IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Bulls Clip G-Braves in 10, 9-8

Published on June 4, 2016 under International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


DURHAM, NC - In a game that featured 19 walks, four hit batters, 21 hits and two position players being called in to pitch, the Durham Bulls (25-32) outlasted the Gwinnett Braves (25-31) by a 9-8 score in 10 innings on Saturday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

With the game tied at 8-8 after nine innings, each manager had to call on a position player to come in to pitch to finish out a wild, long night of baseball. In the top of the 10th, Durham catcher Mayo Acosta, who had just worked nine innings behind the plate, took the mound and set the G-Braves down in order.

In the bottom of the 10th, Gwinnett called for second baseman Reid Brignac to pitch. He gave up a leadoff single to right to Nick Franklin and then a fly ball single to shallow center to Richie Shaffer. After Kyle Roller walked to load the bases, Dayron Varona ended the four hour and two minute game with a single to left, scoring Frankin with the winning run.

Durham took the early lead by scoring two in the bottom of the first off Gwinnett starter Joel De La Cruz, who was called in to duty on a spot start when John Gant was recalled by Atlanta earlier in the day.

Trailing 2-0, the G-Braves tied the game in the top of the second off Durham starter Justin Marks as Brignac drove in a run with a bases-loaded infield single and Blake Lalli followed with a sacrifice fly.

Gwinnett took the lead at 3-2 in the top of the third as Atlanta's Erick Aybar led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a single to center by Ronnier Mustelier.

But in the bottom of the fourth, Daniel Robertson cracked a three-run homer off Gwinnett reliever Bradley Roney to give the Bulls the lead right back at 5-3. Durham would push the lead to 8-3 with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

However, the G-Braves mounted a comeback that began in the top of the sixth. With Mark Sappington on the mound for the Bulls, Lalli singled to center and walks to Ozzie Albies and Aybar loaded the bases. Emilio Bonifacio hit a ground ball to third to score Lalli and the throw to first by Shaffer was off the mark, allowing Albies to also score to cut the deficit to 8-5.

In the top of the eighth, with two outs and the bases empty, Steve Geltz entered out of the Durham bullpen. He struck out Aybar, but a passed ball off the mitt of Acosta allowed Aybar to reach first. A single by Bonifacio and a walk to Matt Tuiasosopo loaded the bases. Sean Kazmar, Jr. then pushed across Aybar with a bases-loaded walk to make it an 8-6 game.

In the top of the ninth, with Neil Wagner pitching, Gwinnett tied the game to force extra innings. Brignac led off with a walk and scored from first on a double to left-center by Lalli. Jace Peterson grounded out to third enabling Lalli to take third base. With the infield pulled in, Albies hit a ball to second baseman Franklin. He dropped the ball, allowing Lalli to score from third to tie the game at 8-8.

De La Cruz started and went 3.1 innings with five hits, four earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts. Roney worked 1.0 inning with two hits, four earned runs and three strikeouts. Rob Wooten pitched two thirds of an inning with one hit and one walk. Jose Ramirez went 2.0 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Dario Alvarez worked 2.0 innings with one walk and four strikeouts. Brignac (L, 0-1) suffered the loss by giving up one run on one walk and three hits without recording an out.

For Durham, Marks pitched 5.0 innings with six hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and three strikeouts. Sappington went 2.2 innings with two hits, two runs (one earned), two walks and one strikeout. Geltz (H, 1) worked 0.1 of an inning with one hit, one unearned run, two walks and two strikeouts. Wagner (BS, 2) pitched 1.0 inning with one hit, two earned runs and two walks. Acosta (W, 2-0) worked a scoreless top of the 10th.

Gwinnett was led offensively by Lalli who was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Bonifacio was 2-for-6 and Kazmar went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

For Durham, Shaffer was 3-for-6, Robertson was 2-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs and Franklin was 2-for-5 with two runs.

The G-Braves and Bulls conclude the four game series on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. in Durham. Gwinnett will have right-hander Lucas Sims (1-4, 6.05) on the mound. The Bulls will go with left-hander Blake Snell (2-4, 3.51). Tony Schiavone has the call of the action beginning at 4:35 p.m. on 97.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 4, 2016


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