Savannah 8, Delmarva 6
Albert Cordero’s run-scoring double in the seventh inning snapped a tie Saturday night and led the Savannah Sand Gnats to an 8-6 victory over the host Delmarva Shorebirds.
Cordero, a 23-year-old catcher who has spent parts of the last four seasons in Savannah, drove in Jorge Rivero, who led off with a single, and helped the Sand Gnats end a two-game losing streak and a downward binge that had seen Savannah lose five of its last six games.
The Gnats (54-40, 11-14 second half) trailed 6-1 after three innings. But they began the long comeback with a run in the fourth inning and four runs to tie the game in the fifth before Cordero’s heroics in the seventh.
Savannah tacked on an insurance run in the ninth.
Gnats relievers also played a big part in the win. Julian Hilario pitched four scoreless innings and picked up the win. Paul Sewald and Beck Wheeler threw scoreless innings as well. Wheeler got out of a jam in the ninth inning to pick up his 10th save.
Savannah starter Matt Koch was roughed up, surrendering 11 hits and six runs over three innings. In his last two starts, covering 4 2/3 innings, Koch has allowed 17 hits and 13 runs (nine earned) and watched his earned run average balloon to 5.09.
Delmarva (40-56, 10-19) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Creede Simpson’s two-run single.
Savannah cut the advantage in half in the third inning when Shorebirds catcher Steel Russell had a pitch get past him for a passed ball allowing Chad Zurcher to score.
In the bottom of the inning, Roderick Bernadina’s two-run triple — one of his four hits on the night — was the big blow in a four-run uprising that gave the Baltimore Orioles affiliate a 6-1 lead.
But Savannah chipped away with a run in the fourth when Cordero doubled in Rivero who had doubled.
In the fifth, Maikis De La Cruz singled in Brandon Nimmo, who led off with a triple. Cole Frenzel walked and, three batters later, Greg Pron drilled a three-run home run — his first of the season — to tie the game at 6-6.
The two teams will play the second game of their four-game series today at 5:05 p.m. Savannah returns home Wednesday to start a four-game set with the Augusta GreenJackets.
Key Stats
Brandon Nimmo: 3-for-5, 1 3B, 1 R
Greg Pron: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R
Jorge Rivero: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 R
Albert Cordero: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R
Julian Hilario: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K
Beck Wheeler: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 2 K
Paul Sewald: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K
(Team Report)