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IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Stripers' Comeback Attempts Fall Short in 6-5 Loss

June 28, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


CHARLOTTE, NC - The Charlotte Knights handed the Gwinnett Stripers their seventh straight loss Thursday night, winning 6-5 in the opening game of a four-game series at BB&T Ballpark.

The loss equals the longest losing streak of the season for Gwinnett, which also dropped seven in a row from June 1-8.

The Stripers fell behind early as former Georgia Tech star Matt Skole led off the bottom of the second with a double to left center off Gwinnett right-hander Lucas Sims. The next batter, Seby Zavala drilled a double to right-center, scoring Skole from second for a 1-0 lead.

The Charlotte lead grew in the bottom of the third as Jake Elmore led off with a bloop double to right and with one out, Jose Rondon crushed a two-run homer (7) to left off Sims for a 3-0 advantage. One out later, Skole hit a solo homer (8) to center to push the Charlotte lead to 4-0.

Gwinnett mounted their first comeback of the game against Charlotte starter Jordan Stephens that began in the top of the fourth. Michael Reed pounded a one-out double to right and Carlos Franco walked to put runners on first and second. A single to right by Rio Ruiz plated Reed from second to make it 4-1. Franco, who moved to third on the hit, then scored as Dustin Peterson banged a long single off the wall in right. Xavier Avery walked to load the bases and Stephens then hit Sean Kazmar, Jr. with a pitch, forcing Ruiz in from third and trimming the Knights lead to 4-3.

In the top of the fifth, the Stripers tied the game at 4-4 as Reed blasted a solo homer (5) to right.

However, in the bottom of the fifth the Knights went back ahead at 5-4 as a leadoff double to left by Eddy Alvarez and a bloop double to left by Rondon put runners on second and third. Sims hit Eloy Jimenez with a pitch to load the bases and, after an out, Zavala plated Alvarez with a sacrifice fly to center.

However, Peterson again knotted the score as he greeted reliever Tyler Danish in the sixth with a solo homer (6) to right to make it 5-5.

The winning blow in the game came in the bottom of the seventh as Skole smashed his second homer (9) of the game, a long drive to right-center off Gwinnett's Elian Leyva for the eventual 6-5 final.

The Stripers had two late chances to get on the board as they put two on with one out in the top of the seventh and then loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth, but they couldn't plate runs in either situation. The Stripers went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position on the night while leaving 12 runners on base.

Sims pitched 4.2 innings with eight hits, five earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts. Leyva (L, 0-1) worked 2.0 innings with two hits, one earned run, one walk and two strikeouts. Rex Brothers went 0.2 of an inning with one hit and one walk. Jacob Webb also tossed 0.2 of an inning with two walks and one strikeout.

Peterson led the Gwinnett attack with a 3-for-5 night that included a homer, a run and two RBIs. Kazmar went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Reed was 2-for-4 with two runs, a double and a home run.

Skole was the big hitter for Charlotte by going 3-for-4 with three runs, a double, two homers and two RBIs.

The Stripers (34-45) look to end their losing streak Friday night at 7:04 p.m. in Charlotte with game two of the four-game series against the Knights (36-43). Lefty Max Fried (2-4, 3.93) is scheduled for Gwinnett, while Charlotte's starter has not been announced. Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 and 93.5 FM "The Other Side of the River" beginning at 6:35 p.m.

Check out the Gwinnett Stripers Statistics



International League Stories from June 28, 2018


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