-ahead, run-scoring single to make it 3-2. Three batters later, Jeff Reynolds singled in two runs and made it 5-2.
Rome added a run in the eighth and got the tying run to the plate but reliever Paul Sewald fanned Joey Meneses for the final out.
In the ninth, the Braves again threatened and had the tying runners on base, but Jose Peraza flied out to end the game.
Despite the fly out, Peraza, a 19-year-old shortstop, had a big game with three hits to raise his batting average to .285. He also stole his 61st base earlier in the game.
Notes
The Sand Gnats made several recent roster moves. Catcher Nelfi Zapata was transferred to the St. Lucie roster from the Savannah roster. Infielder Jorge Rivero was placed on the Savannah disabled list as of Tuesday with a left thumb contusion. Herrera was added to the Savannah roster after being acquired in trade with Pittsburgh and Ynoa was reinstated from the Savannah disabled list.
Savannah ab r h bi Rome ab r h bi
Pina rf 4 0 2 0 Wren cf 4 1 2 0
Nimmo cf 4 1 0 0 Peraza ss 5 0 3 0
DeLaCruz lf 4 1 1 0 Garcia 2b 4 1 2 1
Herrera 2b 3 2 2 1 Sanchez 1b 3 1 1 0
Frenzel 1b 4 1 1 2 Franco 3b 4 0 1 2
Sabol dh 4 0 0 0 Meneses lf 4 0 0 0
Reynolds 3b 4 0 1 1 Tewell c 4 0 0 0
Glenn c 3 0 0 0 Klnksky dh 3 0 1 0
Evans ss 4 0 1 0 Carroll rf 4 0 0 0
Totals 34 5 8 4 Totals 35 3 10 3
Savannah 000 203 000 – 5
Rome 200 000 010 – 3
E—Nimmo, Evans, Sanchez, Tate. DP—Savannah 1, Rome 1. LOB—Savannah 6, Rome 8. 2B—Franco. 3B—Kalenosky. HR—Frenzel (6). SB—Herrera, Wren, Peraza. CS—Peraza.
SAVANNAH IP H R ER BB SO
Ynoa W,15-4 6 6 2 2 2 1
Carnevale 1 0 0 0 1 1
Sewald S,8 2 4 1 1 0 4
ROME IP H R ER BB SO
Lafreniere L,7-13 5 2/3 6 5 4 1 7
Tate 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 0
Brosius 2 1 0 0 1 2
WP—Lafreniere. HBP—Herrera (by Lafreniere). T—2:35. A—3,116.