LAWRENCEVILLE -- The Gwinnett Braves had runners in scoring position in six separate innings Monday but converted only twice in a 5-2 loss to the Syracuse Chiefs to open their four-game series at Coolray Field.
Jose Peraza turned Mycal Jones’ leadoff double in the seventh inning into a run with a two-out single to center field for the G-Braves’ first run. Jones also tripled and scored on a single by Eury Perez in the ninth inning against right-handed reliever Rafael Martin, but he got the final three G-Braves’ batters to pop out to end the game.
Otherwise, Gwinnett (15-16) went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base.
Three of the six hits Syracuse right-handed starter Scott McGregor (W, 3-2) allowed in his 6.2 innings came from Gwinnett shortstop Daniel Castro in his Coolray Field debut. Castro went 3-for-4 with three singles in his first three at-bats but was thrown out when he tried to score in the second inning on a pitch to the backstop by McGregor.
G-Braves’ right-handed starter Chien-Ming Wang (L, 0-4) allowed four hits through the first two innings and kept Syracuse to one run. However, the Chiefs (13-18) managed the same number of hits in the sixth inning alone and opened a 4-0 lead.
Emmanuel Burriss and Ian Stewart both ripped one-out singles, and Wang walked Jason Martinson to load the bases for Kila Ka’aihue. A single to right field from Ka’aihue scored Burriss, and Dan Butler plated the final two runs of the frame with the Chiefs’ fourth single of the inning.
Matt den Dekker drove in Josh Johnson to score Syracuse’s first run with a second-inning double into the right-field corner. McGregor also tried to score from first base on the play, but was thrown out at home plate on a play that gave Jones his second outfield assist of the season and the G-Braves their International League-leading 14th of the year.
The Chiefs’ final run came in the eighth inning when Burriss scored on a wild pitch by G-Braves’ right-handed reliever Juan Jaime, who walked two batters and struck out two in his lone inning of work. Righties Carlos Fisher and Aaron Kurcz bookended Jaime’s inning with scoreless frames in the seventh and ninth, respectively. Fisher added two strikeouts to get through the seventh.
Peraza also stole his 13th base of the season in the first inning as part of his 2-for-4 night. Perez finished 1-for-4 and swiped his league-leading 17th base.
Right-hander Mitch Lively (H, 2) threw 1.1 innings and had a strikeout as part of the Chiefs’ trio that backed a Syracuse offense that had nine hits, including eight against Wang. The Gwinnett starter gave up four of Syracuse’s five runs, walked two and had two strikeouts, while McGregor walked two batters and struck out four.
The Syracuse offense was led by den Dekker, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Butler also went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Gwinnett and Syracuse will continue their four-game series with game two scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday at Coolray Field. Right-hander Sugar Ray Marimon (2-0, 0.47 ERA) will start for the G-Braves against fellow righty Bruce Billings (0-2, 4.01 ERA) of the Chiefs.Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, all Infield Box and Field Box seats are two for the price of one as part of “Two-For-Tuesday” at Coolray Field. To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.
