Rest of schedule is favorable for Augusta

Heading into tonight's home series against the Rome Braves, the Augusta GreenJackets have 32 games left in the regular season.

That's two four-game series against the Braves, the Columbus Catfish and the Savannah Sand Gnats, and one four-game series against the Greenville Bombers and the Charleston RiverDogs.

Not counting Tuesday's game against the RiverDogs, the GreenJackets were a combined 47-33 against those opponents and had a winning record against every team except the RiverDogs.

Augusta and Charleston each had 11 wins heading into the fourth game of the series, which the GreenJackets were leading 2-1.

Those six teams represent the middle of the South Atlantic League's Southern Division, with every team within 61 games of the first-place Kannapolis Intimidators going into Tuesday's games.

That means every team has a shot at winning the second half and earning a bid to the playoffs.

The GreenJackets, who finished two games back of champion Charleston in the first half, were tied with Rome at 18-18, 41 back of Kannapolis.

"We've got to stay as close as possible (to Kannapolis)," manager Roberto Kelly said after the GreenJackets missed several scoring opportunities in a one-run loss to the Bombers last week. "I hate saying it's just one game, because that's one game we'll need later on."

K-ZONE: Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez has struck out 20 batters over his past 16 innings, while giving up only three earned runs.

Sanchez now leads the league with 121 strikeouts in 96 innings. Delmarva's Luis Ramirez is second with 117, but he's thrown 125Q innings.

- The GreenJackets struck out 23 times in the final two games of their series against the Bombers after striking out just 13 times in the first two games.

"One thing about this club," Kelly said, "when they go bad, they go bad. There's no in between."

WHAT LONG SEASON? After Friday's game against the Bombers, right fielder Brian Horwitz had already played in 17 more games this season than he did all of last season.

He said that night, though, that he hasn't hit a wall - that the long season hasn't affected him so far.

"I feel pretty comfortable," he said. "I've been maintaining my weight; I feel pretty strong at the dish. I think it's more of a mental thing and maintaining your physical health throughout the season."

Horwitz has led the GreenJackets in hitting all season and his .328 average ranks fifth in the league. Monday's 5-for-6 effort gave him at least one hit in 11 straight games.

ALSO STREAKING: Newcomer Kyle Haines hit safely in his first six games with the GreenJackets.

The infielder was batting .176 in 17 games with high A San Jose, but is off to a .385 start in Augusta.

HIGH PRAISE: Center fielder Alex Requena has taken over the league lead in stolen bases with 52 stolen bases while shortstop Marcus Sanders has been on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, but Sanders is still racking up accolades from Baseball America.

The magazine announced on its Web site Monday that Sanders is the best baserunner, fastest baserunner and most exciting player in the South Atlantic League.

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