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IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Gwinnett Braves Turn Triple Play in 5-3 Win vs. Buffalo

August 7, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - A bevy of walks, a three-run home run by Cedric Hunter and the second triple play in the club's seven-year history led the Gwinnett Braves (60-52) to a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Bisons on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Coolray Field.

Gwinnett has won 12 of its last 14 games, but remains 2.5 games behind Columbus for the International League Wild Card spot after the Clippers beat Lehigh Valley 4-2 on Friday.

Buffalo right-handed starter Phillippe Aumont (L, 3-5) worked around two errors and two walks through the first two innings, but Hunter made him pay for back-to-back walks in the third inning when he lifted a three-run home run - his team-leading 10th of the year - into the right-field bullpen to give Gwinnett a 3-1 lead.

Single tallies in the fourth and seventh innings put the G-Braves in front 5-2 by the beginning of the eighth inning. However, Melky Mesa hit a ground-rule double to right field to start the eighth and scored to narrow Gwinnett's lead to 5-3 with the potential tying runs on first and second base.

The G-Braves got out of the inning when Sean Ochinko grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play, third baseman Sean Kazmar to second baseman Eric Young, Jr. to first baseman Jordan Lennerton. It was the first triple play turned by Gwinnett since August 25, 2010 in the first inning of a game against Charlotte at Coolray Field.

Right-hander Ryan Weber (H, 6) induced the ground ball to end his second inning of relief. He gave up a run and three hits but no walks and struck out one. His effort got the game to right-hander Peter Moylan (S, 5), who pitched a scoreless ninth inning around a walk and a hit batsman to convert a save for his third straight outing.

The Bisons took their only lead of the night in the top of the third against Gwinnett left-handed starter Greg Smith (W, 5-4). He survived a leadoff triple by Dalton Pompey to start the game, but a two-out double by Alex Hassan in the third inning scored Matt Hague and put Buffalo on top 1-0.

After Hunter's homer flipped the game into a two-run advantage for Gwinnett, two wild pitches and a walk from Aumont in the fourth inning led up to a two-out single by Christian Bethancourt that scored Barrett Kleinknecht to extend the G-Braves' lead to 4-1.

They carried that advantage through the remainder of Smith's 5.0 innings of work. He gave up the one run along with six hits and two walks and had five strikeouts. Buffalo scored an unearned run to narrow the gap to 4-2 against right-handed reliever David Peterson (H, 2) in a sixth inning that included a hit, an error and a wild pitch.

Gwinnett's final run of the night came when Bethancourt led off the seventh with a double and scored on a single to right field by Kazmar.

Hunter finished 1-for-5 with the homer and three RBIs, while Bethancourt went 2-for-2 with a double, three walks, two runs scored and an RBI for the G-Braves.

Hague, who leads the IL with a .344 batting average, went 2-for-3 on the night with a run scored. Hassan and Andy Burns each finished 2-for-4 for Buffalo. Hassan had an RBI, and Burns scored a run.

The G-Braves and Bisons will play the middle game of their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. on Friday at Coolray Field. Right-hander Victor Mateo (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will start for Gwinnett, and left-hander Jeff Francis (5-0, 1.41 ERA) will start for Buffalo. Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a Hall of Fame Bobblehead of legendary Atlanta Braves' pitcher Tom Glavine, presented by Coolray Heating and Cooling. To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.

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