IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Perazaâ??s Four-Hit Day Leads G-Braves Past Toledo

Published on May 3, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - Atlanta Braves' No. 1 prospect Jose Peraza used many of the tools in his arsenal to help the Gwinnett Braves (11-13) cap their homestand with an 8-1 win Sunday over the Toledo Mud Hens (10-13). A Coolray Field crowd of 5,972 fans saw the G-Braves take their third game of the series.

Peraza had his fifth-career four-hit game, notching four singles, a walk, two runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base. He also played a central role in three of Gwinnett's four scoring frames.

The 21-year-old second baseman walked and stole his seventh base of the season in the first inning before Adonis Garcia drove him home with a single to center field for a 1-0 Gwinnett lead. Peraza plated Eury Perez in his next at-bat on a one-out, third-inning single to right field, putting the G-Braves ahead 2-1.

Peraza also delivered a two-run single and scored on a double by Garcia as part of a five-run sixth inning when the G-Braves extended their lead to 8-1. Barrett Kleinknecht led off the inning with a single and scored on a fielder's choice grounder hit by Mycal Jones, who picked up the first RBI of his Triple-A career on the play.

That knocked Mud Hens' right-hander Tim Melville (L, 1-3) out of the game with no outs in the sixth inning. The Toledo starter went 5.0 innings with six runs allowed on nine hits, a walk, a hit batsman and a wild pitch to go along with a pair of strikeouts.

Todd Cunningham completed the rally with a single to left field that scored Garcia. It was one of four hits against Mud Hens' right-handed reliever Josh Zeid in his 1.0 inning of work. He was responsible for the G-Braves' final two runs. Lefty Kenny Faulk threw the final 2.0 innings for Toledo with two hits allowed.

The Mud Hens grabbed their only run in the second inning to snap Gwinnett's 17.0-inning scoreless streak. Steven Moya led off the frame with a double to left-center off right-hander Williams Perez, moved to third base on a groundout by Jefry Marte and scored when Garcia fumbled a ground ball hit to third by Bryan Holaday.

Perez struck out five batters for the third straight start, but tied his shortest outing of the year with 4.0 innings pitched and six hits allowed. However, the run Toledo scored against him in the second inning was unearned, so his ERA dropped to a team-best 1.33 among pitchers who have thrown at least 14.0 innings.

Left-handed reliever Greg Smith (W, 1-1) also threw 4.0 innings. He gave up two hits, walked two batters and had two strikeouts. Right-hander Carlos Fisher induced three fly-outs to each outfielder in the ninth around a single by Daniel Fields, who joined Moya as the only Toledo batters with more than one hit.

In addition to Peraza's big day, Garcia finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs to extend his team RBI lead to 14 for the year. Perez and Kleinknecht each went 2-for-4, and Kleinknecht's day included his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left off Melville in the fourth.

After suffering a 7-1 loss Thursday in the opener of the four-game series, the G-Braves outscored Toledo 28-2 in their three consecutive victories to finish the homestand 5-2. That performance will carry Gwinnett into their first off day of the season Monday before they head out on a six-game road trip.

The trip is scheduled to begin with first of three contests against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday at PNC Field. Right-hander Matt Wisler (0-3, 6.75 ERA) will make his third road start of the year for Gwinnett against righty Kyle Davies (2-1, 7.43 ERA) of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Gwinnett will return to Coolray Field to begin a seven-game homestand Monday, May 11. The team will open with a 6:35 p.m. game against the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.

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