IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Columbus Tops Gwinnett, 8-4

Published on May 22, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


COLUMBUS, OH -The Columbus Clippers (24-18) scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning off starting pitcher Sugar Ray Marimon and beat the Gwinnett Braves (18-24) by an 8-4 score Friday night in game two of the four-game series at Huntington Park.

Just as in game one, the G-Braves were able to score in their first at-bat and take the early lead. Eury Perez was walked by Columbus starter Michael Roth and stole second. With one out, Cedric Hunter hit a ground ball to first; Clippers' first baseman Zach Walters threw the ball away trying to retire Hunter, enabling Perez to score from second for a 1-0 Gwinnett lead.

But the bottom of the first was one Marimon would like to forget. Leadoff batter Francisco Lindor greeted him with a single to center, and Tyler Holt's bunt single put two men on. Yan Gomes was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no one out. The next batter, Jerry Sands, walked to push across Lindor for a 1-1 tie. Walters singled, scoring both Holt and Gomes to give Columbus a 3-1 lead. On the play, Sands was thrown out trying to go to third. With two outs, Michael Martinez singled to score Walters for a 4-1 lead, and Carlos Moncrief drilled a two-run homer to right to push the Clippers' lead to 6-1.

Gwinnett battled back to pick up a run in the top of the fourth as three-straight singles by Hunter, Sean Kazmar and Elmer Reyes cut the deficit to 6-2. Reyes' single to left drove in Hunter from second for the run.

Columbus added a run in the bottom of that inning, however, as Gomes knocked in Ryan Rohlinger with a sacrifice fly to center for a 7-2 lead. Rohlinger had led off the inning with a walk from Marimon and moved to third on a single by Holt.

In the top of the sixth, Perez laid down a bunt single and Jose Peraza drilled a two-run homer to right-center to make it a three-run game at 7-4. The homer, Peraza's second of the season, extended his hitting streak to a season-best eight games and was his second blast in as many nights.

The final run of the game came off Gwinnett reliever Kanekoa Texeira as, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Gomes singled to right and scored on a triple to right-center by Sands.

Marimon (L, 2-2) went 3.2 innings with seven hits, seven earned runs, four walks and one strikeout. Texeira pitched 2.1 innings with two hits, one earned run, one walk and three strikeouts. Mitchell Boggs worked 1.0 inning with two walks. Aaron Kurcz also worked 1.0 inning with one strikeout.

Roth (W, 5-1) picked up the win by going 7.0 innings with eight hits, four runs (three earned), one walk and one strikeout. Giovanny Soto pitched 2.0 innings with one walk and one strikeout.

Offensively, eight different Gwinnett batters had one hit. Kazmar went 1-for-4 to extend his on-base streak to 16 games. Peraza was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Perez was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and his IL-leading 22nd stolen base.

The Clippers were paced by Walters, who was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Holt was 2-for-5 with a run, and Moncrief was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season.

The G-Braves and Clippers meet in game three of the four-game series Saturday night at Huntington Park. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. Left-hander Manny Banuelos (3-0, 2.70 ERA) will be on the mound for Gwinnett. Columbus will start right-hander Jordan Cooper (2-1, 2.97 ERA). Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call from Columbus on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:45 p.m.

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International League Stories from May 22, 2015


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