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IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Late G-Braves Rally Falls Short in Opener

April 7, 2017 - International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - Despite a strong game from one of their youngest players making his Triple-A debut, the Gwinnett Braves (0-1) dropped their season opener to the Durham Bulls (1-0) 10-8 in front of 4,072 at Coolray Field on Thursday night.

Shortstop Johan Camargo led the way by going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and four RBIs in his first game with the G-Braves. Kyle Kubitza and Xavier Avery each scored a pair of runs in the loss.

Making the Opening Day start for the G-Braves, right-hander Aaron Blair (L, 0-1) got off to a rough start. On just the third pitch of the season, Durham center fielder Johnny Field lined a home run over the left field fence to give the Bulls the early lead. After a single and a walk put runners on the corners, Pat Leonard extended the Durham lead to 2-0 with a single to center, scoring Willy Adames. Two batters later with the bases loaded, Dayron Varona tripled off the right field fence to clear the bases and give Durham a 5-0 lead.

Blair began the second inning in better shape, striking out the first two batters he faced before allowing a triple to Adames. Casey Gillaspie followed with a single to center, giving the Bulls a 6-0 lead after two.

After Blair worked a clean top of the third, the G-Braves offense went to work in the bottom half. Kubitza walked and Avery reached on an error to put two runners on base against Durham starter Jacob Faria. Two batters later, Camargo hit a deep fly ball that hit the batter's eye in center field for a three-run home run. The blast, estimated at 432 feet, was Camargo's first career Triple-A hit and cut the Durham lead to 6-3.

The Bulls quickly answered in the fourth as Leonard hit a three-run homer off Gwinnett reliever Joel De La Cruz to take a 9-3 lead. Later in the frame, a double from Kean Wong scored Varona to increase the Durham advantage to seven runs.

After finishing second in the International League with 27 home runs for Rochester last season, Adam Brett Walker got his G-Braves career off to a hot start in the bottom of the fourth. On the second pitch of the inning, Walker launched a towering home run, 417 feet down the left field line, to cut the Bulls lead to 10-4 after four.

Caleb Dirks entered for Gwinnett in the fifth and pitched 2.0 clean innings to keep the score at 10-4.

For Durham, Faria was pulled with one out in the fifth. Justin Marks (W, 1-0) came in and kept the G-Braves off the board for 1.2 innings.

After David Peterson pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, the Bulls turned to righty Ryne Stanek. Kubitza led off with a single, then Avery walked to put two runners on base. Two batters later, Camargo lined a single to right, scoring Kubitza. Avery came home to score on a wild pitch later in the inning, trimming the Durham lead to 10-6 after seven.

Peterson and Diego Moreno traded scoreless frames in the eighth. In the ninth, Kevin Chapman made his G-Braves debut and tossed a scoreless frame. In the bottom half, Moreno returned to the mound and gave up a pair of runs. With two runners on base and Walker at the plate as the winning run, Moreno induced a ground ball double play to finish the win for Durham.

Blair suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs on eight hits over 3.0 innings. For Durham, Marks earned the win with his scoreless 1.2 innings of relief work. Durham was led by Leonard's 4-for-5 night, including four RBIs.

The G-Braves and Bulls play game two of the four-game series on Friday night at Coolray Field, first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Left-hander Sean Newcomb (0-0, 0.00), the Atlanta Braves' No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com, is set to make his Triple-A debut for Gwinnett. Durham counters with right-hander Chih-Wei Hu (0-0, 0.00). Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM The Other Side of the River beginning at 6:35 p.m.

The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a 2017 Schedule Magnet presented by RE/MAX. For tickets, call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.

Check out the Gwinnett Stripers Statistics



International League Stories from April 7, 2017


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