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IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Offensive Explosion Powers G-Braves Over Bats, 10-2 Christian Bethancourt ties a career high with fo

August 22, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, the Gwinnett Braves (69-58) scored 10 unanswered runs to rout the Louisville Bats (60-68) by a 10-2 score on Saturday night at Coolray Field. It's the G-Braves' third straight victory over the Bats to begin the four-game series.

The G-Braves also moved closer to a playoff spot by way of either the International League Wild Card entry or IL South Division title. They closed to within 2.5 games of the Wild Card lead after the Columbus Clippers lost 5-2 to the Durham Bulls. Gwinnett also narrowed the gap in the division to 3.5 games behind the first-place Norfolk Tides, who split a doubleheader with the Toledo Mud Hens.

Back-to-back two-out hits gave the Bats a 2-0 lead in the first inning against G-Braves' right-handed starter Victor Mateo (W, 2-2), but Gwinnett sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning to take a three-run lead.

Christian Bethancourt drove in Mallex Smith for the first run of the inning with the first of his four hits, which tied a career-high mark he had reached four other times, most recently on August 11, 2013 while playing for Double-A Mississippi.

Four singles, a walk and a two-run double by Sean Kazmar accounted for the five runs, which tied a season high for runs scored in the opening frame. It was the third time the G-Braves had reached that mark this season. They also did so on July 17 at Syracuse in a 7-6 loss and on July 28 in a 9-3 home win over Durham.

Mateo settled down after the first inning and retired the final 12 batters he faced. He went 6.0 innings with two runs allowed, five hits, no walks, a hit batsman and five strikeouts. He threw 87 pitches, including 60 strikes.

Gwinnett extended its lead to 7-2 by the time Mateo left the game, as they scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kazmar and Todd Cunningham opened the inning with consecutive singles to left field. They both scored on a single to right field by Bethancourt that knocked Louisville right-handed starter Donn Roach (L, 2-4) from the game.

Roach gave up seven runs in his 6.2 innings on 11 hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 95 pitches, 66 strikes. Right-handed reliever Layne Somsen retired the final batter of the sixth inning, but the G-Braves got him for three runs on four hits in the seventh to open a 10-2 lead.

Daniel Castro had the lone extra-base hit in the seventh with a two-run double into the left-field corner. He scored on a pinch-hit single by Jordan Lennerton and finished the night 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Somsen pitched 1.1 innings and allowed the three runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Righty Carlos Contreras tossed a scoreless eighth with one hit allowed and a wild pitch.

The trio of Gwinnett right-handed relievers David Carpenter, Danny Burawa and Ryan Weber combined to deliver three scoreless innings to finish the game. Each threw 1.0 inning. Carpenter walked a batter and struck out one, Burawa gave up a hit and had two strikeouts, and Weber worked around a leadoff hit for a scoreless ninth that included one strikeout.

Each of the first eight batters in the Gwinnett lineup had at least one hit except for Hector Olivera, who went 0-for-5 with one strikeout.

The G-Braves out-hit the Bats 16-7. The only Louisville batter with more than a single hit was Irving Falu, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The G-Braves will go for a sweep of the series in a 2:05 p.m. game on Sunday at Coolray Field. Left-hander Greg Smith (6-4, 2.45 ERA) will start for Gwinnett against fellow lefty Tony Cingrani (0-1, 1.42 ERA) of Louisville. Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 1:30 p.m.

As part of "Sunday Funday," fans will be able to participate in Pre-Game Catch on the Field for 20 minutes after the gates open at 1 p.m. Children ages 12 and under will also have the chance to be on the field after the game for Post-Game Kids Run the Bases, courtesy of Belhaven University. To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.

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