IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

R-Braves Game Notes

August 21, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


Richmond Braves (71-56) @ Durham Bulls (71-57)

Game #128, Road Game # 65 ♦ Tuesday, August 21, 2007 ♦ 7 PM ♦ Bulls Athletic Park ♦ Durham, NC

RHP Trey Hodges (5-5 4.38) vs. RHP Jeff Niemann (11-5 3.90)

TONIGHT'S GAME: Is the first of a four game series. The 11th of 16 meetings; the fifth of eight at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Richmond is 6-4 vs. the Bulls, 3-1 at Durham. Richmond is 73-83 all-time vs. The Bulls. It is the 35th of 48 games vs. South Division opponents, the 19th of 24 on the road. Richmond is 20-14 vs. the South, 11-7 on the road. It is game one of a four game road trip. The Braves lead the South Division by a half-game over second-place Durham.

LAST NIGHT'S GAME: The Norfolk Tides beat the Braves 8-7 in 12 innings Monday at The Diamond. The Tides pushed an un-earned run across in the 12th to gain a split of the four game series in Richmond's longest game of the season. The Braves grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on a Brandon Jones sacrifice fly. The Tides tied the game at one in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Terry Tiffee. Norfolk moved in front in the fifth on a two-run homer by Eider Torres. Cesar Crespo knocked in a run in the sixth to put the Tides up 4-1. Richmond battled back on a two-run homer by Doug Clark in the home half. Norfolk responded by batting around in the seventh to open up a 7-3 lead. Jon Knott singled a run home and scored on Jason Dubois' double. Dubois scored on a Crespo single. The Braves shaved the Tides lead to 7-6 in the eighth on an RBI single by Barbaro Canizares and a two-run double by Mike Rozema. The Braves tied the game in the ninth on a run scoring single by Canizares. In the 12th Ryan Hubele doubled and scored on a throwing error to put the Tides in front to stay. Steve Green picked up the win. Jim Miller notched a save. Royce Ring took the loss. Torres and Crespo each had four hits for the Tides. Five Braves had two hits each. The two clubs combined for 34 hits.

THE LONGEST NIGHT: The Braves played a 12 inning game for the first time since last August 17 vs. Toledo. The 3:56 game time was three minutes short of the season high (3:59 vs. Norfolk April 28). The 34 combined hits and 50 at bats for Richmond were season highs. The Braves equaled a season high with five doubles last night.

REYES BACK TO ATLANTA: LHP Jo-Jo Reyes has been re-called to Atlanta and will pitch for the Braves tonight. Reyes was 0-1 8.72 in five starts in his first stint with Atlanta this season. After returning to Richmond he made two starts for the R-Braves and did not allow an earned run in 13 innings while striking out 12. His promotion is the Braves 116th roster move of the season and the first change to the active roster since August 11, the longest stretch without a change this season.

BONUS FRAMES: The Braves are now 7-4 in extra-inning games and 18-17 in one-run contests. Nine of the Braves 11 extra-inning games were played prior to the All Star Break. The Braves have dropped four of their last five one-run games.

ON THE LEADER BOARD: The Braves lead the IL in batting average (.272), and fewest home runs allowed (80). They are tied with Durham for the most shutouts (13), They are second in steals (132) and ERA (3.61). Richmond also leads in on-base percentage (.342). Brent Lillibridge is tied for fourth in steals (26). Gregor Blanco is third in the league in runs scored (71). Martin Prado, now with Atlanta, is third in batting average (.320). The Braves are in a four-way tie for the IL lead in fielding percentage (.982 with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Toledo, and Indianapolis). Their 81 errors are the fewest in the IL. Richmond leads the league in percentage of opponents caught stealing (67-161 .416).

STREAKERS: Iker Franco (5-11 .454) has a four game hitting streak. Carlos Mendez (7-13 .538) has a four game hitting streak. Larry Bigbie's three game hitting streak ended last night. The Braves have 33 outfield assists this season. Gregor Blanco's two last night give him a club leading eight. Richmond is 31-15 when Franco starts at catcher.

THE LEAD: The Braves lead in the South Division is down to a half-game for the second time in a week. Richmond has been in first place in the South every day since April 10. The Bulls have shaved three games off Richmond's lead since August 10. Richmond is two and a half games up on Rochester, the current second place club in the Wild Card chase behind Durham.

The IL Playoff Chase

SOUTH DIVISION

Record GB

Richmond 71-56 --

Durham 71-57 0.5

WEST DIVISION

Record GB

Toledo 73-55 --

Indianapolis 66-62 7.0

NORTH DIVISION

Record GB

Scranton/WB 74-54 --

Rochester 70-60 5.0

WILD CARD

Record GB

Durham 71-57 --

Rochester 70-60 2.0

Buffalo 68-59 2.5

Indianapolis 66-62 5.0

2007 R-Braves Vs. Bulls

May

5 ♦ @ RIC W 11-2

6 ♦ @ RIC W 4-0

11 ♦ @ DUR W 3-0

12 ♦ @ DUR W 4-3

13 ♦ @ DUR W 8-1

14 ♦ @ DUR L 3-1

June

22 ♦ @ RIC L1-0

23 ♦ @ RIC W 5-4

24 ♦ @ RIC L 4-1

25 ♦ @ RIC L 8-5

August

21 ♦ 7:00 PM @ DUR

22 ♦ 7:00 PM @ DUR

23 ♦ 7:00 PM @ DUR

24 ♦ 7:00 PM @ DUR

29 ♦ 7:00 PM @ RIC

30 ♦ 7:00 PM @ RIC

UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES

Wednesday, August 22 @ Durham 7 PM RHP Kevin Barry vs. LHP J.P. Howell

Thursday, August 23 @ Durham 7 PM RHP Jeff Bennett vs. RHP Jae Seo

Friday, August 24 @ Durham 7 PM RHP Blaine Boyer vs. RHP Mitch Talbot

Saturday, August 25 vs. Charlotte 7 PM LHP Dan Smith vs. TBA

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International League Stories from August 21, 2007


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