South Atlantic League baseball
Greenville Drive
at Lexington Legends
What: Three-game series
When: Friday through Sunday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights, 1:35 Sunday afternoon)
Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark
Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867
Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Boston Red Sox (Drive)
Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Greg Billo (2-2, 1.19) vs. RH Sergio Gomez (0-2, 7.00); Saturday, RH Matt Murray (1-4, 2.31) vs. RH Jacob Dahlstrand (3-7, 4.79); Sunday, RH Miguel Almonte (5-8, 3.16) vs. TBA.
Aneury Tavarez
Drive to watch: LF Aneury Tavarez (5-foot-9, 175 pounds, age 21, bats left, throws right, from Barrio Obrero, Dominican Republic) leads Greenville in games (112), at-bats (429), hits (111), triples (6), total bases (169) and stolen bases (24), and shares the lead in doubles (25) through Thursday. Batting .259 with seven homers, 51 RBI and 53 runs, he was signed by the Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent on Oct. 18, 2010. He spent 2011 with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, batting .220 with three homers and eight RBI. Last year, with Lowell of the New York-Penn League, Tavarez hit .272 with four homers and 24 RBI.
Greg Billo
Legend to watch: RHP Greg Billo (6-4, 213, 23, from Orland Park, Ill.) has become a valuable member of the Legends rotation since being called up from the Arizona League. Over six starts, he is 2-2 with a 1.19 ERA, 24 strikeouts and seven walks, while holding opponents to a .208 batting average. Billo started the year with Surprise, going 0-2, 3.00, 12 strikeouts, two walks. Selected by the Royals in the 28th round of the 2008 draft, out of Carl Sandburg (Ill.) High School, he passed on an offer to play for St. Joseph’s (Ind.) College. As a high school senior, Billo went 12-1 with a 1.09 ERA and 91 strikeouts to earn all-state honors. He played in 2008 in the Arizona League (0-1, 1 save, 5.65); 2009 with Burlington of the Appalachian League (2-2, 1 save, 1.81, team Player of the Year); 2010 with Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League (4-8, 5.17); 2011 with Kane County (9-5, 1 save, Midwest League-best 1.93, team Pitcher of the Year); and 2012 with Wilmington of the Carolina League (5-4, 4.35).
Radio: WLXG-AM 1300
Promotions: Friday — Project Purple Night (Project Purple assists individuals and families struggling with addiction. The Legends will wear purple caps, to be sold via silent auction during the game. Fans wearing purple may buy a box seat for half price, $7.) and Pajama Program Night (Fans donating new pajamas or a new book for children get a $2 discount on box seats.). Saturday — Post-game fireworks show; also an overnight campout for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Sunday — Kids Club Sunday. All kids may run the bases after the game.
