Jackets excite in wins

If variety really is the spice of life, the Augusta GreenJackets are a flavorful bunch. At least they were during their eight-game homestand that ended Monday.

"You're never going to see the same thing two days in a row, let's just put it that way," leading hitter Brian Horwitz said after the GreenJackets won Saturday. "That's just the game of baseball."

Even when it seems the GreenJackets are being redundant - let's say with three straight ninth-inning wins - they find a variety of ways to pull off those comebacks. In those eight games, the GreenJackets won four times in the ninth inning.

They scored the winning runs in those games on a botched pickoff attempt at first base, a single to right center by Simon Klink, another single to right center, by Jon Armitage and when Klink was hit by a pitch after three straight walks loaded the bases.

Their other two homestand wins were somewhat run of the mill - a rarity for them.

In their two losses, the Green-Jackets had the potential tying run come to the plate in the bottom of the ninth both times.

"We're always going to give ourselves a chance," Horwitz said.

The GreenJackets left for Rome, Ga., on Tuesday after compiling a 14-5 home record and a one-game lead for first place at 24-14.

HOT BATS: As a team, the GreenJackets batted .322 during their latest stint at home, raising their team average from .257 to .270, good for second in the South Atlantic League.

First baseman Jason Colum-bus, who was batting .455 when he got injured four games into the season, batted .407 over the past eight games, raising his average from .291 to .321.

"I'm just trying to be a little more selective and sit back and wait," said Columbus, who finished the Catfish series with six hits in his final eight at bats. "I got real anxious there trying to hit the ball out of the yard instead of letting everything come to me."

After missing 11 games with a shoulder injury, Horwitz returned May 11 and went 13-for-24 in the next six games to raise his average to .404, which is first in the league. Klink batted .406 over the two home series and drove in 12 runs, more RBI than eight of his teammates have for the season.

HOT ARMS: The GreenJackets bullpen dominated the Rome Braves and Columbus Catfish, tossing 18 scoreless innings. Augusta's relievers held the Catfish scoreless for 13 consecutive innings over four games.

In 28 innings, the bullpen gave up seven runs - only four earned.

THROWBACK TO REALITY: The GreenJackets and Catfish wore throwback jerseys Sunday, paying tribute to SAL teams of the past.

Augusta manager Roberto Kelly actually played for one of the teams honored, the Greensboro Hornets, in 1983 when he was a prospect in the New York Yankees organization.

And strangely enough, the GreenJackets staff found Kelly's No. 39 in the Hornets' red and white uniforms, though Kelly said when he played green replaced the red.

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.