Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 2:05 Sunday; 10:05 a.m. Monday)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call   (859) 422-7867  

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, Arcenio Leon (3-1, 3.26) vs. RH Jeffrey Kaplan (3-1, 1.13); Saturday, RH Robert Bono (4-1, 1.91) vs. LH Robert Carson (2-3, 2.20); Sunday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (2-3, 2.38) vs. RH Eric Beaulac (2-1, 2.81); Monday, RH Jordan Lyles (1-4, 4.04) vs. RH Elvin Ramirez (2-2, 3.41).

Sean Ratliff

Sand Gnat to watch: LF Sean Ratliff (6-foot-3, 185 pounds, from Oklahoma City) was a fourth-round draft pick of the Mets last June, out of Stanford. With Brooklyn of the New York-Penn League last season, the left-handed hitter and thrower batted .229 with seven homers and 22 RBI over 59 games. He hit . 208 before the all-star break, .288 the rest of the way. This season, through Wednesday, Ratliff is hitting .346 with four homers and 18 RBI. Of his league-leading 45 hits, 19 have been for extra bases. He also leads the league in total bases (74) and ranks in the top 10 in average, doubles, homers, slugging percentage and OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentages).

Jorge De Leon

Legend to watch: SS Jorge De Leon (6-0, 168, from Azua, Dominican Republic) burst onto the Lexington scene Monday, when he made his team debut against Charleston. All he did was go 3-for-5 and drive in the winning run with a two-out single in the 14th inning. (He also reached base when hit by a pitch.) De Leon, 21, hit .235 with a homer and 14 RBI over 32 games last season with Greeneville of the Appalachian League. He hit .343 over 43 at-bats in July. He spent the previous two seasons playing for the Dominican Summer League Astros. De Leon reported to the Legends from extended spring training to plug the hole left when Ricardo Bonfante (dislocated shoulder) went on the disabled list.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300