IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

Upton Goes 3-For-4, Gwinnett Beats Charlotte, 7-5

Published on August 1, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - After going 0-for-3 in his first rehab game on Wednesday, Atlanta Braves' outfielder B.J. Upton found his swing on Thursday night at Coolray Field. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs to lead the Gwinnett Braves (48-64) to a 7-5 win over the Charlotte Knights (51-61).

"See ball, hit ball," said Upton. "It's been a while since I had some at-bats and I definitely showed some progression."

While Upton is working back to full strength after suffering a right thigh strain with Atlanta on July 12, David Hale is continuing his dominant stretch on the mound. The right-hander allowed three runs over 6.0 innings, scattered eight hits and struck out three to pick up his third-straight win on Thursday.

Hale didn't start strong, however, as Charlotte scored two runs on two hits in the top of the first inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Travis Ishikawa singled home Dewayne Wise and moved Brent Morel to third base, making it 1-0 Knights. Morel would eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Andy Wilkins, pushing the lead to 2-0.

The G-Braves followed with seven unanswered runs against Charlotte starter Zach Stewart to take a 7-2 lead. In the first inning, Upton led off with a double to right, moved to third on a bunt single by Phil Gosselin and scored on an RBI single by Alden Carrithers. Gosselin later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ernesto Mejia, while Carrithers scored on a groundout by Brandon Boggs to give Gwinnett a 3-2 lead.

Gwinnett added three more runs in the bottom of second inning. Joe Leonard singled to start the frame, but was thrown out trying to go to third on a single by Sean Kazmar. After a walk to Matt Pagnozzi, Upton doubled both runners home, making it 5-2. Upton would eventually score on a single by Carrithers, extending the lead to 6-2.

Upton would not be done for the night, as he picked up his third hit in the fourth inning with a single to left field. He scored on an RBI double by Gosselin, increasing the lead to 7-2. Upton's third hit of the evening tied a season high and was his first three-hit game since going 3-for-5 for Atlanta on April 14 at Washington.

The Knights scored a run in the fifth inning to make it 7-3. Dewayne Wise led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Morel. However, that would be the last run allowed by Hale on the night.

In the top of the eighth inning, Steve Tolleson made things interesting, clubbing a two-run homer off of Joe Beimel to cut the Gwinnett lead to 7-5. Beimel finished the night with two runs on two hits over 2.0 innings. Wirfin Obispo (S, 4) shut down the Knights in the ninth, tossing a scoreless frame with a walk and one strikeout.

Stewart (L, 5-12) took the loss, giving up seven runs on ten hits in 4.0 innings of work.

In addition to Upton's three hits, Gosselin also added a three-hit night, going 3-for-4 with a run and RBI. Carrithers added two RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting, while Mejia drove in his team-leading 74th RBI and went 1-for-2.

Tolleson led Charlotte, going 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the year and two RBIs.

The Gwinnett Braves finish their mini-homestand on Friday night as they host the Charlotte Knights at 7: 05 PM. Right hander Omar Poveda (5-6, 3.36) will start for the G-Braves, while left-hander Charlie Leesman (2-1, 3.70) will take the ball for the Knights. The radio broadcast will air on WDUN 550 AM and 102.9 FM with Tony Schiavone calling the play-by-play. The game will also be televised on CSS with Mike Morgan and Dave Lezotte on the call.

Friday night is "Flat Screen Friday" at Coolray Field. If the G-Braves are victorious, one lucky fan will win a 42-inch Flat Screen TV! Stay after the game for Post-Game Fireworks, courtesy of WAGA Fox 5 Atlanta. Tickets for all remaining 2013 Gwinnett Braves home games are on sale now by visiting the Coolray Field Box Office, calling (678) 277-0340 or by purchasing online at gwinnettbraves.com.

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International League Stories from August 1, 2013


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