Requena's season not lost

Three weeks after leaving a game between the Augusta GreenJackets and Charleston RiverDogs with stomach pains that were caused by appendicitis, Augusta center fielder Alex Requena was back in the lineup Monday at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

It was another game against the RiverDogs, but this time it was in Augusta instead of Charleston, S.C., and Requena was minus his appendix.

Doctors at a Charleston hospital removed Requena's appendix Aug. 1, and the 25-year-old was left wondering what would happen to the rest of his baseball season.

"I was thinking that I was out for the year," he said Monday after going 1-for-2 with two runs scored, one stolen base and one RBI against the RiverDogs.

He went on the disabled list for three weeks, and was activated before Monday's game. He said he feels about 85 percent.

TOO HOT: Augusta third baseman Simon Klink said Saturday felt like the hottest night the GreenJackets have played during this year.

"When it's 110 and the wind's dead, it's suffocating," he said.

In the middle of the eighth inning, the heat had gotten to Klink so much that he called time from his spot at third and started motioning to the dugout for someone to come out to him. He said all he could see was white as he walked from the field.

"I was just trying to get to the dugout," said Klink, who lost 8 pounds during that game compared to 11 pounds during a doubleheader. "I didn't really know what to do."

Once Klink was helped to the clubhouse, he said he laid down and started drinking water. After about an hour and a half to two hours, he was able to get up and move around again.

"It was pretty scary," he said. "I've never had that happen before."

IT'S OVER: Right fielder Brian Horwitz's 24-game hitting streak came to an end a week ago today with an 0-for-3 performance against the Greenville Bombers.

"It was a reality check," Horwitz said.

During the streak, which spanned July 21 through Aug. 16 and was the longest in the South Atlantic League this season, Horwitz batted .385 with 14 runs, 10 doubles, one triple, 10 walks, eight strikeouts and a .450 on-base percentage. Horwitz had his streak of consecutive games reaching base snapped at 35 on Thursday.

One streak still had life going into Tuesday's game. Monday's 2-for-4 performance extended his home hitting streak to 21 games - one shy of the league's season high.

Horwitz also is still alive in the race for the SAL batting title. Going into Tuesday's action, Horwitz was batting .335 - third behind Lexington's Hunter Pence (.338) and Greenville's John Otness (.336). If Horwitz wins, he would be the second consecutive GreenJackets player to win after Brandon Moss (.339) won last year, and it would be his second batting title in a row. Horwitz won the short-season Northwest League title in his first year as a professional.

"I wouldn't be too upset finishing second or third," he said. "But, of course, you want to win it."

K-ZONE: Jonathan Sanchez, Adam Gardner and Kelyn Acosta combined to strike out 18 RiverDogs batters Monday. It was a season-best for the GreenJackets pitchers and a season-worst for the RiverDogs batters. Sanchez recorded 12 consecutive outs by strikeout at one point.

"It doesn't batter how hot you are at the plate, if the pitchers are doing what they need to do, they're going to always win," catcher Nick Conte said.

Every RiverDogs starter struck out at least once and seven of the nine struck out more than once.