LAWRENCEVILLE – Ryan Lavarnway picked an opportune time for his first home run with the Gwinnett Braves, crushing a game-winning solo shot over the left-field wall to beat the Durham Bulls 4-3 in 11 innings Friday at Coolray Field.
Lavarnway was the first and only hitter in the bottom of the 11th inning against Durham right-handed reliever Jim Miller (L, 2-1), who pitched 1.1 innings and allowed one other hit with two strikeouts.
The teams went to extra innings after Durham center fielder Corey Brown launched a leadoff home run in the ninth inning against right-handed reliever Carlos Fisher (BS, 1) to tie the game at 3-3.
However, Fisher did not allow another hit in the rest of his 2.0 innings, which included a walk and two strikeouts, and fellow righty Peter Moylan (W, 1-0) worked a scoreless top of the 11th with a walk and a strikeout.
The G-Braves trailed 2-1 into the seventh inning until a two-run single up the middle byDaniel Castro flipped the one-run deficit into a 3-2 lead. Mycal Jones and Barrett Kleinknecht scored on the single off of Bulls’ right-handed reliever Jhan Marinez, although the threat started when left-handed reliever Andy Oliver walked the first two batters of the inning.
Jose Peraza drove in Gwinnett’s first run of the night in the third inning with a single to center field off of Bulls’ right-handed starter Matt Andriese that scored Jones.
Andriese pitched the first 4.2 innings before Oliver took over to record the final out of the fifth. Oliver was charged with two runs on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Marinez went 2.2 innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout.
G-Braves’ right-handed starter Sugar Ray Marimon got through the first five innings unscathed, but J.P. Arencibia launched a leadoff home run to left-center field in the sixth inning to tie the game at 1-1. Allan Dykstra followed with a double down the right-field line. He advanced to third on an attempted pickoff throw from Marimon that deflected into left field and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Brown that put Durham in front 2-1.
Marimon lasted 6.0 innings with two runs allowed (one earned) on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 99 pitches, 61 of which were strikes. Righty Ryan Weber pitched a perfect seventh, and right-hander David Carpenter worked a scoreless eighth with a walk and two strikeouts.
Offensively, Lavarnway also doubled in his first at-bat and finished 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Peraza finished with two hits, an RBI and his 15th stolen base in his five at-bats.
Durham had three hitters finish with a pair of hits. Brown ended the night 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Arencibia and Alexi Casilla both went 2-for-5. Arencibia also had an RBI and a run scored from his homer.
The G-Braves and Bulls will play the second game of their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Coolray Field. Left-hander Manny Banuelos (4-0, 2.39 ERA) will start for Gwinnett against lefty Everett Teaford (3-4, 6.34 ERA) of Durham. Dave Lezotte has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a G-Braves Replica Jersey courtesy of Delta Community Credit Union. To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.
