Savannah 6, Rome 4

Back-to-back triples from Maikis De La Cruz and Brandon Nimmo keyed a four-run second inning for the Savannah Sand Gnats, who beat the host Rome Braves 6-4 in a game delayed 53 minutes by rain on Friday night.

Savannah (36-23) had a 1 1/2-game lead on the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs for first place in the Class A South Atlantic League’s Southern Division. Charleston (33-23) lost to Asheville 3-2 in 13 innings on Friday night. Rome fell to 32-27.

Savannah designated hitter De La Cruz had a hand in several runs, scoring two and driving in three. He led off the opening inning with walk, took third on Jayce Boyd’s one-out single and scored when Kevin Plawecki reached safely on second baseman Levi Hyams’ throwing error for 1-0 Sand Gnats.

In the second, Jeff Reynolds and Cole Frenzel walked and came home on De La Cruz’s one-out triple. Nimmo followed with an RBI triple, then scored on Boyd’s single. Plawecki and Stephan Sabol also singled to load the bases, but Rome starter Mauricio Cabrera (1-4) retired the next two batters to get out of the jam with a 5-0 deficit.

Rome closed the gap to 5-3 in the bottom of the third. Felix Marte led off with a single and Eric Garcia followed with his second homer of the season. Hyams reached on shortstop Yucary De La Cruz’s fielding error, then scored on Trenton Moses’ one-out double. Savannah starter Matt Koch struck out the next two batters.

Savannah added one run in the fifth. Reynolds singled, then Frenzel walked, ending Cabrera’s night and bringing on reliever Robert Fish. Yucary De La Cruz’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runners so Reynolds was able to score on Maikis De La Cruz’s groundout to shortstop for a 6-3 Gnats advantage.

Savannah’s Koch (4-2) went five innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) with no walks and seven strikeouts. Relievers Marcos Camarena and Beck Wheeler held Rome in check, and Bret Mitchell (10th save) had the Braves down to their last out before they pushed across a run on a walk and two singles. The Gnats’ pitchers combined for nine hits, two walks and 12 strikeouts.

Key Stats

Maikis De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 1 3B, 1 BB, 3 RBI, 2 R

Brandon Nimmo: 1-for-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 R

Jayce Boyd: 2-for-5, 1 RBI

Kevin Plawecki: 1-for-5, 1 RBI

Matthew Koch: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 K

Marcos Camarena: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Beck Wheeler: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Bret Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 2 K

(Team Report)